Plays of the Week:
Play of the week goes to Dr. Sebastian Lara for his return from Guam! See above for some pictures from Guam.
Play of the week also goes to the Girl Scouts and COL (ret.) Peterson for their generous cookie donation on Friday.
Congratulations to the following for their PAS 2023 presentation acceptances:
- Alex Mauro: "Naloxone Co-Dispensing for High-Risk Opioid Prescriptions in the Pediatric and Young Adult Population"
- Emily Ferraro: "Trends of Cardiac Complaints In Pediatric and Young Adult Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic."
Congratulations to all of the finalists for 15th Annual NCR Research and Inquiry Competition! Peds snagged 43% of the finalists' spots, making it the 3rd year in a row to represent over one third of the finalists.
Paul Florentino Patient– and Family–Centered Care (2 total finalists)
• CPT Sidney Zven, MC – Pediatrics
o Food insecurity and the impact of WIC enrollment in Military families
• CPT Janet Jang, MC- Pediatric Gastroenterology
o Improving outpatient pediatric endoscopy counseling through utilization of an educational patient handout
Quality/Performance Improvement (4 total finalists)
• Capt Amy Davis, MC - Pediatrics
o Combating food insecurity: Increasing WIC enrollment in the Military
• Capt Sidney Zven MC - Pediatrics
o Development and implementation of a novel abscess trainer in graduate medical education
Evidence-Based Practice (1 total finalist)
• Maj Nathan Kolasinski, MC – Pediatric Gastroenterology
o Evaluation of a novel, evidenced-based, pediatric nutrition status screening protocol at a tertiary care military medical center
Case Report - Interns & Residents (12 total finalists)
• LT Robert Crutcher, MC - Pediatrics
o IgA anti-platelet antibodies in breast milk contributing to neonatal autoimmune thrombocytopenia
• CPT Elizabeth Rahman, MC - Pediatrics
o When salmonella surprises – Progression of pyomyositis to osteomyelitis and brodie’s abscess following NTS infection
• Maj Sharen Wilson, MC - Pediatrics
o Pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency in a newborn with congenital absence of the corpus callosum
• CPT Sidney Zven, MC – Pediatrics
o VACTERL-L: A unique presentation of VACTERL association with pulmonary manifestations
• Capt Amy Davis, MC – Pediatrics
o Open your eyes to a new variation of ethylmalonic encephalopathy
Case Report - Fellows & Staff (7 total finalists)
• CPT Janet Jang, MC – Pediatric Gastroenterology
o Two cases of blau-like syndrome successfully treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF) inhibitors
• CPT Elena Crecelius, MC – Pediatric Infectious Disease
o Itching to get to the cause of a case of urticarial vasculitis
• MAJ Christopher Stark, MC – Perinatology-Neonatology
o Massive fetomaternal hemorrhage warranting novel use of tandem therapies
Robert A. Phillips – Laboratory
• Fellows & Staff (2 total finalists)
• MAJ Sarah Anisowicz, MC – Pediatric Endocrinology
o Parity increases corticosterone response to restraint-induced stress after mild blast traumatic brain injury in mice
Robert A. Phillips – Clinical
• Interns & Residents (5 total finalists)
• CPT Emily Ferraro, MC – Pediatrics
o Trends of cardiac complaints in pediatric and young adult populations during the Covid-19 pandemic
• Fellows & Staff (5 total finalists)
• CPT Sarah Jiang, MC - Pediatric Endocrinology
o Can preschool BMI changes flag children at highest risk for adolescent obesity?
