Plays of the Week:
Play of the week goes to the ward resident workroom which experienced multiple updates. First off, Dr. Elizabeth Perkins made a generous donation of a Keurig and K-cups to the ward resident workroom. On behalf of all the residents, we thank you for this morale boost! Dr. Andrew Warren, for his extraordinary organizational skills on the ward whiteboard. And Drs. Rob Crutcher and Billy Bennett for fixing the TV.
Play of the week also goes towards Drs. Alex Mauro and Rob Crutcher, who got champagne taps this week🍾
Play of the week goes to Maj Caitlin Drumm in the NICU, who was just named Field Grade Officer of the Quarter for the 316 MDG Healthcare Operations Squadron.
Play of the week also goes to these outstanding AF officers who were just selected for Lt Col: Caitlin Drumm, Alison Helfrich, and Brian Hughes!
Last but not least, we welcome Dr. Sunana Singh as one of our new PICU staff members!
Schedule:
Date | Event | Time and Location | Audience/Notes |
Monday, 1/16 Martin Luther King Jr. Day; Start of Block 8 | Outpatient Clinics Closed; No Morning Report | Join us for a service opportunity! See details below. | |
Tuesday, 1/17 | MR: Case and Orient to Service | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | All welcome |
| SOCR Meetings | 0700 - 0800 Google Meet | Residents: see individual emails for scheduled time slots |
Wednesday, 1/18 | Grand Rounds: Neglected Tropical Diseases in the United States, Jill Weatherhead, MD, PhD, CTropMed, FAAP | 0745 - 0845 Virtual Zoom Platform Only; Join Zoom Meeting Meeting ID: 999 6780 8867 Passcode: 7271775 | All welcome |
| Virtual Board Review Panel | 1800 - 2000 | PGY-3s Only; see email for link |
Thursday, 1/19 | MR: Case & ID Lecture, Cirks | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | All welcome |
Friday, 1/20 | MR: Case & AFCCP Lecture, Brennan | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | All welcome |
Save the Date 🗓 | Upcoming Birthdays 🎉 |
22JAN: Lunar New Year | |
25JAN: Nephrology Academic Half-Day | |
31JAN: DEI Symphony Orchestra Outing | |
2FEB: Liggett Journal Club | |
9FEB: Reddington CPC | |
Announcements:
All Staff Updates
Valentine's Day Candygrams

MHS Genesis Updates:
End User Training
Complete computer-based training (CBT) at least 1 week in advance of instructor-led training (ILT)
Be sure to validate your domain at least 5 days before ILT
Provider Adoption (30JAN-10FEB):
Provider Adoption are virtual sessions for site Providers led by Team Cherokee Providers. The sessions include live demonstrations of “a day in the life” of a provider. Each session last about 2 hrs.
Registration by QR code on MHS Weekly Genesis Newsletter open now
Mock Go-Live Events (27FEB-3MAR): provides a hands-on opportunity to reinforce the skills acquired during training and practice end-to-end workflow
Pre-Go-Live Events (27FEB-17MAR):
Includes sign-on fair, favorites fair, and learning lab (see below for descriptions)
It is highly recommended that you attend these events to ensure you are ready to go with the roll-out
Event Sign-Up
Send an email to: dha.bethesda.j-11.mbx.wrnmmc-mhs-genesis@health.mil with the subject live “PRE-GO-LIVE EVENTS” and include the specific events that you would like to attend and your availability.
Sign-on Fair (SOF)
Verify individual access to MHS GENESIS and ensure proper provisioning of end user accounts. Audience: All End Users who have completed CBT and ILT training to obtain access to MHS GENESIS
Favorites Fair (FF)
Assists providers in setting up auto text, orders sets, labs, diagnostic studies, medications, macros, and settings on their account prior to Go-Live. Audience: All providers (MDs, Dos, NPs, PAs, etc.)
