Hospital Medicine Fellowship: Meet Our Fellows

The Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship seeks to produce physicians who are experts in the care of hospitalized children and leaders in the pediatric hospital medicine community. Meet our current and past fellows below to learn more about their fellowship experiences.

Class of 2025

Dr. Andy Chan

Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles

Medical School: Creighton University School of Medicine

Residency: University of California Irvine, CA

Areas of Interest

• Quality Improvement
• Hight-Value Care
• Medical Education

Testimonial

My experiences as a former patient at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles are what initially sparked my interest in medicine. I chose to do my fellowship training at CHLA for a variety of reasons including being at an established program with a structured curriculum and mentorship in place, plentiful scholarly opportunities, high-volume and diversity of patients, and the unique opportunity to serve patients where I grew up. From working with and hearing the positive experiences first-hand from a former fellow of the program (Dr. Mihalek) during residency, I know that this program will provide the resources and mentorship to help me further develop into a well-rounded academic pediatric hospitalist.

Dr. Karen Deslouches

Undergrad: CUNY Brooklyn College, NY

Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine Barbados

Residency: Children’s University Medical Center, Hackensack, NJ

Areas of Interest

• Medical Education
• Advocacy and Health Literacy
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
• Patient and Parent-Centered Care
• Transitions of Care

Testimonial

I've always known I wanted to be a hospitalist, even before entering residency. I wanted to take care of my patients as a whole and not focus on a specific organ systems.   As a student doctor, I was able to investigate social disparities that were often the primary reason for a patient being admitted to the hospital. I enjoyed engaging with the patients and parents, although sometimes it was challenging. Hospital medicine is changing quickly and with this, I am looking for new areas to improve on to provide optimal care for my patients. I have worked as a Nocturnist at CHLA for a year and was exposed to patients who were very diverse, vulnerable, and complex. There were many opportunities for invaluable mentorship, Quality Improvement, advocacy, faculty development, and participation with various committees. I chose to do a PHM fellowship at CHLA to learn more about leadership skills at a large academic center while remaining academically and clinically relevant. I know that after training here I will be capable of caring for any pediatric patient, whether at an academic or community center.

Dr. Ishanee Dighe

Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles

Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific

Residency: Kaiser Southern California, Los Angeles, CA

Areas of Interest

• Advocacy
• Health Equity
• Quality Improvement

Testimonial

I am excited to begin my journey at CHLA. In particular, I am looking forward to learning from the diverse patient population. In addition, I am impressed with the dedication of the faculty mentors to During my fellowship, I want to study how health disparities affect patients who are hospitalized and then work with local community partners to identify solutions that address barriers in adequate health care for disadvantaged pediatric patients.

Class of 2024

Dr. Kevin Basiago

Undergrad: Loyola Marymount University      
Medical School: College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Western University of Health Sciences      
Residency: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Areas of Interest

• Reducing Excessive Variability in Infant Sepsis Evaluation - REVISE II AAP VIP Network Project Harbor-UCLA Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine; Torrance, CA

Testimonial

I pursued a PHM fellowship so that I can further develop my research and teaching skills as I broaden my clinical experience. I chose to do my fellowship at CHLA because of the program’s strong emphasis on scholarly activity in addition to the expansive education. I am eager for the opportunity to continue my training at a children’s hospital of CHLA’s caliber while taking care of the patient population I love here in Los Angeles.

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

Chen CR, Buyuktimkin B, Basiago K, Gustafson S. Increasing utilization of the pediatric wards curriculum to standardize resident education. Platform Plenary Presentation. Association of Pediatric Program Directors (APPD) Conference Spring Meeting, March 26, 2021.

Singla A, Basiago K, Buyuktimkin B, Gustafson S. Standardization of Fluids in Inpatient (Pediatric) Settings. Harbor-UCLA Medical Center Annual Resident/Fellow Research Day, May 12, 2021.

