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Meet David Axelson, MD, Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
 Meet David Axelson, MD, Chief of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health 1024 647 Shannon Caldwell
By: Shannon Caldwell

Dr. Axelson and his team have achieved amazing things in the last decade, from more than doubling the volume of patients served to establishing a new research institute for mental and behavioral health, and they’re not slowing down. We recently sat down to talk with Dr. Axelson about his time at Nationwide Children’s and his…

What Primary Care Providers Need to Know About Precocious Puberty
 What Primary Care Providers Need to Know About Precocious Puberty 1024 683 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES
By: Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

PCPs are the first line of defense in recognizing and referring possible cases of precocious puberty to endocrinologists for formal diagnosis and treatment. Precocious puberty — signs of the onset of puberty before the age of 8 in girls and 9 in boys — affects less than 1% of children in the United States, and…

Treating Obesity With GLP-1s — Finding the Way Forward
 Treating Obesity With GLP-1s — Finding the Way Forward 150 150 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

Using lessons learned from medicating mental and behavioral health conditions, Stephen Cook, MD, offers suggestions about how medications approved for adolescents with obesity should become part of care.   For most of the time in Western medicine, people have treated obesity like a choice — not a disease. Like other conditions now understood to be…

Lessons Learned: From First Gen Student to Chief Scientific Officer
 Lessons Learned: From First Gen Student to Chief Scientific Officer 1024 683 Nationwide Children's
By: Nationwide Children's

Joanne Turner, PhD, chief scientific officer at the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, shares what it’s like to go from first gen college student to academic leadership.    What inspired you to go to college and pursue a bachelor’s degree in science? When I was in school, college never came up as…

4 Questions With Jeffrey Leonard, MD
 4 Questions With Jeffrey Leonard, MD 1024 683 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

Jeffrey Leonard, MD, is chief of Neurosurgery and the Robert F. & Edgar T. Wolfe Foundation Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He is also a principal investigator in the Center for Childhood Cancer Research in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute and a professor of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University College…

New Frontiers for Data Science in Pediatric Research
 New Frontiers for Data Science in Pediatric Research 1024 577 Peter White, PhD
By: Peter White, PhD

From discovery science to population health, researchers generate masses of data that hold immense potential to transform pediatric research, diagnostics, treatments and even guide disease prevention strategies. To make sense of this data deluge, we’ve been harnessing the power of cloud computing and cutting-edge data science techniques, such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML)…

When Surgery Does Not Go as Planned
 When Surgery Does Not Go as Planned 1024 575 V. Rama Jayanthi, MD
By: V. Rama Jayanthi, MD
Dr. Jayanthi standing in OR

A surgeon’s reflections on complications, trust and moving forward together.   I have been thinking back on my career and the instances where a patient developed a complication, and the surgery did not go as planned. Having a family state their child was better off before the surgery and seeing the significant emotional harm it…

Kids With Concussions Need Specialized Assessment and Care
 Kids With Concussions Need Specialized Assessment and Care 1024 683 Sean Rose, MD
By: Sean Rose, MD

Learn why cutting-edge care and research specifically for children matters. The 2020 National Health Interview Survey reported that 6.8% of children experience symptoms of a concussion or brain injury in their lifetime. However, only 3.9% had received a diagnosis or treatment of a concussion or brain injury from a health care provider. The Concussion Center…

Growing Clinical Research at Nationwide Children’s With Cynthia Gerhardt, PhD
 Growing Clinical Research at Nationwide Children’s With Cynthia Gerhardt, PhD 1024 683 Cynthia Gerhardt, PhD and Natalie Wilson
By: Cynthia Gerhardt, PhD and Natalie Wilson

Dr. Gerhardt was appointed Chief Clinical Research Officer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in April 2023. With integrating clinical care and research at the heart of the hospital’s strategic plan, she has big plans for ensuring our clinical research infrastructure continues to grow and evolve to support the best bench-to-bedside-and-back science for best outcomes. Learn more…

