John W. Sparks, M.D., professor and chair of the UNMC Department of Pediatrics, has announced his intention to step down as chair once a new chair is in place. Dr. Sparks also is pediatrician-in-chief for Children's Hospital & Medical Center.
In January, Dr. Sparks, 71, will celebrate his 10th year as department chair. Prior to coming to UNMC, he chaired pediatrics for 10 years at University of Texas – Houston.
A neonatologist, Dr. Sparks plans to continue to serve on the faculty, working in neonatology and well-baby care and focusing on teaching.
"It's time," said Dr. Sparks, who holds the Carol Remmer Angle, M.D., Presidential Chair of Pediatrics at UNMC and is associate dean for pediatric affairs. "I’ve spent more than half of my career as a department chair. I really enjoy teaching, and this will give me more opportunity to get into the classroom. I’m honored to have been a part of the department’s growth over the past decade and to have watched our partnership with Children’s flourish."
Bradley Britigan, M.D., dean of the College of Medicine, praised Dr. Sparks for taking pediatrics to a whole new level, by advancing the affiliation agreement between UNMC and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. The agreement, which was signed in 2007, just celebrated its 10th anniversary.
"It’s not a stretch to say that John was instrumental in transforming pediatric care for our region," Dr. Britigan said. "The partnership with Children’s has been successful beyond our wildest dreams, and this was due in large part to the outstanding leadership and direction provided by Dr. Sparks. He came in 2008 and was a driving force in growing the department on all fronts – research, education and patient care."
"Dr. Sparks’ leadership at Children’s and UNMC has taken both institutions to new heights," said Richard G. Azizkhan, M.D., president and CEO, Children’s Hospital & Medical Center. "He leaves a strong legacy in growing our research and innovation activities, most recently serving as the inaugural executive director of the Child Health Research Institute partnership. As a master clinician, thoughtful teacher and visionary executive, he has played a large role in improving the care of children in our state, region and beyond."
Some of the other accomplishments during Dr. Sparks’ tenure included:
* The number of pediatric specialists caring for children in Omaha has doubled – from 90 in 2007 to more than 200 today.
* Pediatric clinical research trials – the gateway to the newest and best therapies – have increased from seven in 2007 to 213 in 2016.
* Pediatric research funding increased from $3 million in 2008 to $11 million in 2016.
* Outpatient specialty clinic visits at Children’s have skyrocketed from 35,000 in 2009 to more than 100,000 in 2016.
* Children’s/UNMC now have 15 fellows in nine approved programs; in 2007, there was one fellow.
Dr. Sparks received his undergraduate degree in life sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1968, followed by his M.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1972. After two years of residency in pediatrics at the University of Colorado, Dr. Sparks fulfilled his Vietnam-era military obligation in the U.S. Public Health Service, stationed at the National Institutes of Health (Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development – NICHD).
He then returned to the University of Colorado to complete his third year of pediatric residency. He continued at Colorado as a fellow in neonatal-perinatal medicine under the mentorship of Dr. Fred Battaglia, completing his last year of fellowship at the College de France in Paris, in the laboratory of Dr. Alfred Jost.
Following fellowship, he was appointed to the pediatric faculty at the University of Colorado as assistant professor. During his 11 years on the faculty at Colorado, he was promoted to associate professor and granted tenure. He was active in research, teaching and clinical care, and served as director of newborn services at Colorado.
Dr. Sparks moved to the University of Texas – Houston in 1991 as professor with tenure, division director of neonatology, and director of the neonatology fellowship. He was named chair of the department of pediatrics in 1995, serving in that role for 10 years.