Learning Lab (LL)
Opportunity to practice using MHS GENESIS in the training environment Audience: All End Users
ABA Authorizations & Renewals
All Pediatric providers can now access the Sharedrive folder “000 ABA Reauthorization Step by Step for PCMs.” which contains tools and a step-by-step guide for completing ABA authorizations
When first reviewing contents of the folder are helpful to review in order when sorted A-Z. Any feedback is appreciated.
Please reach out to the DBP clinic for any assistance with tricky situations
Referral for Dr. Elmore
If you are seeing patients that need appointments with Dr. Elmore, please place your consult during the visit and have them schedule their initial appointment with Dr. Elmore at the check in/discharge desk on their way out. The Behavioral Health department no longer has their administrator, so this is the fastest/easiest way to get them scheduled.
Resident-Specific Updates
Interested in additional (free) board prep resources?
We have several accounts available for Med Challenger, which includes 1,700 ABP-formatted exam questions and detailed explanations.
Email Theresa Kiefer if you are interested.

Educational/Teaching Opportunities
USU Teaching Opportunities
Clerkship Round Robin (Recurring throughout the Year)
Contact Dr. Brian Hughes (brian.hughes@usuhs.edu) if interested
Tentative Dates and Times:
3May2023 1300-1700*
30Aug2023 1300-1700*
Able to interact with students of the class who have their Peds rotation coming up in the subsequent 3 months. Designed to mimic a clinic half day, each faculty member will be in an MDL room with your particular case. The students have 30 minutes with you to go through the case/skills. Then there is a 10-minute buffer between rooms. The students will move. You stay put and will deliver the same content 5 times. There are 9-10 students per group.
Cardiopulmonary Renal Module Sessions (Jan-Feb)
Syncope ICR: Thursday, Jan 26 1300-1700
Autonomics SG Lab: Monday, Jan 30 0945-1115
Cough ICR: Wednesday, Feb 8 1300-1700
Dyspnea ICR: Thursday, Feb 9 1300-1700
HTN/HLD POPS: Friday, Feb 24 1000-1130
Renal US: Wednesday, Feb 15 1300-1700
ICR Hyponatremia: Thursday, Feb 16 1300-1700
ICR Acid Base: Tuesday, Feb 21 1300-1700
ICR Kidney Disease: Thursday, Feb 23 1300-1700
Please contact COL Jacob Collen if interested (jacob.collen@usuhs.edu)
Transitions of Care: February 13th, 2023 (0930-1130)
SENIOR RESIDENTS ONLY
Lead a small group discussion on Transitions of Care/Patient Handoffs
Email laura.tilley@usuhs.edu if interested
How to Implement a Management Plan: February 15th, 2023 (0800-1200) NEW
Precept a MSIV small group session on "how to implement a management plan"
Provide students an opportunity to discuss and practice some basic management skills using a case format
There will be a basic introductory presentation, followed by break-out groups and then a Q&A session
Please email LTC(P) Renee Mallory (renee.mallory@usuhs.edu) if interested
Humanities Week: March 2023
Contact Dr. Sebastian Lara (sebastian.lara@usuhs.edu) if interested
Co-facilitate a variety of multi-disciplinary health humanities activities. Past sessions include painting, comics design, dance, art of observation with National Gallery of Art, improv in medicine, narrative writing.
Dates: 6MAR (0800-1300), 8MAR (0800-1300), 10MAR(0800-1300)
Research Opportunities & Upcoming Conferences
NEW Research Opportunity!
Dr. Hickey is planning to do an epidemiological risk assessment paper that maps data from a DOD report on the country of residence for DOD children (think embassy families, not just those at big bases) and over-laying that against endemicity for diseases such as malaria, dengue, JEV, rabies and others.
Target manuscript submission goal is late-Spring
If interested, email Dr. Hickey (patrick.hickey@usuhs.edu)
AAP 2023 CATCH Grant
Details
The CATCH Call for Proposals opened November 1, 2022, with an application deadline of January 23, 2023 @11:59pm CST. Funds are available for pediatrician-led community-based programs that address a wide variety of child health issues. Visit the CATCH website for more details. Browse the Community Pediatrics Funded Project list to learn about more than 300 community-based projects funded from 2017 to the present. Questions about the CATCH program can be submitted to CATCH@aap.org.
