5. Develop the Next Generation of Pediatric Healthcare Leaders
Strategies
- Educate future pediatric health-care providers; cultivate top talent as leaders
- Develop clinical and research training programs that are among the best in the world
- Design creative educational programs that improve patient outcomes and safety, and continuously improve the expertise of healthcare professionals
Initiatives
- Expand our fellowship program in focused areas
- Expand our residency program with distinctive training tracks
- Create a simulation center for individual and team training that enhances technical and cognitive skill development
One generation of leaders helping the next
A renowned pediatric oncology researcher and clinician, Dr. Irwin Bernstein also mentors up-and-coming researchers, including Dr. Colleen Delaney. Her research is improving the success of cord blood transplant, the next generation of blood cell transplantation.
Drs. Irwin Bernstein and Colleen Delaney
"The exciting thing about cord blood is that you can find a match for 90% of the people that you couldn't otherwise find a match for," Delaney says. "It also can be easily collected and stored so that the cells are available when needed.
"The challenge is that only a small number of stem cells can be harvested from each umbilical cord, so it takes longer for the cells to begin producing new blood cells and that delay increases the risk of potentially deadly infections."
"Increasing stem cell numbers is a 'holy grail' of stem cell research," says Bernstein. "What Colleen has tackled has already been unsuccessfully approached by many labs. Her willingness to apply our basic science findings in a clinically relevant setting took courage, skill and perseverance, and is now appearing to pay off."
Delaney appreciates Bernstein's mentorship. "There's no training manual on how to become a researcher or even how to write a grant or a paper. A lot of it is trial and error. I've been lucky. I've had true champions. Irv really believes in me. He is out there talking me up when I'm not around."
"Children's is getting better at mentoring — there's a more formalized program matching fellows with researchers, and some classes you can take. I'm glad that this is part of the strategic plan, because without good guidance, a lot of good people would leave research."