• CPT Janet Jang, MC - Pediatric Gastroenterology
o Association between celiac disease and pneumococcal infections in hospitalized pediatric patients within the United States
Bailey K. Ashford – Laboratory – (3 total finalists)
• MAJ Sarah Anisowicz, MC – Pediatrics Endocrinology
o Parity increases corticosterone response to restraint-inducted stress after mild blast traumatic brain injury in mice
Bailey K. Ashford – Clinical (4 total finalists)
• CPT Theresa Urbina, DO - Neonatal Perinatal
o Salivary sampling as a noninvasive method of monitoring gentamicin levels in neonates
• LCDR Charles Groomes, MC – Neonatal Perinatal
o Ru'ach: Mastery learning tele-training to ensure effective ventilation in neonatal resuscitation
Schedule:
Date | Event | Time and Location | Audience/Notes |
Monday, 3/6 | MR: Case & Alternative Birth Practices Lecture, Schulz | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | All welcome |
Tuesday, 3/7 | MR: Case & PI Working Session | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | All welcome |
Wednesday, 3/8 Holi 🕉 | SIM/Skills: Suturing (Zanetti), Abscess I&D (Bumgardner), and Foreign Body Removal (Patterson) | 0745 - 0845 SIM Center (4th Floor Heroes Bldg) **3rd Deck Team report to the PICU** | Medical students and residents only; Before the session, please review the related modules here OR go to www.classroom.google.com and enter the class code xwe5vzj |
Thursday, 3/9 | MR: CPC, Kondiles | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | All welcome |
Friday, 3/10 Alexis Ghersi's Birthday 🎉 | MR: Board Review, Bumgardner | 0745 - 0850 America 2525 B/C | Medical students and residents only |
| USU/Dept. of Medicine Grand Rounds: “This is Baltimore. Historical Structural Racism and its Impact on Health," Chuck Callahan, DO Vice President of Population Health University of Maryland Medical Center, Baltimore, MD | 1200 - 1300 Zoom Only: https://usuhs.zoom.us/s/99514184123 Webinar ID: 995 1418 4123 | All welcome |
Save the Date 🗓 | Upcoming Birthdays 🎉 |
12MAR: Daylight Savings Time | 25MAR: Sidney Zven |
13MAR: Block 10 Starts | 27MAR: Dr. Hepps |
17MAR: St. Patrick's Day ☘️ | 11APR: Maggie Hasler |
22MAR: Ramadan Begins | |
25MAR: Genesis Go-Live | Do you have a birthday that you want added to the calendar? Email/text Britt |
Announcements:
All Staff Updates
Patient Education QI Survey
PCMH faculty and residents, please complete the following survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/53D2TZX
Update your ID Card Profile
Prior to 31 March, please update your profile on the DHA ID Card Online website (https://idco.dmdc.osd.mil/idco/) by following the instructions below. Because you have to log in with your CAC, you’ll need to be on a government CAC-enabled computer. This will ensure you’re appropriately mapped to the correct location and assist with CAC issues, delinquency lists, etc. Thanks for your cooperation with this.
Please pay particular attention to ensuring your Duty Sub Organization is “Walter Reed National Military Medical Center” (per the instructions below). You have to scroll quite a way down the list to find it.
Immunization Clinic Hours Change
Please note that the Immunizations Clinic will be closed daily between 1200-1300 from now on.
PSU Updates
The PSU is experiencing acute-on-chronic RN staffing shortages. As of Monday 27 February 2023, the PSU will only have one remaining RN staff member. To mitigate personnel challenges as well as balance continuation of mission with safe patient care, the location of sedated procedures will move from the physical confines of the PSU into the PICU, effective Monday 27 February. Ordering providers requesting sedation support of patients with medical complexity deemed by the PSU to require pediatric anesthesia support (i.e. not those suitable for sedation by the intensivist team) will be directed to utilize the Ambulatory Procedures Unit (APU).
PSU will return to its own physical space when at least 1 PSU RN new hire completes orientation. As such, we anticipate colocation with the PICU to continue for several months. Our scheduler (Ms. Angel Morton-Jones, 301-400-1594) remains first contact for new, routine priority requests. Continue to utilize our mailbox for new requests: dha.bethesda.wrnmmc.mbx.pedsedation@health.mil
Should ordering providers need to contact the intensivist team regarding ASAP studies or with time-sensitive questions, please reach out directly to PSU Service Chief, PA Susan Kline, using the following means in order of priority:
Email (susan.l.kline.civ@health.mil)
AMS Connect
Call the PICU Nurse’s Station (301) 400-2010
Travel Clinic Updates
Peds ID at WRNMMC offers a Pediatric Travel Clinic to provider pre-travel medical counseling and applicable vaccinations. Due to an overwhelming number of travelers impacting our access to care, the Peds Travel Clinic will NO longer see families who are PCSing to Japan or South Korea. Starting 1 MARCH 2023 no new appointments will be booked for PCS to Japan or South Korea; however we will see those who are already booked. Please see the attached MFR explaining this further.
