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August Online Connection
New Additions to the Medical Staff
Phoenix Children's Expands Partnership with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix
Two Phoenix Children's Physicians Earn Coveted Arizona Biomedical Research Commission Grants
Phoenix Children's Research Department Invites You to Attend Upcoming Seminar
Positive Feedback from Recent ADHD Webinar for Physicians
OptumHealth Has Named Phoenix Children's Hospital a Center of Excellence
Meet Tamara Pottker, MD, a Member of the Forensics Pediatric Program
New Additions to the Medical Staff
Michelle Jeffries, DO, Dermatology, PCMG
Jennifer Matchey, MD, Critical Care, PCMG
Micah Olson, MD, Endocrinology, PCMG
Andrea Ramirez, MD, Rheumatology, PCMG
Kristina Wilson, MD, Orthopaedic Surgery, PCMG
Anne Beasley, MD, Hospitalist
Michael Beasley, MD, Hospitalist
Robert Fintelmann, MD, Ophthalmology
Michael Levine, MD, Toxicology
John Lin, MD, Critical Care
Nathan Page, MD, Otolaryngology
Zachary Robbins, MD, Hospitalist
Kelly Roy, MD, OB/GYN
Petr Ruzicka, MD, Neurosurgery
In the News
Phoenix Children's Expands Partnership with the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix: The University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Children's Hospital announced on Friday, Aug. 6, 2010, an agreement to expand their affiliation, a move designed in part to address Arizona's severe shortage of pediatricians.
Under the agreement, the College of Medicine – Phoenix designates the Hospital as its principal pediatric affiliate while the Hospital names the university as its principal academic affiliate.
"Our formal affiliation positions the College of Medicine – Phoenix and Phoenix Children's Hospital as one of the nation's premier sites for pediatric health care, training, and research," said Stuart Flynn, MD, dean of the College of Medicine – Phoenix. "We are creating a dynamic partnership to bring the top physicians and scientists to make lifesaving discoveries and expertly train the next generation of pediatricians."
The Hospital is in the midst of $588 million expansion that will make Phoenix Children's one of the largest freestanding children's hospitals in the nation. As part of that expansion, Phoenix Children's has spent the last four years recruiting internationally renowned clinical leaders, and they are now guiding the Hospital's clinical, research, and educational offerings. The affiliation with the University of Arizona is the next logical step for the Hospital, whose vision is to be a leader – regionally, nationally, and internationally – in pediatric health care.
The partnership is expected to add medical residencies to a state desperately in need of them. Arizona's ratio of medical residents to its population is among the lowest in the United States.
"The Hospital will now be able to train and retain its very own top talent and continue to recruit some of the best and brightest minds in pediatric medicine," noted Robert L. Meyer, president and CEO of Phoenix Children's.
The two entities also plan to partner on a variety of research projects aimed at preventing, curing, and treating childhood diseases and injuries.
"Phoenix Children's has long been conducting cutting-edge research, and this affiliation with the University of Arizona – and the tremendous amount of research infrastructure that comes along with it – will allow us to jointly take pediatric research in Arizona to the next level," said Meyer.
At the announcement on the campus of the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Phoenix, Meyer and Flynn signed the agreement in front of a crowd of U of A faculty and administration, Phoenix Children's physicians and staff, and members of the Hospital's current group of medical residents.
Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon ended the event with a few closing remarks, offering his praise for a collaboration that will have a strong impact on the city of Phoenix and the state.
Two Phoenix Children's Physicians Earn Coveted Arizona Biomedical Research Commission Grants: P. David Adelson, MD, FACS, FAAP, Director of the
Hospital's Children's Neuroscience Institute, and Jeffrey Buchhalter, MD, PhD, Chief of the Division of Neurology, have earned grants from the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission.
Dr. Adelson, in partnership with co-investigator Dr. Stephen Tillery of ASU, received $457,000 over three years to support his study, "A Practical Brain-Computer Interface Based on Micro-ECoG Technology." This grant will support further development of computer technology that can help patients with neurological disorders use the power of their brain to create movement.
Dr. Buchhalter's grant totals $300,000 over three years to fund his study, "Implementation of a Research Patient Data Repository at PCH," on which he's partnered with co-investigators Robert Greenes, Bob Sarnecki, Douglas Fridsma, and Craig Parker.
Of the 109 proposals submitted, only 21 were funded. Congratulations Dr. Adelson and Dr. Buchhalter for landing these highly competitive grants.
Phoenix Children's Emergency Department Notches Impressive Measurements in CHCA Benchmarking Collaborative: According to data collected through a benchmarking collaborative with Child Health Corporation of America (CHCA), Phoenix Children's Emergency Department had the lowest percentage of walk-outs of all CHCA owner hospitals in June, and ranked second for shortest length of stay, which measures the amount of time between patient arrival at an ED to discharge.