15th Annual Research & Innovations Month (May)
Details
- 15 different competitions will be offered by the Department of Research Programs (DRP) during the month of May - Submission for the following awards opens 30Nov and abstract deadline is midnight 29Jan2023 Bailey K. Ashford Awards (2): capstone projects in laboratory or clinical research Robert A. Phillips Awards (4): clinical or lab research by staff and fellows, or by residents and interns - Winners go on to compete with other medical centers for four awards in the 38th Annual Navy-wide Academic Research Competition (ARC) - Other awards are offered for case reports in categories for staff and fellows, or residents and interns. Other competitions honor projects in quality improvement, evidence-based practice, and patient- and family-centered care. - Further details regarding applications and how to submit will be emailed out next month
Abstract Submission
- It’s time to craft your abstract for spring research and inquiry competitions!
- Please choose from six categories. You can apply for as many that suit your role and project. (Please note entrance criteria for each.)
- Only finalists will be required to prepare and hang a poster for Poster Week, 28 April - 05 May 2023. Up to 32 others may opt to make a poster, on a first-come, first-served basis. Please use the Defense Health Agency template provided.
- Please view the intranet link (WRNMMC computer compatible only) below for resources, templates, and examples: https://wrnmmc-intranet.health.mil/sites/DETR/ResearchProgramsDepartment/2016%20Research%20and%20Innovation%20Month/Forms/AllItems.aspx
Upcoming Conferences:
AMSUS Annual Meeting 2023: February 13-16th at the Gaylord National Resort & Conference Center, National Harbor, MD
Poster Presentations
AMSUS is currently accepting poster abstracts at https://www.amsus.org/2023-poster-submission-information/
The first 100 approved submissions will be invited to present at the in-person Poster Session on Wednesday 15 February. Space is limited; early submissions have the greatest chance of acceptance. The submissions portal will be disabled as soon as the first 100 submissions have been approved—long before the 15 October hard deadline. REMINDER: Before submitting your abstract to AMSUS, be sure to get USU presentation approval through ServiceNow
Registration
Registration rates for the 2023 AMSUS Annual Meeting will be posted on the AMSUS website by mid-August. The registration portal will open in mid-September. If you have any questions, please contact the USU POC for AMSUS, Ms. Tiffany Helling tiffany.helling.ctr@usuhs.edu
AAP Advocacy Conference: March 26-28th in Washington, DC
The conference brings together pediatricians, pediatric subspecialists and pediatric trainees who share a passion for child health advocacy. This year's conference will feature distinguished guest speakers, advocacy skills-building and child health policy issue sessions and opportunities to learn how to be a strong voice for children.
On the final day of the conference, participants and other attendees from their state will attend meetings with their congressional offices to discuss a timely child health issue.
Scholarships available! Complete an application to apply for a scholarship to attend the advocacy conference. Scholarships will completely cover the early bird registration fee ($500 for trainees; $700 for all other AAP members). Apply here!
Register TODAY here
2023 Helfer Annual Meeting: April 16-19th in Tucson, Arizona as well as virtually
The Ray E. Helfer Society Annual Meeting Scholarship was established by the Helfer Society to encourage trainees to consider a career dedicated to the care of maltreated children. The Annual Meeting of the Helfer Society is a mid-sized meeting that promotes exposure to cutting-edge research dedicated to Child Abuse Pediatrics, as well as the opportunity to network with early, mid-career, and senior mentors. The meeting will be held April 16-19, 2023, at the Loews Ventana Canyon Resort, in Tucson, Arizona. Helfer will be having a hybrid meeting with live presentations and virtual attendance option as well. This scholarship is intended to support travel costs and meeting fees for a trainee to attend the Annual Meeting with the goal of increasing commitment to a career in Child Abuse Pediatrics by talented physicians.