Basiago K, Gustafson S. Case 12: Maryam, a 4-year-old with Fever and Cough (Community-acquired Pneumonia). In: Cossey M, Gambill L. Pediatric Hospital Medicine: A Case-Based Curriculum and Educational Guide 1e. Itasca, Illinois, United States: American Academy of Pediatrics Publishing. Expected Publication June 1, 2022.

Tseng FH, Yeh S, Basiago K, Miyares W, Zangwill K. Is Acute Solid Food Aversion a Proxy for COVID-19-related Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction? Pediatrics January 2022; 149 (1): e2021052534.

Dr. Chien-Rong Chen

Undergrad: New York University      
Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine      
Residency: Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Areas of Interest

• Medical Education with residents and medical students
• Quality Improvement for hospitalized patients with chronic medical conditions

Testimonial

My first experience at CHLA was as a fourth year medical student on the pediatric hospital medicine rotation, where I would like to think the first seeds of PHM were planted. During residency I had the great fortune of working with wonderful pediatric hospitalists who constantly pushed me to new heights. I subsequently went through the same pediatric hospital medicine rotation at CHLA as a third year resident. One particularly salient feature during the rotation was how, despite their child's complex conditions, the families really trusted the CHLA physicians. The experience allowed me to not only directly evaluate how far I had come as a physician, but also really appreciate the passion and breadth of care that the pediatric hospitalists at CHLA provide. I am humbled at the opportunity to continue to learn with and work alongside this fantastic group of human beings!

Dr. Stephanie Prudencio

Undergrad: University of Florida      
Medical School: Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine      
Residency: University of Florida College of Medicine

Areas of Interest

• Quality Improvement
• Clinical informatics
• Curriculum development/mentorship
• Hospital operations/administration
• Transitions of care
• Medical complex care

Testimonial

PHM Fellowship at CHLA offers a strong core and individualized curriculum including QI, medical education, leadership, and advocacy in the setting of a top ranked children’s hospital. Mentorship opportunities are endless due to the large size and diversity of thePHM division and mentors are matched early on according to fellows interests. Our PDs, coordinator, and division leadership are clearly dedicated to fellow training, wellness, and success.

Past Fellows

Class of 2023

Anna Egan

Undergrad: Harvard University, Massachusetts        
Medical School: University of California Irvine School of Medicine      
Residency: Weill Cornell Medical College

Areas of Interest

• Quality improvement
• High-value cost-conscious care
• Informatics
• Point of care ultrasound

Testimonial

I love that CHLA is both a highly specialized, well respected academic center and a safety net hospital for the children of Los Angeles. I was also impressed by their robust, long-standing Department of Hospital Medicine with so many faculty members available for mentorship.

Jennifer Savitz

Undergrad: University of California, Berkeley      
Medical School: University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine      
Residency: University of Washington

Areas of Interest

• Communication with patients/families
• Trauma informed care
• Quality improvement
• Health equity

Testimonial

I decided to pursue PHM fellowship to build more skills to conduct scholarly work, be a better clinician educator, and to expose myself to the breadth of opportunities in academic hospital medicine. CHLA stood out to me for the combination of dedicated mentorship and expertise in all the above areas, excellent clinical opportunities, and a diverse patient population. Although I have only been at CHLA for a short time, I have been so impressed with the welcoming and collaborative environment! Faculty both within and outside the department have been enthusiastic to discuss my research interests with me (with no shortage of people with interests in common!), and the program gave us a very thoughtful orientation into the interdisciplinary structure of CHLA within the first month of fellowship. Lastly, I have felt supported on a personal level since starting fellowship and appreciate how the division’s leadership advocates for work-life integration. I’m excited to see what the next two years will bring!

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

Poster presentations:

Wendt A, Savitz J. (July 7, 2021). Screening for postpartum depression in the NICU: education & implementation. Poster presented at: Annual      
Postpartum Support International Conference; virtual. 2. Savitz JD, Coccia M, Epel E, Laraia B, Adler N, Coleman-Phox K, Bush N. (January, 2016). Prenatal stress in low-income, overweight mothers predicts infant physical illness.