Ask A Specialist: What Are the Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening in Primary Care?
 Ask A Specialist: What Are the Recommendations for Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI) Screening in Primary Care? 1024 575 Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD
By: Cynthia Holland-Hall, MD
Teen girl with backpack

STI screening is recommended for all sexually active adolescents. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, nearly 1 in 4 teens have an STI. Safe sexual practices and routine screening can prevent these infections – that’s where health care providers come in. By offering routine testing for all sexually active teens in addition to safe…

Expanding Use of Trikafta for Cystic Fibrosis to Patients as Young as 2 Years Old
 Expanding Use of Trikafta for Cystic Fibrosis to Patients as Young as 2 Years Old 1024 683 Karen McCoy, MD
By: Karen McCoy, MD
Smiling boy outside

When I first started my pulmonary training, the average life expectancy in the United States was about 70 years, and the average life expectancy for someone with cystic fibrosis (CF) was 14 years! Intense study and pursuit of consistent care across the country yielded improvements. By 2010, with standards of treatment very consistent and implementation…

What Pediatricians Need to Know About Lymphedema in Pediatrics
 What Pediatricians Need to Know About Lymphedema in Pediatrics 150 150 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

Lymphedema is chronic, progressive swelling caused by maldevelopment or disruption of the lymphatic system. Typically, patients present with an asymmetric swelling of an arm or leg that progressively worsens. Min-Jeong Cho, MD, a microsurgeon and assistant professor at The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, says that lymphedema affects more children and teens than…

More Than a Building: Why Our Expanded Research Facilities Matter for Kids Everywhere
 More Than a Building: Why Our Expanded Research Facilities Matter for Kids Everywhere 1024 624 Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE
By: Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE

At Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we proudly acknowledge the significant role research has in improving patient care and overall child heath. The integration of research and clinical care is at the heart of the hospital’s strategic plan — a $3.3 billion investment over the next several years in our commitment to transform health outcomes for all…

Ask a Specialist: When Should Primary Care Providers Refer Dental Injuries to the Emergency Department?
 Ask a Specialist: When Should Primary Care Providers Refer Dental Injuries to the Emergency Department? 150 150 Ehsan N. Azadani, DDS, MS
By: Ehsan N. Azadani, DDS, MS

An expert reveals the most common red flag dental injuries that should be referred to the ED and what precautions PCPs can take before sending the child.   The most time-sensitive dental injury is the avulsion of a permanent tooth; that is, when the permanent tooth is completely knocked out of its socket (and the…

Genomic Medicine Translational Protocols – What Do They Mean for Patients Everywhere?
 Genomic Medicine Translational Protocols – What Do They Mean for Patients Everywhere? 1024 614 Elizabeth Varga
By: Elizabeth Varga
abstract art of magnifying glass over DNA strand

As part of the Journey to Best Outcomes, Nationwide Children’s Hospital has dedicated significant resources to genomic medicine, named as a key accelerator in the 2017-2021 strategic plan and as one of the three pillars that will be utilized to integrate research and clinical care over the next five years. In response, the Steve and…

Celebrating More Than 100 Heart Transplants — And a Host of Other Heart Program Achievements
 Celebrating More Than 100 Heart Transplants — And a Host of Other Heart Program Achievements 1024 746 Deipanjan Nandi, MD, MSc
By: Deipanjan Nandi, MD, MSc

Deipanjan Nandi, MD, MSc, shares an update about treating heart failure at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. From transplant to ventricular assist devices and pharmaceutical options, the patient-centered care offers innovative options for patients with heart failure.