Only 0.15 percent of patients who entered Phoenix Children's ED in June "left without being seen." In the same month, the median length of stay for ED patients at the Hospital was 23 percent shorter than the median reported by other participating CHCA Hospitals. Phoenix Children's ED had top quartile performance in five of the first six months of 2010 in the "left without being seen" measurement.
Congratulations to the ED for these impressive measures.
Coping with Chronic Illness Group for Teens Slated for Phoenix Children's Specialty and Urgent Care – East Valley Center: Phoenix Children's Specialty and Urgent Care – East Valley Center is beginning the Coping with Chronic Illness Group for teens living with a chronic medical condition and struggling with stress, worry, anger, or sadness as a result of illness.
Choose an image to displayThe group, led by Ginger Carlson, PhD, and Erin Schoenfelder, MA, of the Children's Neuroscience Institute, is for teens ages 14 to 17 who have a chronic illness. Participants meet at Phoenix Children's Specialty and Urgent Care – East Valley Center, 5131 East Southern Avenue, Mesa, AZ, 85206, on Mondays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Participants will learn how to:- Manage stress and emotions
- Reduce pain and worry
- Stay active and have fun
- Deal with school, family, and friends
- Keep track of medications and appointments
- Develop an identity not limited by illness
The group begins this fall (dates to be announced). To register a patient or for more information, please contact Brenda Jackson at (480) 512-0328.
Phoenix Children's Research Department Invites You to Attend Upcoming Seminar: Phoenix Children's pediatric pathologist David F. Carpentieri, MD, is presenting information on the Hospital's
biorepository at a research seminar scheduled for Friday, Aug. 20, from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m., at the Melvin L. Cohen Conference Center on Phoenix Children's main campus.
The purpose of this forum is to create an interactive session where ongoing research is shared with fellow investigators. If you have any questions, please contact Shy Walker, Research Office Coordinator, at (602) 546-0046.
Phoenix Children's One Call Physician Assistance Line Available for Admits, Consults, and ED Referrals: Phoenix Children's One Call Physician Assistance Line, (602) 546-DOCS (3627), is available to community physicians for admissions, ED referrals, and Phoenix Children's Medical Group (PCMG) subspecialty consultation. This is not a line to schedule appointments. If you have any questions please contact Lynda Christel, Physician Relations, at (602) 546-5873.
Positive Feedback from Recent ADHD Webinar for Physicians: Phoenix Children's Developmental Pediatrician Robin Blitz-Wetterland, MD, recently presented a "Webinar for the Primary Care Physician - Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment of ADHD." The online event was well attended and participating clinicians had high praise for the presentation:
"Thank you very much. My first PCH webinar. I'm looking forward to many more!"
"Very helpful!!! Nice update to a "common" problem that I deal with everyday in my office!"
Missed the webinar? You can view it online.
Check out the Events & Classes section of the Phoenix Children's website for information on upcoming continuing education opportunities.
OptumHealth Has Named Phoenix Children's Hospital a Center of Excellence: Phoenix Children's is pleased to announce the Hospital has been designated as a member of the OptumHealth Center of Excellence network in Neonatology, Pediatric Blood and Marrow Transplantation, and Pediatric Kidney Transplantation.
Only those medical centers that meet OptumHealth's strict performance criteria, as determined through an initial and annual evaluation process, are considered for inclusion in a Center of Excellence network.
Meet Tamara Pottker, MD, a Member of the Forensic Pediatrics Program: Tamara Pottker, MD, is a part of the Phoenix Children's Emergency Department medical team. She has been working in pediatric emergency medicine for more than 10 years and is boarded in general pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine.
Pottker attended Georgetown University where she earned her undergraduate and medical degrees. She was as a resident at the Medical College of Virginia and continued on with a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital.
Prior to her employment at Phoenix Children's, Pottker worked at Sunrise Children's Hospital in Las Vegas, Nev., and Banner Desert Medical Center (formerly Desert Samaritan Hospital) in Mesa, Ariz. It was in Las Vegas that Pottker first discovered her interest in helping victims of child abuse.
Pottker is an advocate for children who are often too young to speak up for themselves. She is dedicated to testifying about injuries related to child abuse and meets the challenges associated with the complexity of cases of that type.
If you have questions about any form of child maltreatment, please contact the Forensics Pediatric Program Hotline at (602) 546-5058.
Events
Aug. 31: Grand Rounds: "Clinical Pathologies Conference," Esteban Gomez, MD, Phoenix Children's Melvin L. Cohen Conference Center
**Sept. 3: Trauma Grand Rounds: "Thoracic Trauma," Craig Egan, MD, and David Tellez, MD, Phoenix Children's Melvin L. Cohen Conference Center
**This event was originally scheduled for Aug. 6, but is now scheduled for Sept. 3.
For more information, visit www.phoenixchildrens.com and click on the Education & Classes link.
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1919 East Thomas Road, Phoenix, AZ 85016
Phone: (602) 933-1000