Poster presented at: UCSF Medical Student Research Symposium; San Francisco, CA.

Peer reviewed publications:

Bush NR, Savitz J, Coccia M, Jones-Mason K, Adler N, Boyce WT, Laraia B, Epel E. Maternal Stress During Pregnancy Predicts Infant Infectious and Noninfectious Illness. J Pediatr. 2021 Jan;228:117-125.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2020.08.041. Epub 2020 Aug 19. PMID: 32827529; PMCID: PMC7752845.

Natalia Sidhu

Undergrad: Tulane University, New Orleans      
Medical School: Texas Tech University, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine      
Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Areas of Interest

• DEI
• Health disparities in patients with limited English proficiency
• Advocacy

Testimonial

One of the primary reasons I chose to pursue PHM fellowship at CHLA is the opportunity to work with a diverse group of patients as well as faculty. Not only is there ethnic and cultural diversity in the children we care for, but there are a wide range of pathologies and acuity that we manage here at CHLA. Importantly, the care we provide is in a collaborative and collegial environment. Fellowship leadership and the division administrators are very supportive of our experience - both in and out of the hospital, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to continue my training here at CHLA.

Fellowship Projects and Accomplishments

• Proposed projects include exploration of the intersection of discrimination and perceived quality of life in caregivers of patients with technology dependence
• QI initiatives to collect race, ethnicity, and language data.

Class of 2022

Angie Alegria, MD

Undergrad: University of Miami      
Medical school: Nova Southeastern College of Osteopathic Medicine      
Residency: Nicklaus Children’s Hospital

Areas of interest

• Quality improvement
• Informatics
• Documentation integrity
• Workflow optimization

Fellowship Projects and Accomplishments

• Quality improvement project aimed to improve quality and efficiency of hospital medicine progress notes
• Quality improvement project to promote efficient handoffs
• Informatic selective curriculum for trainees

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

Workshops

• CHLA Trainee Note Writing Workshop

Testimonial

I sought out fellowship at CHLA because of the opportunity for new clinical exposures and to explore my non-clinical interests. I have had an abundance of support in my scholarly pursuits in quality improvement and informatics and have been able connect with informaticists beyond the institution. The program leadership, as well as the hospital medicine division as a whole, is invested in the success of all fellows. The program has a robust curriculum with well-balanced experience in research, medical education, and QI. Clinically, CHLA offers exposure to a medically complex patient population as well as varying specialty co-management models.

Monica Mattes, MD

Undergrad: University of California, San Diego      
Medical school: University of Central Florida College of Medicine      
Residency: University of California, Davis Medical Center

Areas of interest

• High value care
• Quality improvement
• Trainee education

Fellowship Projects and Accomplishments

• Fellowship QI project: Decreasing Blood Culture Collection in Hospitalized Patients with CAP, SSTI, and UTI
• Site lead for multi-center retrospective chart review seeking to describe the characteristics and outcomes of hypothermic young infants
• Participant in national Value in Pediatrics quality improvement study, Better Antibiotic Selection in Children (BASiC)

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

• West M, Loh M, Mattes M, Molas-Torreblanca K. A Hip, Skip, and a Jump Away from a Diagnosis: An Unusual Case of Referred Leg Pain. Poster presentation, Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference. Aug 2021
• Accepted into Future Leaders Program as part of the High Value Practice Academic Alliance

Testimonial

I really wanted to come to CHLA for my fellowship training because of it's long-standing robust fellowship program that was also very open and amenable to input, the scope of mentorship and networking opportunities among the large hospitalist department, and opportunity for continued robust clinical training and patient care at a top children's hospital. We often refer to our fellowship group as a "family," and I really think that has proven true. We are very supported by the department as a whole, and are encouraged to pursue new and/or existing avenues to explore and build upon our varied interests. It is evident that everyone wants to help us succeed in whichever path we chose, and I am confident that I'm gaining the skills and tools to help me become a better pediatric academic hospitalist.

