The events of the last few weeks have been upsetting and overwhelming. The recent killings of George Floyd in Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and Breonna Taylor in Kentucky, and the COVID-19 pandemic have highlighted the systemic racist policies and inequities facing African Americans in the United States.
The COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately affected the African American community in the United States. In Alabama African Americans make up about half of the cases and deaths of COVID-19, whereas African Americans comprise 25% of the state’s population. This is not likely to occur by chance. As if COVID-19 has not been enough of a stressor and spotlight on societal inequities, the recent killings of Mr. Floyd, Mr. Arbery and Ms. Taylor have again drawn attention to racial profiling and use of deadly force by current and former police officers. Racist attacks against blacks are also common and contrived in our society as evidenced by the recent incident in Central Park when Amy Cooper, a white woman, called the police and falsely accused Christian Cooper, a black man, of threatening her. The offense of “driving while black” and the risk of being pulled over because of racial profiling is a serious fear of black people, especially parents of black teens and the teens themselves.
The pervasive negative effects of racism on youth development, as well as on youth health and well-being, and the toll it exacts on families and communities who have been racially marginalized have been well documented. As health care providers, there are strategies we can use to address this with our patients and we should use them (1).
Many in the Department of Pediatrics, UAB and Birmingham community are scared, angry, frustrated and sad right now and we want to send a strong message of support. We have commonly said, “We are all in this together.” What does that mean? It is more important than ever to support each other and find ways to address the inequities and injustices we see. Some in our community are disproportionately affected and threatened by violence. Some in our community have family members who have been hurt or killed. Others are deeply affected because they see their friends and colleagues suffer. The fabric of our society is torn apart by violence, hate, and injustice resulting from 400+ years of enduring racism. Alabama, and therefore we, have a special role to play. Julian Bond said, “The civil rights movement didn’t begin in Montgomery and it didn’t end in the 1960s. It continues on to this very minute.” Bryan Stephenson, of the Equal Justice Initiative, teaches that, “The opposite of poverty is not wealth. It's justice.”
This is a time for all of us to reach out to each other and offer support. This is a time for all of us, as health care providers, to think harder about how we can contribute to narrowing health inequities through education and health care. New initiatives in the Department of Pediatrics will need to identify how they will mitigate health inequities or health disparities. This must be central to our mission, and we must effect change. Words are not enough. It is also time for all of us to think how we individually and collectively, as citizens, can address the injustices that exist well beyond health care. We can begin by truly listening to others whose lives have been different from our own. We can start to eliminate racism and other structural inequities by the conversations we have with others, by speaking up when we see individual hate or institutional racism, by supporting anti-racist and anti-oppression efforts, by directly engaging in advocacy work, and by acknowledging and working on our own biases. We are all accountable. We can help address the psychosocial and health care needs of oppressed communities and we can mentor medical students and trainees of color while also working to ensure a diverse pipeline. People of color are disproportionately affected, but the work of resistance should not fall solely on these colleagues. All of us have responsibility for this work. As healthcare providers we must be committed to engage in this work if we desire to improve the health of our communities.
Silence is not an option. No one is free when others are oppressed. Racism and bigotry of any kind, similar to SARS-CoV-2, may disproportionately affect some, but both are a threat to all.
Mitchell B. Cohen, M.D., Chair, Department of Pediatrics, UAB
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., MPH, Vice Chair for Community Engagement, Department of Pediatrics, UAB
Reference
Additional Information and Messages
A Special Dean's Message: Confronting racism—the country's systemic, pre-existing condition
The Chu Family has generously donated funds to Children's of Alabama and the Department of Pediatrics to support educational initiatives. A portion of this donation has been set aside for the pediatric fellows to fund scholarships for fellows who apply. Candidates were selected on a competitive basis. These awards will provide funds for tuition, books and fees related to their educational endeavors.
Please join us in congratulating the Chu Family Educational Scholarship recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year:
Samantha Hanna, M.D.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow
Educational Initiative: UAB Quality Academy Certificate Course
Alexandra Healy, M.D.
Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellow
Educational Initiative: UAB Quality Academy Certificate Course
The Dixon Foundation supports the Dixon Pediatric Fellowship training program for fellows who intend to pursue an academic career with a research emphasis (ranging from basic and translational science to education or QI-centric research) in approved pediatric subspecialties. As part of this prestigious award, recipients benefit from salary support and an additional $5,000 per year discretionary fund to support research and continuing education activities. The selection committee for the Dixon Fellowship recently met and selected five Dixon scholars on a competitive basis.
Please join us in congratulating the recipients for the 2020-2021 academic year:
Miles Fowler, M.D., Pediatric Pulmonology, Title: Adrenal Insufficiency (AI) in Cystic Fibrosis. Dr. Fowler’s research involves screening pediatric patients with CF for AI using a survey based on signs and symptoms and a morning cortisol level as well as testing for the presence of the SNP that was associated with AI in patients with asthma. His mentors are Jennifer Guimbellot, M.D., Isabel Virella-Lowell, M.D., and Michael Stalvey, M.D.
Amy Freeman, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: The Nff2 Pathway Protects against Hyperoxia-Induced Lung Injury in Murine Models of Airway Microbial Dysbiosis. Dr. Freeman will be exploring the direct role of microbiome on the lungs and the effect of dysbiosis on the redox balance during the development of BPD. Her mentor is Vivek Lal, M.D., Ph.D.
Snehashis Hazra, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: Characteristics of Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSC) derived from Wharton's Jelly of Umbilical Cord of Extremely Preterm Infants in Relation to Outcome of Survival without Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia. Dr. Hazra’s research involves delineating the characteristics of the MSC and MSC derived media/exosomes in infants with and without BPD, and to understand the molecular pathway through which MSC prevent and improve BPD. His mentor is Namasivayam Ambalavanan, MD.
Vivek Shukla, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging-Based Radiomics Risk Prediction for Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Neonates with Hypoxia-Ischemic Encephalopathy. Dr. Shukla will use novel machine learning-based models for developing a risk prediction algorithm for neurodevelopmental impairments in neonates suffering from perinatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy using MRI images acquired at or before one week after birth. His mentor is Namasivayam Ambalavanan, MD.
Mary Silverberg, M.D., Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, Title: Oral Nitrate Supplementation in a Murine Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia Model. Dr. Silverberg’s research involves testing oral nitrate supplementation to reduce histological lung injury and improve pulmonary function in a murine model of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD). Her mentors are Rakesh Patel, Ph.D. and Samuel Gentle, M.D.
Graduating Dixon Fellows are:
Abdulsalam Alsulami, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, will be joining The Department of Pediatrics at King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Aditi Dhir, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, will be joining the University of Miami as an assistant professor
Veronica Godsey, M.D., Pediatric Critical Care, will remain at UAB to complete a Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care fellowship
Nazia Kabani, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Neonatology, will continue her combined Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Neonatology Fellowship here at UAB
Charles Schlappi, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, will be joining Pediatrics West Bessemer Clinic
Michele Nichols, M.D., Pediatric Emergency Medicine, has been named the 2020 recipient of the Robert S. Holm, M.D., Award. This award is presented by the Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) each year to honor a member of the APPD for their outstanding contribution to mentorship and support for other program directors in the APPD and for their service as a role model to program leadership across the organization.
Dr. Nichols served as the co-program director for the UAB Pediatric Residency Program from 1995 to 2008 with Ray Watts, M.D., and took over as the program director in 2008. During her tenure, the program has graduated 554 residents working in pediatrics across the United States. Her commitment to creating a strong educational foundation and fostering outreach and advocacy opportunities has been instrumental in the residency program graduating well-rounded residents. As the vice chair for Education in the Department of Pediatrics, she has been a dedicated leader for education initiatives across the department.
Dr. Nichols’ leadership and commitment extend outside of the department with positions on University-wide committees and membership in regional and national associations. As part of the APPD, Dr. Nichols has led several workshops and presentations to help mentor and teach other program directors across the nations.
“I am both honored and humbled to be receiving this award from the APPD,” said Dr. Nichols. “I share this award with many people including program and department leadership as well as our amazing residents. I have had incredible support and teaching from my mentors and leaders over the years and hope I have been able, in turn, to pay it forward and help others find their passion in pediatrics.”
Congratulations Dr. Nichols!