The New Book on Youth Suicide Prevention
 The New Book on Youth Suicide Prevention 150 150 John Ackerman, PhD and Lisa Horowitz, PhD, MPH
By: John Ackerman, PhD and Lisa Horowitz, PhD, MPH

Our new open access Springer Series book helps close the gap between the latest research in youth suicide prevention and how to make an impact in our communities.  Youth suicide is a public health crisis. It is the second leading cause of death among youth aged 10-17 in the United States, according to data from…

What’s the Relevance of Emotional Intelligence in Medicine?
 What’s the Relevance of Emotional Intelligence in Medicine? 1024 386 Mike Patrick, MD and Erica Banta, MBA, LDSS
By: Mike Patrick, MD and Erica Banta, MBA, LDSS

The practice of clinical medicine requires an intelligent mindset. Strong cognitive intelligence (IQ) is required to develop and maintain a substantial knowledge base and to call upon the critical thinking skills needed to synthesize a hundred points of data into a meaningful clinical picture, correct diagnosis and appropriate management plan. But another type of intelligence…

Breast Surgery in Adolescents: When Should You Consider It?
 Breast Surgery in Adolescents: When Should You Consider It? 150 150 Ibrahim Khansa, MD
By: Ibrahim Khansa, MD

Research shows that addressing macromastia, breast asymmetry and gynecomastia in adolescence can improve physical symptoms as well as quality of life and mental wellbeing. Breast disorders such as macromastia, breast asymmetry and gynecomastia are in adolescents.2 Those conditions can negatively impair quality-of-life, and their surgical treatment has been shown to improve self-esteem, as well as…

When Functional Outcomes Are Achieved Post-Op, Do Patients and Families Care About Scarring?
 When Functional Outcomes Are Achieved Post-Op, Do Patients and Families Care About Scarring? 1024 683 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

A recent editorial from Dr. Daniel DaJusta questions whether cosmetic concerns after surgery are primarily driven by surgeons, patients or parents. It is widely accepted that having a smaller, neater or less visible scar following surgery is a preferable cosmetic outcome to a large, ragged or highly visible scar. This is supported anecdotally by surgeons,…

COVID-19 and Neurologic Manifestations in Children
 COVID-19 and Neurologic Manifestations in Children 1024 512 Marlina Lovett, MD
By: Marlina Lovett, MD
coronavirus

Just weeks after SARS-CoV-2 was identified, global consortiums were formed to combat the pandemic. Health care providers and scientists worked together to learn how SARS-CoV-2 impacted the body, to share information, to generate hypotheses and to develop treatment approaches. The Global Consortium Study of Neurologic Dysfunction in COVID-19 (GCS-NeuroCOVID) was designed to provide insight into…

From 1 to 1,000: How Robotic Technology Has Brought Surgeons Together at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
 From 1 to 1,000: How Robotic Technology Has Brought Surgeons Together at Nationwide Children’s Hospital 1024 683 Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA, Karen Diefenbach, MD, Molly Fuchs, MD and Daniel DaJusta, MD
By: Marc Michalsky, MD, MBA, Karen Diefenbach, MD, Molly Fuchs, MD and Daniel DaJusta, MD

This month marks an important milestone for patients receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio: the completion of our 1,000th minimally invasive case using the DaVinci Robotic System. Nationwide Children’s was one of the first large children’s hospitals in the country to acquire a robotic system (2013) and like many, the decision was…

Building Momentum for School-Based Health Care
 Building Momentum for School-Based Health Care 150 150 Mary Kay Irwin, EdD
By: Mary Kay Irwin, EdD

Pediatric health care and the United States educational system share similar goals, even if they don’t quite use the same words to describe them. Health care professionals often say they want optimal wellness for children, so they can thrive throughout their lives. Schools want optimal learning opportunities to prepare children to be successful, productive, happy…

Lawnmower Injuries in Children Are Limb-Threatening and Avoidable
 Lawnmower Injuries in Children Are Limb-Threatening and Avoidable 1024 683 Ibrahim Khansa, MD
By: Ibrahim Khansa, MD

During the warm months, lawnmowers are a ubiquitous sight in American lawns. Unfortunately, more than 9,000 children are injured by lawnmowers every year in the United States. In a recent study, published in the Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery – Open, our group from the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Nationwide…

Dehumanizing Language in the Health Care System Harms Children With Incarcerated Family Members
 Dehumanizing Language in the Health Care System Harms Children With Incarcerated Family Members 1024 683 Rosemary Martoma, MD and Kelly Kelleher, MD, MPH
By: Rosemary Martoma, MD and Kelly Kelleher, MD, MPH

