The Bulletin: May 2008

The Bulletin is a monthly newsletter for Children's and community providers.

Molteni Awards Presented

Drs. Harris Baden and Steve Dassel were the first recipients of the annual Richard A. Molteni Medical Staff Award for Professionalism and Quality. The awards were presented at the annual medical staff event on April 12; the winners were selected from a large group of peer-nominated physicians.

Dr. Steve Dassel

Dr. Harris Baden

The Molteni Award recognizes two physicians, one Children’s-based and one community-based, who stand out among their peers as examples of the values and practices embraced by Children’s Hospital and its medical staff:

Professionalism - Adheres to the highest standards of professional conduct and behavior

Accountability - Accepts responsibility for actions and decisions; reports errors and concerns to improve care to all patients; strives to improve performance

Respect - Shows exceptional commitment to patient’s and family’s choices and rights regarding their medical care; commitment to excellence unaffected by cultural differences; seeks and listens for opinions/advice of other members of the health-care team

Integrity and Ethics - Demonstrates honesty, trustworthiness and ethical behavior when working with patients and families, staff and colleagues

Advocate - Leads or participates in programs that promote the health and safety of children

Participates in improving systems of care - Demonstrates leadership in improving the access to care and the planning, delivery and quality of care for children and families

Clinical judgment - Demonstrates excellent clinical judgment based on current knowledge, evidence-based guidelines and the thoughtful application of resources and treatments

Baden, a critical care physician at Children’s and medical director of the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit was described by colleagues as “a tremendous advocate for his patients and their families; someone who regularly makes an extra effort to ensure that families have a voice in their child’s care.”

Dassel, a community physician from Sand Point Pediatrics and former president of the medical staff, has held many leadership roles throughout his years of association with Children’s. He has written the Quarterly Consult for more than 15 years. According to his co-workers, Dassel “maintains a high degree of professionalism with his patients, peers and staff, and is always thoughtful and respectful.”

Protecting Personal Health Information

While technology has made it possible to store and access vast amounts of information quickly, it has also made maintaining the privacy of personal health information a greater concern.

Children’s computer systems contain confidential patient, employee and business information. Everyone who uses Children’s computer systems is obligated to take effective steps to help secure and protect information. Always be sure to:

Lock your workstation when you leave it unattended or unsecured for a short time by pressing “Ctrl”, “Alt”, and “Delete” at the same time and clicking on “Lock Computer.”
Log off when you leave it for longer periods. Always log off when using a shared workstation.
Never leave computers logged on when you leave a conference room or an exam room.

Children's Opens Tri-Cities Clinic

Children’s Tri-Cities joined our family of regional clinics in late April. The clinic’s goal is to provide the best subspecialty care for every child in the Tri-Cities area.

Children’s clinicians will partner with community physicians in caring for patients from birth to young adulthood in cardiology, gastroenterology, genetics, nephrology, orthopedics, pulmonary and rheumatology. The Tri-Cities clinic provides regularly scheduled consultation and follow-up services. The clinic also offers fetal cardiac consultation in partnership with Tri-Cities Maternal Fetal Medicine. To refer patients, call the clinic at (509) 946-0976. For more information, visit the clinic’s Web site.

Cheryl Ricketts, RN, BSN, who has been a pediatric nurse for 11 years, manages the clinic. Ricketts has worked in several specialties and as a school nurse for special education students. For the last three years, she has worked at a local hospital in the Tri-Cities. “I am very excited about Children’s opening its own clinic in the Tri-Cities,” she says. “Now kids can get their specialty care closer to home.”

Children’s also has regional clinics in Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way and Olympia.

Addressing Eating Disorders

The Eating Disorders Program at Seattle Children’s provides a variety of services for teens — and their families — who need treatment for anorexia nervosa, bulimia and other eating disorders.

The program, directed by Cora Collette Breuner, MD, MPH, of Adolescent Medicine and Rose Calderon, PhD, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, provides treatment that is developmentally appropriate for each patient and their family. The program offers inpatient or outpatient treatment, including medical and psychiatric care as well as nutrition counseling. A team approach focuses on providing information, reviewing treatment options, and developing and implementing a plan of action. Staff will also facilitate consultations with other specialties.

Referrals can be made through the psychiatry intake line at (206) 987-3560 or through Adolescent Medicine at (206) 987-2028. Referral guidelines can be found on the Medical Staff Web site.

For consultations, call Dr. Calderon at (206) 987-3886 or the Adolescent Medicine provider on call through the hospital operator at (206) 987-7777. Educational resources for patients and families are also available online.

A Resource for Suspected Maltreatment

The Children’s Protection Program (CPP) is a multidisciplinary team of experts at Children’s who can guide staff and community physicians in determining whether a reasonable cause exists to suspect child maltreatment. They can also help you decide the most appropriate course of action. Reach the CPP at (206) 987-2194 or dial the hospital operator at (206) 987-2000 for urgent concerns after hours.