As the novel coronavirus began to spread across the United States, shortages of personal protective equipment (PPE) started to become a major concern for hospitals and healthcare professionals. In response to these potential shortages, Nitin Arora, M.D., an assistant professor in the Division of Neonatology at UAB, began to search for solutions for alternative PPE options that could be used at UAB and in Alabama. Dr. Arora had been following the COVID-19 pandemic as information began to come out in December 2019.
Hussein Abdullatif, M.D., Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes, received with the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award at the 2020 School of Medicine Commencement this Saturday, May 16. Sponsored by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation, this honor is given each year to a graduating student and faculty member in recognition of their value of humanism in the delivery of care to patients and their families. Zach Gentry, M.D., was the student winner of the award this year.
“I feel honored that I demonstrated to the medical students a positive example of treating patients with love, care, empathy and compassion,” said Dr. Latif on receiving the award. “I am humbled that I was chosen because I am certain that UAB and the Department of Pediatrics are filled with physicians that demonstrate wonderful examples of humanism in medicine.”
Congratulations Dr. Latif!
Matthew Stoll, M.D., Pediatric Rheumatology, has been appointed the treasurer for the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network (SPARTAN). Dr. Stoll will serve a two-year term from May 2019 to May 2021. As the treasurer, he will be responsible for keeping track of the organization’s finances and sending reports to the rest of the Board of Directors. As treasurer, Dr. Stoll also plans on helping SPARTAN optimize its investment approach. SPARTAN is an organization dedicated to advance research and education to improve the care of patients with spondyloarthritis (a form of arthritis that often involves the axial skeleton.)
Congratulations Dr. Stoll!
Tamera Coyne-Beasley, M.D., Adolescent Medicine, and Matthew Kutny, M.D., Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, recently completed the UAB Healthcare Leadership Academy (HLA). They presented their final projects over Zoom on Wednesday, May 13.
Dr. Coyne-Beasley was part of the team project titled "Improving Email." Dr. Kutny was a member of the team project titled "Sustainability at UAB Medicine."
The HLA is a collaboration between the Collat School of Business and the School of Medicine. The program offers training opportunities and develops leadership skills essential to academic healthcare. 24 members were accepted into the academy for the 2019-2020 class. The program began in October 2019 and conclude in May 2020 with the closing session and graduation.
Congratulations Drs. Coyne-Beasley and Kutny!
David Askenazi, MD, MSPH, FAAP, Pediatric Nephrology, in coordination with the Pediatric Academic Society (PAS), American Society of Pediatric Nephrology (ASPN), and the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative (NKC), hosted a virtual platform and poster presentations on neonatal nephrology on Monday, May 4. This session was made virtual after the 2020 PAS Annual Meeting was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The four-hour virtual meeting was developed to assure that the neonatal nephrology community had a platform to share novel insights into basic and science research in the field. The 2020 PAS meeting had important milestones in the field of neonatal nephrology including the largest number of abstracts submitted on the subject (over 30) and the first ever oral platform session dedicated to highlight the top abstracts in neonatal nephrology. Over 50% of these abstracts were submitted by medical students, residents and fellows in neonatology and pediatric nephrology. For these reasons, Dr. Askenazi and the NKC hosted this free virtual event on Zoom with a livestream on YouTube. Namasivayam Ambalavanan, M.D., Neonatology, presented a platform session. Dr. Askenazi and Christine Stoops, M.D., Neonatology, served as moderators for the platform and poster sessions respectively. The conference was an incredible success with 450 participants. Other metrics on the conference can be below. A recording of the meeting is available at the NKC website www.babykidney.org.
Congratulations Dr. Askenazi, Dr. Stoops and the Neonatal Kidney Collaborative.
Sergio Stagno, M.D., Pediatric Infectious Diseases, was selected to be a member of the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame, Class of 2020. The Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame was established in 1997 and honors those who have made major contributions to the service of healthcare in the state of Alabama. Dr. Stagno will be honored with the other 11 members of the Class of 2020 at the Hall of Fame Awards Ceremony in September.
Dr. Stagno began his healthcare career in Alabama in 1971 when he joined the lab of Charles Alford, M.D., to study congenital infections. He would go on to become a long serving member and chair of the Department of Pediatrics. After 25 years as chair of the department, Dr. Stagno announced his retirement in 2013. He continues to contribute to healthcare in Alabama through his service in medical education.
Congratulations Dr. Stagno!