Dehumanizing Language Causes Harm Labels and language matter. Language has the power to condemn or redeem, and words reflect our values and beliefs as clinicians, scholars, and members of the community.” – Bedell et al., Humanity: Person-First Language in Correctional Health Epidemiology, American Journal of Epidemiology Children with incarcerated family members frequently face stigma and…

She for She: Supporting Women in Orthopaedics
 She for She: Supporting Women in Orthopaedics 1024 575 Julie Samora, MD, PhD
By: Julie Samora, MD, PhD
Julie Samora, MD

Julie Balch Samora, MD, PhD, MPH, an orthopaedic surgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the hospital’s associate medical director for quality, is the 2021 President of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society – the leading international organization championing women in orthopaedics. This column was adapted from her presidential address.   Shalane Flanagan is an American long-distance…

Growth Hormone is Still Important Beyond the Growing Years
 Growth Hormone is Still Important Beyond the Growing Years 1024 683 Rohan Henry, MD, MS
By: Rohan Henry, MD, MS

The History of Growth Hormone The first reported use of growth hormone (GH) as treatment for severe growth retardation occurred in the 1950s.1 Since that time, growth hormone’s importance in growth promotion has been clear. Its role in promoting normal metabolism even after growth has ended, however, was only recognized in the late 1980s.2 Beginning…

Lessons Learned Through a Global Pandemic
 Lessons Learned Through a Global Pandemic 1024 683 Lauren Bakaletz, PhD
By: Lauren Bakaletz, PhD
Lauren Bakaletz, PhD

As a microbiologist and vaccinologist, I spend nearly every day thinking about viruses and bacteria and the diseases they cause, as well as how to best prevent them from doing so. While in graduate school, we were taught about the great ‘flu’ pandemic of 1918 that infected one-third of the world’s population and killed 20-50…

How Important is Fasting for Pediatric Routine Cholesterol Screening?
 How Important is Fasting for Pediatric Routine Cholesterol Screening? 1024 575 Andrew Tran, MD
By: Andrew Tran, MD

A nonfasting lipid panel is a great first-line screening tool to use. While it is ideal to have a fasting lipid panel, this can be difficult to obtain in practice. For the purposes of screening, I think that it is much more important to go ahead and get the nonfasting lipid panel while the patient…

COVID-19 and the Heart: SARS-CoV-2-Associated Myocardial Infection
 COVID-19 and the Heart: SARS-CoV-2-Associated Myocardial Infection 150 150 Simon Lee
By: Simon Lee

Myocardial infection following COVID-19 illness has made headlines. Simon Lee, MD, tackles some commonly asked questions about MIS-C and isolated myocarditis after COVID-19 recovery.

A Collaborative Approach to Preventive Cardiology
 A Collaborative Approach to Preventive Cardiology 1024 575 Andrew Tran, MD
By: Andrew Tran, MD

Many of us have friends or family members who have had an early heart attack. The event is sudden, unexpected and sobering. Those who recover often make drastic changes to their diet and lifestyle, along with taking medications, and endeavor to delay and undo years of accumulated toll. However, these efforts can only go so…

When Should Breastfed Babies Be Supplemented?
 When Should Breastfed Babies Be Supplemented? 1024 575 Vanessa Shanks
By: Vanessa Shanks

This question has received increasing attention in the last several years, especially when considering supplementation for late preterm and early term babies. As more hospitals focus on promoting and supporting breastfeeding, supplementation rates have decreased for infants in the newborn nursery. However, there has been increasing awareness from primary care providers who may see these…

Racism Revisited
 Racism Revisited 1024 683 Deena Chisolm, PhD
By: Deena Chisolm, PhD

Deena Chisolm, PhD, shares why it is essential for the research community to take action against systemic racism. Five years after the publication of this post on racism, the topic is as relevant as ever. In the wake of racial disparities in the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing incidents of police brutality costing the lives of unarmed Black people,…

