Jon Vanderhoof, M.D., director of the joint section of pediatric gastroenterology
and nutrition at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Creighton
University, has been awarded the Shwachman Award for lifetime contributions
in pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition.
The North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology
and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) presented Dr. Vanderhoof with the annual award
at the societys annual meeting this past week.
I am very surprised, and pleased, to receive this award, Dr. Vanderhoof
said. For me, its an affirmation of many years of very hard work. I feel
very good that I did this work at the University of Nebraska, the university
from where I graduated. Because of this, the people of this state were
among the first to benefit from the work that we did.
A native of Scottsbluff, Dr. Vanderhoof received his undergraduate degree
from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and his medical degree from UNMC
in 1972. It was during his medical training that he encountered a child
with retractable diarrhea that Dr. Vanderhoof and veteran physicians couldnt
treat. The child died from the disease, which then was fatal.
I decided then that I was going to get trained on how to deal with
these diseases, come back to Nebraska and start a program, Dr. Vanderhoof
said. So he completed a fellowship at the University of California, Los
Angeles, then returned in 1976 to UNMC as assistant professor of pediatrics.
He was named director of the section of pediatric gastroenterology and
nutrition in 1980. He joined the Creighton University faculty in 1979 and,
in 1985, assumed the position of professor of pediatrics and internal medicine
at both universities. He was chairman of the department of pediatrics at
Creighton from 1989 to 1993. He also served as executive director of the
Center for Human Nutrition from 1984 to 1998.
Since returning to Nebraska, Dr. Vanderhoof said, Ive treated dozens
of patients with retractable diarrhea and none of them has died. Most of
them get over it with treatment, and some require transplantation of the
small bowel.
During the last three decades, Dr. Vanderhoof has become one of the
nations foremost authorities on pediatric gastroenterology, short bowel
syndrome and intestinal adaptation.
His expertise in small bowel syndrome was a key to UNMC establishing
its intestinal transplantation program. It is one of three centers in the
country that is prominent in that area; the others are at the University
of Pittsburgh and the University of Miami (Fla.).
Dr. Vanderhoof has authored more than 200 publications, including original
articles, editorials, reviews and chapters. Much of his research has focused
on intestinal adaptation.
The nice thing about reaching this level in my career is that Ive
developed friends from all over the world, with common interests and common
goals, Dr. Vanderhoof said. In a few areas, through the research and
writing weve done, weve been able to change treatments and procedures
to help patients live more normal lives.
For instance, he said, researchers and clinicians have learned to better
treat patients with intestinal allergies or short bowel syndrome.
Not only have we demonstrated the importance of intestinal nutrition
in patients with short bowel syndrome, but weve also better determined
what they should be fed and why, Dr. Vanderhoof said.
Dr. Vanderhoof is past president of NASPGHAN, which now has about 1,000
members. He has served on publications committees for NASPGHAN, the American
Gastroenterological Association and the American Association for the Study
of Liver Diseases. He also has served on several editorial boards of two
national publications.
The Shwachman Award is given in memory of Harry Shwachman, M.D., who
gained worldwide recognition for his research and treatment of cystic fibrosis.
Many pediatricians who trained under Dr. Shwachman are now lead investigators
or chiefs of gastroenterology services and cystic fibrosis centers all
over the world.