These are low-risk travelers and the pre-travel vaccinations should be managed by the PCM - which could be done during the OCONUS clearance appointment. To aid the PCM, we have also created a one-page reference as to what vaccinations are needed for these PCS moves (see below). Please feel free to reach out to Peds ID with clinical questions/concerns or directly to me regarding our policy change.
MHS Genesis Updates:
Important Announcements
“Soft Go-Live”: Saturday, 25MAR
MHS Genesis Patient Portal will be replacing our Tricare Online (TOL) platform after “Go Live.”
Set up your accounts: https://www.health.mil/Military-Health-Topics/Technology/MHS-GENESIS
WRNMMC Command reviewed and approved an updated clinical reductions plan that will now maintain only a 25% reduction in inpatient bed capacity through both the “pre-Go Live” and “Go-Live” MHS Genesis phases (24FEB-NLT 21MAY2023), as opposed to the previously planned 50% reduction during “Go Live”
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
How to sign-up for the sign-on fair and favorites fair: reliaslearning.com —> Course Library —> 20433 MHS Genesis Sign-On Fair (SOF)
You should go to the sign-on fair FIRST, followed by the favorites fair (ideally immediately after, but you can return at any point)
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
- Time commitment: 10 minutes
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.)
- Time commitment: 45-60 minutes
Learning Lab (LL)
- Opportunity to practice using MHS GENESIS in the training environment - Audience: All End Users
- Time commitment: up to 2 hours depending on the topic
Resident-Specific Updates
Don't forget to reach out to your Block 10 Rotation Supervisors regarding your schedule. View the attachment below for the most up-to-date contact information.
PEDIATRICS Pediatric Trainee Feature Essay Contest
A call for trainee essays on ACEs. Here is an excerpt from the PDF (attached below):
We encourage trainees to reflect on one or more of the following questions when crafting their essays:
How can we, as pediatric trainees foster resilience among our patients experiencing ACEs?
How have ACEs you personally experienced shaped your career path and identity as a physician?
How can pediatricians recognize and mitigate these issues during patient encounters, in training programs, and at the policy level?
The essay deadline is April 14th.
Transition to Practice (PGY-3s only)
This week's focus: End of Tour Awards
View the "Pre-Graduation Handbook" on the Transition to Practice webpage
Brag sheets (attached below) should be uploaded to your MedHub portfolio by COB 17MAR
Additionally, please take a minute to fill out this brief form for the AAP to let them know your plans after you complete residency training. They have membership options with different prices and benefits, and this information helps to connect you to the right path. For residents continuing to a Chief year, please let them know that as well. Thank you!
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.
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
Upcoming Conferences:
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.
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
Military Health System Research Symposium
2023 MHSRS Call for Abstracts opened on 9 January 2023 and closes on 19 February 2023.
The MHSRS is the Department of Defense's premier scientific meeting. It provides a collaborative environment for military medical care providers with deployment experience, DoD scientists, academia, and industry to meet and exchange information on the unique medical needs of the Warfighter.
Go to the MHSRS website (https://mhsrs.health.mil/) to review the titles and descriptions of the 2023 scientific breakout sessions, to submit an abstract, and to access Frequently Asked Questions concerning the Call for Abstracts process.
(1) DHA CAC Users: Signing in with a CAC is the most secure/desirable method since it uses two-factor authentication.
Go to https://mhsrs.health.mil/submissions/ and click 'Sign In with CAC'. If you have trouble accessing the site with your CAC, please register for a member account.
(2) All Others must have a username and password to access the site and to submit an abstract. If you have forgotten your previously issued username and password, email:
usarmy.detrick.medcom-usamrmc.list.usamrmc-web-team@health.mil for assistance. DO NOT re-register. If you have never registered on the MHSRS website (e.g., are a new abstract submitter), go to https://mhsrs.health.mil/Members/Register.aspx to register for a new member account and receive a username and password.