Stephen Overcash, MD

Undergrad: Indiana University      
Medical school: Indiana University School of Medicine      
Residency: Children’s National Medical Center

Areas of interest

• Transitions of Care
• Survey Design
• Perioperative Co-Managemen
• Complex Care

Fellowship Projects and Accomplishments

• Primary fellowship project: The Post-Operative Handoff: A survey of the Perceptions and
• Preferences of Pediatric Hospitalists and Surgeons
• A QI project to increase percentage of critical care bills placed by the Division of Hospital Medicine
• A NICU-led project to improve post-operative handoffs of NICU patients
• Auditing family-centered rounds for FCR QI project

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

• Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting – Philadelphia, PA May 2020 • Overcash, Stephen Dr. Predictive Characteristics for ICU-Level Care in Acute Asthma Exacerbations.
• Oral Platform. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Philadelphia, PA. May 1-5, 2020. Due to COVID-19 related conference cancellation, this peer-reviewed abstract and/or presentation was disseminated on 4/30/2020 to the PAS 2020
• Meeting Program Guide. Academic Pediatric Association Region 9 and 10 Meeting – Virtual Meeting January 2021 • Overcash, Stephen Dr. The Post-Operative Handoff: Perceptions and Preferences from Hospitalists and Surgeons.
• Virtual Works in Progress Presentation. Academic Pediatric Association Region 9 and 10 Meeting. January 30, 2021.
• Pediatric Hospital Medicine Meeting – Virtual Meeting August 2021 • Ahuja, Namrata Dr.; Cowell, Melissa Dr.; Kuroki, Robyn Dr.; Matho, Andrea Dr.; Overcash, Stephen Dr. Tubes, Trachs, and Other Tech: Whose Line Is It Anyway?.
• Pediatric Hospital Medicine Meeting, Virtual Meeting. August 4-6, 2021.

Testimonial

I'm so appreciative of the support I've gotten for my academic interests, and I've been amazed at how I've been able to get an original research project off the ground in a few short months of work with the help of our Interim Research Advisor (IRA) role. Our division has such a breadth of diverse academic and clinical interests that it's easy to find colleagues to partner with on projects. Clinical service at CHLA is a wonderful experience as well, with both hospitalist-only / co-management service and resident-led service providing different flavors of clinical time. The level of clinical support here is unparalleled as well, with care coordinators, social workers, and a robust outpatient general pediatrics clinic within the hospital to make care coordination a breeze. I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to complete a PHM fellowship here at CHLA.

Class of 2021

Alana Ju, MD

Undergrad: Harvard University       
Med school: University of California, San Francisco       
Residency: Children's Hospital Los Angeles   

Areas of interest

• Health equity and disparities-- particularly for families with limited English proficiency (LEP)
• Legislative Advocacy

Testimonial

I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to do my Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowship here at CHLA. Clinically, this is an excellent place to train due to our high patient volume and wealth of subspecialty resources. I love taking care of both "bread-and-butter" pediatric patients, coordinating care for patients with complex medical issues, and working with families from a broad diversity of backgrounds. I also appreciate the mentorship resources and research support offered by CHLA's Division of Hospital Medicine as I start my academic career.

Brandon Palmer

Undergrad: University of Illinois       
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin       
Residency: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin

Areas of Interest

• Curriculum development for career mentorship in pediatric hospital medicine
• Game show-based education
• Family-centered rounds and shared decision-making
• Social media use in program promotion and recruitment 

Testimonial

I pursued fellowship in hospital medicine to gain academic and leadership skills in addition to honing my skills as a clinician. CHLA offered incredible opportunities to gain experience needed to be an academic pediatric hospitalist. They have a fantastic research, medical education and QI fellows curricula, as well as opportunities to obtain secondary degrees through USC. I enrolled in the Masters in Academic Medicine program through USC, which will help me develop skills as a leader, teacher, scholar and mentor. The CHLA division of hospital medicine is incredibly supportive of the PHM fellows, with many in the division eager to include fellows in their own scholarly projects. The mentorship at CHLA is unrivaled and is a huge strength of the fellowship program at CHLA. From a clinical standpoint, CHLA offers a uniquely medically complex patient population to learn from, in addition to "bread-and-butter" and co-management populations. What has stood out the most since starting my fellowship at CHLA is how invested in the fellows experience the entire hospital medicine division is. We are treated like family from day one, and everyone is incredibly supportive. The possibilities at CHLA are endless and I could not be happier that I am here.