Children's May Purchase Adjacent Property

Children’s has reached a tentative agreement with residents of Laurelon Terrace Condominiums, who approached Children’s to purchase their 135-unit complex.

The 6.7-acre site borders Children’s Seattle campus and Sand Point Way N.E. Residents are expected to vote in favor of selling in July. Children’s could begin developing the site as soon as 2010, which would help the hospital meet growing demands for space.

If the purchase goes through, Children’s will concentrate plans for expanding the main campus on that site. Building at this location will create fewer disruptions for patients, neighbors and staff during construction, lessen the traffic impact on the surrounding community and provide better access to the hospital.

Children’s continues to work with surrounding neighborhoods to balance the need for growth with the impacts of the planned expansion. Friends of Children’s Hospital, a newly formed group of Children’s supporters in the community, will be organizing various events to gather support for the hospital’s growth. The group has launched a Web site, where you can learn more.

Children's Launches Ad Campaigns

This month, Seattle Children’s begins running ads in newspapers, magazines, and on television and radio throughout Washington, Alaska, Montana, Idaho.

The ads highlight the locations and services available at our regional clinics, including the new clinic in the Tri-Cities area, the groundbreaking research being conducted at our research institute, and the philanthropy that keeps our mission alive.

The ads feature our cancer, sports medicine and the cardiology programs. Some Children’s providers and patients are also featured. The campaign runs through September. View the ads online

New Parent and Visitor ID Process for Inpatient Units

A modified badge-issuing process for inpatient parents and visitors begins this month to further protect patients, families and staff by verifying that anyone who is in an inpatient area has reason to be there.

Please be diligent about wearing visible identification, as anyone seen without it will be questioned. Later this year, badges will be issued at main hospital entrances.

New badges affix to a special backing which “expires” after either eight hours (for visitors) or one week (for parents). An expired badge will be easy to notice — red lines will bleed through after the appropriate time. One-week “caregiver” badges are also being added. Caregivers are trusted individuals designated by parents who can be with their child any time. One week badges will be attached to bright orange lanyards, making it easy to identify our parents and caregivers; eight-hour badges will affix to clips.

Initially badges will be handwritten, but new technology will be installed later this year that automates badge creation by scanning photo ID like a driver’s license or passport, or by typing in that information.

Gastroenterology Fellowship Approved

The Residency Review Committee (RRC) of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) has approved a Pediatric Gastroenterology Fellowship at Children’s.

This is a new fellowship for the Department of Pediatrics as well as for the Division of Gastroenterology (GI).

“We are very excited about being able to offer this opportunity at Children’s,” says Dr. Karen Murray, professor of pediatrics and fellowship program director at Children’s. “It will undoubtedly help us attract top candidates who will contribute to the future excellence of our GI program.”

Participate in the 2008 Puget Sound Asthma Walk, May 4

Children’s is a major sponsor of the 2008 Puget Sound Asthma Walk. Join Dr. Jason Debley, Dr. Greg Redding and “Team Children’s” in the fight against asthma. Check in at 8:30 a.m. outside Husky Stadium at the University of Washington for the five-kilometer walk that starts at 9:30 a.m. Visit the Team Children’s Web site to join the team or make a donation.

Academic Enrichment Fund Applications Being Accepted

Applications for grants from the Academic Enrichment Fund (AEF) are due June 1, 2008, to Chief Academic Officer Dr. Bruder Stapleton at Mailstop T0112.

Only one application per investigator is accepted per year. Requests will be accepted for up to $25,000 per individual applicant and up to $50,000 for projects that involve multiple eligible investigators from different divisions or departments. Funds will be distributed as nonrenewable intramural grants that must be utilized within two years. The AEF supports projects done by faculty who devote the majority of their efforts to clinical service and medical education. The fund, which is supported by the hospital, was increased in size to $700,000 for 2008. Download an application and see examples of past awarded projects.

New Grant Will Fund Genetic Institute

The Life Science Discovery Fund (LSDF) has awarded a $5.8 million, four-year grant to fully fund the Northwest Institute of Genetic Medicine.

The institute is a collaborative effort between researchers at Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute, the University of Washington, Group Health and local biotechnology companies. Researchers will focus on translating human genetic research into clinical medicine. For example, institute scientists are now working to identify infants with congenital heart defects who are at greatest risk for poor neurological outcomes. Identifying the genetic profile of these at-risk infants may lead to modification of related surgeries or even an altering of therapies to prevent or reduce neurological problems.

“It’s very exciting to see investigators coming together from pediatrics, medicine, genome sciences, and biostatistics,” said Dr. Michael Bamshad, researcher and geneticist at Children’s and professor of pediatrics in the University of Washington Medical School’s Division of Genetics and Developmental Medicine. “This generous grant will support some groundbreaking work.”

Department of Pediatrics Ranked No. 7

U.S.News & World Report ranked Children’s University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) Department of Pediatrics seventh in the country in the “America’s Best Graduate Schools” issue in the category of “medical specialty: pediatrics.” Last year the department was in eighth place on the survey, which is calculated using a three-year rolling average.