Taking Research to the Public Library: Learning From One Initiative to Increase Health Literacy
 Taking Research to the Public Library: Learning From One Initiative to Increase Health Literacy 1024 683 Adrianna Matos-Nieves
By: Adrianna Matos-Nieves

Researchers from the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, visited the Columbus Metropolitan Library with the goal to improve health literacy in the Parsons community. During the summer of 2019, when outings and gathering were still allowed, I received an outreach request from the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML). It turns out the library…

Missing Connections: A Reflection on Residency During a Global Pandemic
 Missing Connections: A Reflection on Residency During a Global Pandemic 150 150 Nimisha Bajaj, MD
By: Nimisha Bajaj, MD

I am a first-year pediatrics resident at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and SARS-CoV-2 has turned my world upside down. I support social distancing measures, at least until broader public health interventions have been universally implemented. But as a physician in training, the pandemic has affected many aspects of my life, including patient care, residency training and…

Beyond A Bigger Workforce: Addressing the Shortage of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists
 Beyond A Bigger Workforce: Addressing the Shortage of Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists 1024 575 David Axelson, MD
By: David Axelson, MD

How can the psychiatrists we have make the greatest impact for the most children? The United States does not have enough child and adolescent psychiatrists. Nearly anyone who works in the field knows about the months-long wait times for new appointments that families can face, or the great distances that some must travel for those…

The Path to a Long Career in Medicine
 The Path to a Long Career in Medicine 150 150 William Long, MD
By: William Long, MD

I want to be a pediatrician forever. But the laws of nature won’t let me. In addition, many of us of all ages, are feeling increased pressure and demands that come with our profession.  From insurance issues, and just about everything with the EMR, to the rise in patient behavioral health complaints — it is…

From Lab Work to “Home Work:” Tips on the Transition to Work From Home
 From Lab Work to “Home Work:” Tips on the Transition to Work From Home 1024 683 Adrianna Matos-Nieves
By: Adrianna Matos-Nieves

PhD candidate Adrianna Matos-Nieves shares tips for research employees who are suddenly finding themselves transitioning from the wet lab to their home office. PhD students have a significant advantage when enduring coronavirus-imposed social distancing. We decided to do it voluntarily many years prior. But in all seriousness, the transition to working from home can be…

A Decade of Healthy Homes
 A Decade of Healthy Homes 1024 683 Kelly Kelleher, MD, MPH
By: Kelly Kelleher, MD, MPH

Dr. Kelleher and Rev. John Edgar, executive director and pastor emeritus, Church and Community for All People, discuss the first decade of a collaboration aimed to take on housing issues in the South Side of Columbus as a way to improve health outcomes and answer the question: What’s on the horizon? The last decade has…

How Does a Children’s Hospital Excel in the Discovery and Development of New Therapies?
 How Does a Children’s Hospital Excel in the Discovery and Development of New Therapies? 1024 575 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller
conceptual art of DNA

A conversation with Dennis Durbin, MD, MSCE chief scientific officer, Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Nationwide Children’s has become an epicenter for gene therapy discovery and development. The discovery in 2009 that adeno-associated virus (AAV) could cross the blood-brain barrier was a milestone in the development of dozens of gene therapy products for neuromuscular…

Oral Food Challenges: The Most Important Test in Diagnosing Food Allergy
 Oral Food Challenges: The Most Important Test in Diagnosing Food Allergy 1024 683 David Stukus, MD
By: David Stukus, MD

I routinely hear the same question from pediatricians, parents, friends, and acquaintances: Why are we seeing so many more kids develop food allergies now compared with 10 or 20 years ago? Unfortunately, there is no single answer as to why the prevalence of food allergies has doubled among children over the past two decades. Food…

When Is It Appropriate to Send Pediatric Patients to an OB/GYN?
 When Is It Appropriate to Send Pediatric Patients to an OB/GYN? 150 150 Geri Hewitt, MD
By: Geri Hewitt, MD