Class of 2020

Alexandra Mihalek

Undergrad: Harvard University      
Med school: Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California      
Residency: Children's Hospital Los Angeles

 Areas of interest

• Advocacy and public policy
• Methods to optimize inpatient vaccine delivery, including vaccine funding structure and policy

Fellowship Accomplishments

• Founded CHLA Pediatric Advocacy Collaborative
• Fellowship research project: Opportunistic Immunization: Variation in Policies and Practices for Vaccination of Hospitalized Adolescents
• Fellowship QI project: Decreasing Overnight Blood Pressure Monitoring in Stable Pediatric Inpatients
• Co-site lead for multi-center Children's Hospitals Association quality improvement study focusing on reducing unnecessary serum electrolyte testing in inpatients

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

Refereed Journal Publications and Case Reports

Mihalek A*, Kysh L, Pannaraj P. Pediatric Inpatient Immunizations: A Literature Review. Hospital Pediatrics. 9(7):550-559, 2019. PMID: 31209128.

Mihalek A*, Canty K*, Chan M*, Braskett M, Bhardwaj V, Molas-Torreblanca K. Teenager suffers diarrhea, emesis, and weight loss. Contemporary Pediatrics. 35(10), 2018.

Oral Platform Presentations

Mihalek A*, Kysh L, Pannaraj P. Pediatric Inpatient Immunizations. 2019 California Immunization Coalition Summit, Riverside, CA, 2019.

Mihalek A*, Pfaff N*, Garnett C*, Cardoza G*, Olvera V*, Mamey MR, Wu S. Impact of State Universal Purchase Policies of Immunization Rates. American Public Health Association 2018: Annual Meeting and Expo, San Diego, CA, 2018.

Mihalek A*. Opportunistic HPV Immunization: Utilization of the Inpatient Setting. Los Angeles County HPV Vaccine Coalition, Los Angeles, CA, 2018.

Poster Sessions

Morse A*, Mihalek A*, Molas-Torreblanca K. When It Rains It Spores: A Case of a Mysterious Mediastinal Mass. Pediatric Hospital Medicine 2019, Seattle, WA, 2019.

Santos M*, Mihalek A*, Dabagh S*, Lee V, Wu S. Decreasing Overnight Blood Pressure Monitoring in Stable Pediatric Inpatients. Annual Trainee Quality Improvement Poster Session, Los Angeles, CA, 2019. 

Testimonial

As a graduate from Children's Hospital Los Angeles' residency program (and as a former USC medical student who rotated at CHLA throughout my medical school training), I have a great appreciation for our hospital and the amazing work that it does.  As both a large academic children's hospital and a safety net hospital, CHLA balances extraordinary specialized patient care with advocacy and service every day.  Thus, when I decided to pursue a Pediatric Hospital Medicine fellowship, it made perfect sense to continue my training at CHLA.  Since transitioning to a PHM fellow, I have appreciated how supportive the Division of Hospital Medicine has been of me clinically, as well as in my research and advocacy spheres, providing connections both locally and at a national level.  The mentorship at CHLA has been invaluable, and while providing guidance in multiple domains, I have also been able to define my own fellowship and career path, which I truly appreciate.