“The way the scores are calculated makes it very difficult to move up each year,” says Dr. Bruder Stapleton, chief academic officer and senior vice president. “But the Department of Pediatrics has been in the top 10 for 15 consecutive years and consistently rising one spot for each of the last three years,” he says.

The UWSOM was also ranked seventh in the nation overall this year, and first for family medicine and primary care.

ParentMap Features Children's Superheroes

Drs. Michelle Terry and John Neff and nurse practitioner Jo Montgomery were recognized in the feature story “Superheroes for Washington Families” in the April issue of ParentMap magazine.

Jo Montgomery, ARNP

Dr. John Neff

Dr. Michelle Terry

Terry, who recently joined Children’s from University of Washington Medicine-Kent/Des Moines, serves on the board of Child Care Resources, which guides parents in making health-care decisions for their children. Montgomery, who works at the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, founded the School for Acrobatics and New Circus Arts (SANCA) to give kids from low-income families an opportunity to participate in sports. Neff, former medical director at Children’s, established Children’s Hospital’s Center for Children with Special Needs in 1998 and continues as its director.

Read more about these and other “superheroes” in the community on the ParentMap Web site.

Scharenberg and Rawlings Notable as Researchers

In April, Dr. Andrew Scharenberg, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), an honorary society of physician scientists.

Dr. David Rawlings

Dr. Andrew Scharenberg

Scharenberg’s current research on chemical signaling in cells of the immune system aims to develop therapies for people with immune deficiencies.

Researchers age 45 or younger are eligible for membership in ASCI by election only. “It is a great honor for Andy to be selected to this elite group of scientists. Few pediatricians are chosen for membership in the ASCI,” said Dr. Bruder Stapleton, chief academic officer and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at UWSOM.

Dr. David Rawlings was noted in Nature magazine as one of only 22 researchers nationwide to receive eight or more grants from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2007. He received nine NIH grants.

Rawlings conducts research on immunology and gene therapy at Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

Burton Chosen as Olympic Team Physician

Dr. Monique Burton has been selected by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) to be the team physician for the USA Track & Field (USATF) team at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Dr. Monique Burton

As the team’s physician she will provide medical care, including treatment for injuries and illnesses, for athletes in both men’s and women’s track and field events. When the track and field team is not active, her duties include caring for Olympic athletes on any U.S. team.

Burton was requested by the team. She served as a volunteer physician at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs in the summer of 2006. She was the head team physician for the USA Track & Field team at the Pan American Junior Championships in Windsor, Canada in 2005 and at the International Association of Athletics Federation World Junior Championships in Beijing in 2006. In 2007, she was chosen as a USOC team physician for the USA Swimming and Diving teams at the World University Games in Bangkok.

Burton will leave for Beijing on July 28 and will return approximately one month later at the conclusion of the games. She will also attend the Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore., at the end of June.

Evaluating MD to MD Handoff

The March MD to MD handoff survey demonstrated that required patient identification elements were included 96 - 98% of the time.

Ninety-eight percent of all physicians’ handoffs included the opportunity to ask questions, and 92% included up-to-date information on patient status, including recent and unanticipated changes. Sixty-eight percent of handoffs occurred with no interruptions.

However, verification of detailed information by read-back or repeat-back only occurred 30% of the time and is the principal opportunity for improvement. Another area to be aware of was that the parent’s preferred language, if not English, was noted only 81% of the time.

Please review the procedural guidelines on CHILD.

Physician Campaign Update from Co-Chairs Dr. Bruder Stapleton and Dr. Rob Roskin

The Physician Campaign is well on its way to achieving its $2 million goal by the end of the campaign, in September 2008. To date, 480 physicians have participated and 191 will be included in the Physician Campaign recognition wall.

The Physician Campaign recognition wall includes the names of physicians who have given $1,000 or more, and it will go up at the conclusion of the campaign. View an artist’s rendition of the wall. If you would like to support the Physician Campaign, please fill out and submit a pledge form and mail it in to Children’s Hospital Foundation, PO Box 50020 / S-200, Seattle, WA 98145-5020. More information about the Physician Campaign can be found online.

New Medical Staff and Allied Health Professionals

Children’s welcomes these new medical staff members and allied health professionals.

Sheila Bertoso, MD, Anesthesiology, Children’s
Stephen Seslar, MD, PhD, Cardiology, Children’s
John Dunn, MD, MPH, Pediatrics, Group Health - Northshore
R. Guy Hudson, MD, Urology, Swedish Pediatric Specialty Care
Sara Handschin, PA-C, Adolescent Medicine, Children’s
Lindsey Miller, ARNP, Psychiatry, Children’s

Grand Rounds

View the schedule of upcoming Grand Rounds.

Grand Rounds Online

View online versions of recent Grand Rounds.

On-Call Schedule

The on-call schedule for inpatient services can be found in the secure area of the Medical Staff Web site. It is updated on a daily basis.