The 2023 MHSRS will be an in-person meeting (meeting approval, date, and location of the meeting are pending). This information will be posted on the MHSRS website and communicated via a mass e-mail to those registered on the MHSRS website when it is available.
2023 Section on Uniformed Services (SOUS) Scientific Awards Abstract Competition (SAC)
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: April 14, 2023
Submission Types: Case Report, Original Research, or Quality Improvement (may be eligible for MOC 4 credit).
Abstracts will be considered within six scientific award topics to be given to honor research efforts by Uniformed Pediatricians. The awards are:
The Ogden Bruton Award (certificate of merit): for the best paper by a Uniformed Pediatrician on either basic science research or research on the development, evaluation, or application of an emerging technology in pediatrics.
The Andrew Margileth Award (certificate of merit): for the best pediatric paper by a Uniformed Pediatrician documenting clinical findings or assessing clinical diagnostic studies, therapeutic regimens, and outcomes leading to improved quality of health care for children.
The Howard Johnson Award (certificate of merit): for the best paper by a Uniformed Resident (of any specialty) on a pediatric topic.
The Leo Geppert Innovation Award (certificate of merit): for the Uniformed Pediatrician with the best paper outlining a Quality Improvement or Patient Safety innovation affecting the care of pediatric patients.
The Leo Geppert Case Award (certificate of merit): for the best case report by a Uniformed Pediatrician. It is the only category that accepts case reports.
The Val G. Hemming Award (certificate of merit and a travel award per individual command's approval): for the USUHS, HPSP, or ROTC medical student submitting the best paper on a pediatric-related topic in clinical or basic science research.
Your submission will only be considered under one award topic. If you are unsure which topic to submit under, please contact Michelle Kiger, MD atmichelle.e.kiger.mil@health.mil for assistance.
Formats: Posters and oral presentation for top paper in Buton, Johnson and Margileth categories. Abstracts limited to 450 words. Prior IRB approval will be required for submissions involving human or animal subjects research.
Publication: Abstracts can be previously presented but not previously published.
Awards: Certificates for top 3 abstracts in each category. Top winner only for Hemming award.
Announcement of first place during SOUS educational program during AAP National Conference.
Sponsorship: Submitters will NOT need a sponsor. Membership not required.
Questions: For questions about abstract submission guidelines, contact Jackie Burke atjburke@aap.org. If your abstract is accepted for presentation, at least 1 author must register for the NCE. The 2023 Abstract Chairperson is Michelle Kiger, MD.
Meeting: AAP National Conference is scheduled for October 20-24, 2023 in Washington, DC.
Withdrawal: To withdraw your abstract, email your request to abstracts@aap.org no later than September 8, 2023.
ARMY
ACFT Equipment is housed in a shed at the MWR Field (USUHS Field). We can sign out the key to someone who would like to take the lead with equipment. If you’d like to have a SME on-sight to assist with demonstrations then we can work something out seeing as you do not have an Army NCO in Pediatrics. However, I would also encourage you to reach out to SFC Love as your DMS SEL if you’d like to work with her. Let us know if you have specific dates/times that would work best for your group.
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
PT Tests:
To schedule a test, please contact the following individuals:
TSgt Wilson: jonathan.a.wilson41.mil@health.mil
Every Thursday @1400
SSgt Starr: cody.j.starr2.mil@health.mil
Mondays and Fridays @1400
Leave
Send a LeaveWeb request, designate Dr. Zanetti and Brittany Bumgardner 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: Submit leave to Maj Mary Hoffman and backup is AF personnel within specialty
NAVY
Navy PFA - 2023 Cycle 1:
Complete PARFQ and request waivers (if needed) now
Division 4 BCA ("Weigh-Ins”): 24-28 April 2023 in the Physical Readiness Office (Building 17A, 1st Deck, across from the CAC office); valid for 45 days; late BCA requests require DMS documentation
PRT: 1 May-2 Jun 2023; late PRT is case-by-case 5-9 Jun 2023
Training Schedule