Scholarships are available to medical students and pediatrics residents eligible for a Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship.
Applicants should complete the application form below and attach their current CV. A letter of support from a current member of the Society must be included as well. A subcommittee of the Society will review applications based on the likelihood that the scholarship will improve the potential of the applicant to apply for a Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellowship and have a productive career dedicated to the care of abused children. Successful applicants are expected to attend the large majority of sessions at the conference in person and are welcome for all social and most business and committee meetings.
Please send completed applications to dbandy@helfersociety.org. Applications will be accepted until January 13, 2023 and results will be communicated around or before February 10, 2023. Scholarships are to be used to support travel, lodging, registration, and other reasonable expenses incurred in the course of travel to the meeting (also see details in the application form). Expected length of applications is 1-3 pages. Please submit application and attachments in a pdf format!!!
Partnership for Military Child Health Research Symposium: April 26th
The USU Department of Pediatrics and Division of Military Child Family Research is hosting the annual Partnership for Military Child Health Research Symposium on April 26th.
This event brings together DoD health care professionals, military family advocates, and researchers to advance care and advocacy for military connected children and families.
We are looking for research on military connected children for poster and oral presentation.
This is an opportunity to highlight recent research (including quality improvement projects) focused on the health and well-being of military children, and to highlight the experiences of military connected children and families within the larger military care and advocacy community. Previously submitted/presented research is eligible for consideration in addition to anything that you might be submitting for upcoming conferences including PAS, which will be in DC April 27-May 1.
Please contact Dr. Beth Hisle-Gorman (elizabeth.hisle-gorman@usuhs.edu) and Dr. Binny Chokshi (binny.chokshi@usuhs.edu) if interested in participating.
Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) Conference 2023: April 27-May 1st in Washington, DC
ARMY
New DoD Parental Leave Program
Directive-type Memorandum (DTM) 23-001 – “Expansion of the Military Parental Leave Program” (attached below) was published on 4 JAN 2023, however, the Army has not published its individual policy yet, and we will continue to operate under the old policy for now. Please review the guidance below.
Planning on going on leave? You can find the most updated leave forms here: https://www.nccpeds.com/army-leave
AIR FORCE
Laurie Creel is on extended leave; please forward any questions/concerns to Dr. Zanetti or Britt Bumgardner
Air Force Professional Day
27 January @ 1200-1400 in the Executive Conference Room, basement of building 9 (behind the cafeteria)
Please RSVP to Maj Candelaria, nicole.d.candelaria.mil@health.mil, and MSgt Wasson,anna.m.wasson.mil@health.mil.
1200-1230 – Career field update from Col Compton
1230-1300 - Q/A related to MC career field updates
1300-1400 - Deep Dive Into Mentorship. Some possible topics are listed below, residents and physicians are welcome to bring their own questions & topics
How to seek opportunities for leadership as a newly graduated resident
Overview of career progression chart and different pathways
Tips and advice for being a new flight commander of a clinic
How to find a mentor
PT Tests:
To schedule a test at Walter Reed, please contact SSgt Talia Johnson (talia.l.johnson2.mil@mail.mil). Please allow a few business days for a response.
If there is no availability at WRNMMC, you must test at Andrews AFB. Contact Ms. Laurie Creel (laurie.a.creel.civ@mail.mil)
Leave
Complete an updated Travel Assessment for any leave requests and send to Brittany Bumgardner or Dr. Zanetti for signature.
Upload the signed TRA to your LeaveWeb request, and designate Brittany Bumgardner and Dr. Zanetti as your primary and backup approver.
If you have a negative balance, submit requests to Col Rieker.
Ensure you are up to date with your Individual Medical Readiness
For Fellows: Fill out TRA, send to fellowship director/specialty chief for signing, submit leave to Maj Mary Hoffman and backup is AF personnel within specialty
NAVY
Training Schedule
