The Bulletin: August 2006

The Bulletin is a monthly newsletter for Children's and community providers.

Bioethics Conference Webcast

The Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics held its second annual pediatric bioethics conference, “Current Controversies: Ethical Issues Related to the Vaccination of Children,” on July 14 and 15. The Webcast is available on the Research Web site.

Basic Science Speaker Series

Children’s at 307 Westlake Ave. N., Discovery Conference Room

Aug. 10 – 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Primary Immune Deficiency Diseases: Molecular-based Diagnoses and Therapy.

Symposium co-sponsored with the Jeffrey Modell Foundation. To register, please call Kathie Kohorn at (206) 987-5379.

Aug. 25 – 9 to 10:30 a.m., The Role of CD36 in Atherosclerosis: A Tale of Two Mice

Maria Febbraio, PhD, associate staff, Department of Cell Biology, Lerner Research Institute, and Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Division of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Foundation. For more information, please e-mail Dr. Allison Eddy. No registration necessary.

New Members of the Medical Staff

Henry S. Berman, MD, Adolescent Medicine, Children’s
Soren M. Gantt, MD, PhD, Infectious Disease, Children’s
Carrie L. Heike, MD, Craniofacial, Children’s
Jeffrey P. Kaiser, MD, Child Psychiatry, Children’s
Rachel A. Katzenellenbogen, MD, Adolescent Medicine, Children’s
Jon S. Kuniyoshi, MD, PhD, Child Psychiatry, Children’s
Susanna Lin, MD, UW Physicians-Issaquah
Jairam R. Lingappa, MD, PhD, Infectious Disease, UW
Martin Maimon, MD, Hospitalist, Evergreen Hospital Medical Center
Aaron K. Olson, MD, Cardiology, Children’s
Jessica A. Pollard, MD, Hematology-Oncology, UW and FHCRC
Heather L. Silverberg, MD, Virginia Mason Medical Center
Lincoln S. Smith, MD, Critical Care, Children’s
Mahesh M. Thapa, MD, Radiology, Children’s
Rebecca T. Wiester, MD, Child Protection Program, Children’s
Benjamin S. Wilfond, MD, Bioethics, Children’s
Karyn E. Yonekawa, MD, Nephrology, Children’s

Del Beccaro to Co-Chair CCHIT

The Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT) has named Dr. Mark Del Beccaro co-chair of its work group on inpatient electronic health record (EHR) functionality. Del Beccaro is the clinical director of the Children’s Information Services Department and associate chief of Emergency Medicine.

Neurosurgery Launches Web Site

Children’s Neurosurgery Division recently launched its Web site. The Web site provides information on hydrocephalus, craniofacial anomalies, epilepsy, trauma, and brain and spinal cord disorders, including tumors, congenital/developmental anomalies and vascular diseases.

In addition, you’ll find profiles of neurosurgery team members as well as providers from other specialties who collaborate with the division. The site also presents the team’s current research on new ways to treat children with these diseases and conditions.

Children's Places 12th in U.S.News & World Report Ranking

Children’s placed 12th in the nation, up from 15th in 2005, in U.S. News & World Report magazine’s annual ranking of children’s hospitals.

It is the 14th straight year that Children’s has placed among the nation’s top pediatric hospitals. Children’s ranked highest on the West Coast and is also the only children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest to make the list, which was published as part of the 17th annual “America’s Best Hospitals” ranking.

The University of Washington Medical Center was ranked 10th in the magazine’s “Honor Roll” listing, recognizing medical centers or hospitals that excel in six or more specialties.

Following Up on Referrals

The most expedient way to refer patients to Children’s specialty services is by phoning in referrals to the Clinical Intake nurses at (206) 987-2080. Physicians can also reach the Clinical Intake nurses directly by calling the same phone number and choosing option one to return a call or follow up on a referral.

Resources for Weight Management

Children’s offers many resources for primary care providers and families who are trying to help children achieve and maintain healthy weight. These include a Web site, workshops for providers, and patient and family consultations.

One important source of information is the nationally recognized Children’s Obesity Action Team (COAT), which brings together health care professionals with medical, nutritional, behavioral and fitness backgrounds.

The COAT Web site features practical tips to encourage behavior change, suggestions for motivational counseling and links to resources on pediatric overweight. The site also provides information on provider packets that contain materials for working with patients and families.

You can order these packets by calling Children’s Materials Request line, (206) 987-2500 or (866) 987-2500, and choosing option four.

COAT also periodically holds half-day workshops called “Pediatric Weight Management: Skills and Resources for Providers.” The next workshop will be Nov. 4 in Wright Auditorium. You can find more information by choosing the Education tab on the Medical Staff Web site.

Nutrition Services, Endocrinology and COAT are creating a Child Wellness Clinic for patients age 2 to 11 who have a body mass index greater than the 95th percentile. The new clinic will allow Children’s to add fitness and behavioral services to the medical and nutrition services currently available.

Pre-referral guidelines and more information about the opening of the clinic will be in the Bulletin and posted on the Medical Staff Web site this fall.

The Children’s Adolescent Medicine team works with teens age 12 to 21 and their families to change behavior, including eating habits.

Teens and their parents meet with an Adolescent Medicine provider for an initial consultation to assess the readiness of both the patient and family for a lifestyle change. If they are ready for Children’s services, a nutritionist works with the whole family and also meets with the teen individually.

COAT was recently ranked among the top six programs by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality in the 2006 National Recognition Awards for Health Care Programs Ad-dressing Childhood Obesity.

For more information about COAT, call (206) 987-2626 or visit their Web site.

Infectious Disease Voice Mail Option

Children’s is adding a new voice message option to the Physician Operator phone line, (206) 987-7777, to route questions for the Infectious Disease (ID) Department. This option saves time by allowing the ID provider to research your question before returning your call.

Starting Aug. 14, when you reach the physician operator, you will be given the option to leave a message with your question. When you leave your voice mail, the specialist will be paged automatically. The specialist will then research the answer and return your call by 5 p.m. that day.

You will still have the options of a return phone call by 5 p.m. without leaving a message, or a return call within 15 minutes if the call is urgent.

Grand Rounds

View the schedule of upcoming Grand Rounds.

Grand Rounds Online

View online versions of recent Grand Rounds.

On-Call Schedule

The on-call schedule for inpatient services can be found in the secure area of the Medical Staff Web site. It is updated on a daily basis.