Maria Santos

Undergraduate: Ohio State University      
Med School: Ohio State University College of Medicine      
Residency: Children's Hospital of Orange County

Areas of Interest

• Quality Improvement and Antimicrobial Stewardship

Fellowship Projects/Accomplishments

• Impact of Direct MALDI-TOF MS on Hospitalized Children with Gram Negative Blood Stream Infections on Antibiotic Use and Clinical Outcomes
• Multi-institutional collaborative QI project: Preparing for a hybrid trial of pulse oximetry de-implementation in stable infants with bronchiolitis.
• Multi-institutional collaborative QI project: Reducing Low-Value Electrolyte Testing - Understanding Current Practice, Implementing Change and Following Results
• QI Project: Decreasing Overnight Blood Pressure Monitoring in Stable Pediatric Inpatients
• Completed year 1 of leadership curriculum
• Member of Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee

Fellow Abstract Submissions, Publications and Presentations

Santos M, Trost M, Mongkolrattanothai K, Dien Bard J. Impact of MALDI-TOF MS in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients with Gram Negative Bacteremia. Monterey Bay, California. January 26, 2019.

Santos M, Mihalek A, Dabagh S. Decreasing Overnight Blood Pressure Monitoring in Stable Pediatric Inpatients. Annual Trainee Quality Improvement Poster Session: Decreasing Overnight Blood Pressure Monitoring in Stable Pediatric Inpatients. Los Angeles, California. June 10, 2019

Pierson N, Santos M, Torre-Blanca Kira. A Prolonged Fever of Flea Origin. Pediatric Hospital Medicine. Nashville, Tennessee. July 26 2019

National Communications

• Society of Hospital Medicine Fellow Journal Club, TBA August 2019
• Manuscript Co-editor for Pediatric Quality and Safety

Testimonial

I knew I wanted to become a pediatric hospitalist when I was in residency because I loved diagnosing new patients and acutely managing their symptoms. I chose fellowship because I felt that I needed to expand my horizon from that of a resident to that of an academic pediatric hospitalist. I wished to learn more about QI, medical education and have further experience in managing patients in a quaternary institution with close mentorship. I felt that a 2 year residency would give me time to explore my interests and find my niche to balance the clinical demands of hospital medicine. This opportunity, in my opinion, would not otherwise be offered to me as a novice in a new clinical position. In a hospital like CHLA, there has been ample opportunity to explore various interests from antimicrobial steward ship, to participation in multi-institutional QI collaborations to participation in hospital committees. The patient population at CHLA also offers a unique perspective on the care of the medically complex child with varying levels of acuity in the inpatient setting and additionally grants an experience with co-management services. I have found an outpouring of mentorship and support from this program that I sensed when I first interviewed here and so grateful for the robust opportunities I have been offered through CHLA after just a year in training and look forward to what’s to come!

Class of 2019

Marni Shear, DO

Education

Undergraduate: University of California Los Angeles      
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine at Midwestern University      
Residency: St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

Interests

Social determinants of health, medical education, cultural competency, advocacy education

Fellowship Projects and Accomplishments

• Fellowship research project:  A Child Poverty Curriculum Through Digital Storytelling
• Fellowship quality improvement project: Increasing Utilization of Spanish Language Interpreters on Family Centered Rounds
• Master of Public Health candidate at the University of Southern California
• 2nd Place in Educational Innovation at 2018 Robert Adler Education Day Poster Session at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Contributor to the Society of Hospital Medicine Library’s Fellows Journal Club

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

• Shear M, Lewinter K, Wu S. Rao S, Thompson M, Christman G. A Child Poverty Curriculum Through Digital Storytelling. Poster presentation at: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles 3rd Annual Robert Adler Education Day Educational Innovation Poster Session
• Shear M, Lewinter K, Wu S. Rao S, Thompson M, Christman G. A Child Poverty Curriculum Through Digital Storytelling. Poster presentation at: Pediatric Academic Society Pediatric Hospital Medicine Club 2018.

