Department Profile – Pediatrics

Celebrates fifth anniversary of partnership with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center

Child patient with nurse

Department Chair:  John Sparks, M.D.

Department Administrator:  Marlene Haskell

Personnel (17 Divisions)
Faculty: 102, UNMC Staff: 65, UNMC-P Staff: 30, Residents: 38, Fellows: 6 (in 2 programs)

New faculty

  • Cardiology
    Robert Spicer, M.D., division chief
    Jenn Cameron, M.D.
  • Education
    Gary Beck, Ph.D. 
  • Gastroenterology
    Pablo Palomo, M.D.
    Anna Trauernicht, M.D. 
  • Infectious Diseases
    Dele Davies, M.D., vice chancellor, academic affairs
    Stephen Obaro, M.D. 
  • Neonatology
    Nicole Birge, M.D.
    Zahi Zeidan, M.D.
  • Nephrology
    Teri Mauch, M.D., division chief 
  • Pulmonology
    Casey Burg, M.D.

Academic Affiliation
September 2012 marked the 5-year anniversary of the academic affiliation with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.

Outreach/Patient Care

  • Cystic Fibrosis Center (established in 1961)
  • Medically handicapped children’s programs in pediatric cardiology, diabetes and pulmonology
  • Newborn screening programs in cystic fibrosis and hemoglobinopathy
  • Metabolic formula program

Education
In June 2012, the first Medical Genetics fellows completed their training. We also recently received approval for fellowships in pediatric cardiology and pediatric pulmonology from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).  They will have their first fellows beginning July 1, 2013.  In addition to these programs, we also have ACGME-approved fellowships in pediatric infectious diseases and pediatric gastroenterology. We are looking at establishing additional fellowship programs. 

Recent Grants

  • Establishing Surveillance for Invasive Bacterial Infections:  PI: Stephen Obaro, M.D.  Funded by: The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
  • Invasive Salmonellosis:  PI: Stephen Obaro, M.D.  Funded by: RO1 grant from the NIH. 
  • Interactions between Immune System and Shunt Infections:  PI: Jessica Snowden, M.D. Funded by: NIH K08 mentored career development award.
  • CityMatCH, a national program supporting urban maternal child health, has external annual funding of approximately $2 million.  PI: John Sparks, M.D.
  • Counseling families of newborns with hemoglobinopathy traits by primary care physicians in Nebraska: PI: James Harper, M.D. Funded by: The Heartland Genetics and Newborn Screening Collaborative.

Research Administration
The Pediatric Research Office supported 113 clinical research projects in FY 2012.  These included 29 investigator-initiated and 38 Children’s Oncology Group projects as well as 14 NIH/CDC multicenter trials. Under the direction of Bruce Gordon, M.D., a joint Pediatric Institutional Review Board has been established with Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.

The Pediatric Research Committee competitively funds Cheryl Ann Lozier Memorial Grants to junior faculty. Recent grant recipients include Jessica Snowden, M.D., division of pediatric infectious diseases; Arwa Nasir, M.D., division of pediatric emergency medicine; and Chris Shaffer, Pharm.D., department of pharmacy practice.

Publications
For a list of publications for the department, please go to http://www.unmc.edu/pediatrics/Publications.htm