This post was reviewed by Dr. Hewitt and updated on June 4, 2021.  The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) recommends that young women have their first visit with an obstetrician-gynecologist (OB/GYN) between the ages of 13 and 15. Making sure that first appointment is with a pediatric gynecologist can have added benefits. Specific…

Meet Oluyinka Olutoye, MD, PhD
 Meet Oluyinka Olutoye, MD, PhD 1024 575 Abbie Miller
By: Abbie Miller

In August 2019, Nationwide Children’s welcomed Oluyinka Olutoye, MD, PhD, as surgeon-in-chief. In a Q&A, the internationally renowned fetal surgeon shares his thoughts about the past, present and future of fetal surgery and the challenges and opportunities facing pediatric surgeons today.   Q: What brought you to Nationwide Children’s Hospital? I was initially attracted to…

Why Advocate?
 Why Advocate? 1024 575 Ray Bignall
By: Ray Bignall

Several months ago, I had the privilege of attending a panel discussion on health in the African American community hosted by my local church. It was an opportunity for our largely African American congregation to hear from Black health professionals promoting health-seeking behavior in communities of color. Sitting in the audience, I listened as each…

The Search to Identify Tumor Cells Evading Chemotherapy
 The Search to Identify Tumor Cells Evading Chemotherapy 150 150 Sanjana Rajan
By: Sanjana Rajan

Graduate research associate Sanjana Rajan shares why her work to label and track cells before and after chemotherapy is the next step to preventing tumor relapse. For a long time, the cells within a tumor were thought to be similar to one another, like a bowl of chocolate chips. However, scientific studies have identified that…

Medical Marijuana 101: What Does Increasing Legalization of Medical Marijuana Mean for Pediatrics?
 Medical Marijuana 101: What Does Increasing Legalization of Medical Marijuana Mean for Pediatrics? 479 272 Chet Kaczor
By: Chet Kaczor

The legalization of medical marijuana has been front and center in community conversation over the last several years. As more states turn to legalization under specific conditions, the federal law has not changed. Experts in pediatric health care are carefully considering what legalization of medical marijuana could mean for children and adolescents with chronic or…

Not an App, We Need a Digital Health Ecosystem
 Not an App, We Need a Digital Health Ecosystem 1024 575 Emre Sezgin
By: Emre Sezgin

For teens with chronic health conditions and their caregivers, a digital health ecosystem may improve self-management and independence. Teens with chronic conditions and their caregivers encounter a number of challenges while teens are transitioning to health independence. We have investigated these challenges and proposed a “digital health ecosystem” as a roadmap to help families and…

Let’s Talk About Having “The Talk”
 Let’s Talk About Having “The Talk” 1024 575 Sarah Saxbe, MS, MSW, LISW-S
By: Sarah Saxbe, MS, MSW, LISW-S

Known famously as “the talk” due to its taboo nature, the conversation with children about healthy sexual practices is often considered daunting for many parents, but this conversation doesn’t have to be difficult. Practicing open communication and being honest with children can lead to positive conversations about reproductive health that educates kids so they make…

How Research Reinforces the Collaborative Culture of a Children’s Hospital
 How Research Reinforces the Collaborative Culture of a Children’s Hospital 1024 575 Steve Allen, MD
By: Steve Allen, MD
Steve Allen, MD

As he retires, the CEO of Nationwide Children’s Hospital reflects on the less-obvious effects of scientific discovery. Nationwide Children’s Hospital has undergone a dramatic transformation in the last two decades, from an important regional resource into a nationally preeminent medical system. One of the clearest signs of our growth, and one that we’re particularly proud…

The Joys and Challenges of Rural Pediatrics
 The Joys and Challenges of Rural Pediatrics 1024 575 Jill Neff, DO
By: Jill Neff, DO

I often tell my medical students to choose not just a specialty but, first, a place where they want to live. Being happy with one’s life is more important than just being happy with one’s job. If a person prefers to live in a rural setting, then they probably should not become a neuro- or…

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