Testimonial

My primary scholarly interests include advocacy and medical education, and my interest in hospital medicine developed as a result of my inpatient experiences as a resident. In this setting, I was able to advocate for and empower families through education and preventive medicine in the clinical context I most enjoyed. I chose to pursue fellowship training in pediatric hospital medicine to further develop my skills in clinical medicine in a quaternary care institution, and to develop a stronger background in research and medical education. As I hope to develop expertise in addressing social determinants of health in the inpatient setting and pursue a career in academic pediatric hospital medicine, the PHM fellowship at CHLA offers me countless opportunities to advance toward these goals. As a fellow, I am able to develop a deeper understanding of health disparities and social determinants of health through my enrollment in the University of Southern California’s MPH program. I also have the opportunity to work with world-renowned leaders in medical education and have been able to identify a network of mentors who support my academic interests. Through the training offered at CHLA, I am developing the skills and background I will need to pursue a career in academic hospital medicine where I can promote an advocacy-informed approach to caring for the hospitalized child.

Fatuma Barqadle, MD

Education

Undergraduate: George Mason University      
Medical School: Virginia Commonwealth University      
Residency: INOVA Children’s Hospital

Interests

Complex care, undergraduate medical education, cultural competency, diversity and inclusion in medical education and academic medicine

Fellowship Projects and Accomplishments

• Fellowship research project: Implementing and evaluating a pediatric complex care curriculum for fourth year medical students
• Fellowship Quality Improvement project: Increasing EMR documentation of tracheostomies, ventilator settings and airway clearance regimens for trach/vent dependent patients
• Master of Academic Medicine candidate at the University of Southern California
• Winner of the Innovations in Medical Education Stephen Abrahamson Award for Innovation: Best of Cool Ideas Award 2018
• Selected to be on the American Academy of Pediatrics Society of Hospital Medicine’s Diversity and Inclusion Task Force 
• Selected to be a junior mentor for the American Pediatric Association’s New Century Scholars Program
• Contributor to the Society of Hospital Medicine Library’s Fellows Journal Club

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

• Barqadle F, Gay A, Trost M. Caring for Children with Medical Complexities: An Introductory Curriculum for Medical Students. Oral presentation at: Innovations in Medical Education Conference 2018.
• Barqadle F, Gay A, Trost M. Caring for Children with Medical Complexities: An Introductory Curriculum for Medical Students. Poster presentation at: Pediatric Academic Society Pediatric Hospital Medicine Club 2018. 
• Rudnick M, Barqadle F, Molas-Torreblanca K, Trost M, Christman G, Bhatia P. See One, Do One, Lead One; Teaching Leadership Skills to Medical Students. Workshop, COMSEP Annual Conference, 2018.
• Freedy A, Coleman C, Barqadle F, Hanson J.  Every Mountain Climb Needs a Sherpa; Engaging Patient and Family Advisors in Medical Education. Workshop, COMSEP Annual Conference, 2018

Testimonial

I chose to pursue a career in hospital medicine early on in my residency training but soon realized that despite my wonderful experiences as a resident, there was so much more to learn in the field of hospital medicine. I chose fellowship because I wanted to equip myself with the necessary tools and knowledge to become a successful academic hospitalist, clinical educator and patient advocate. I also wanted to further cultivate my interest in complex care in a large tertiary hospital setting and begin pursing my degree in medical education. For these reasons and many more, CHLA was a perfect match for me. The guidance and mentorship I’ve received at CHLA to date has been absolutely phenomenal and the opportunities and support for scholarship and leadership through this fellowship, both locally and nationally, have been tremendous.

Class of 2018

Allyson McDermott, MD

Education

College: University of Connecticut      
Medical School: University of Connecticut School of Medicine      
Residency: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

Areas of Interest

• Graduate Medical Education
• Respiratory Illnesses

Fellowship Project

• Validation of a Novel Written Assessment for Parental Understanding of the Asthma Action Plan in the Inpatient Setting: the Parental Asthma Action Plan Assessment
• Description of Parental Understanding of the Asthma Action Plan in the Inpatient Setting

Fellowship Accomplishments

• Enrolled in the Master of Academic Medicine at University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

Publications

• McDermott A, Brook I, Ben-Isaac E. Peer-debriefing after distressing patient care events: a workshop for pediatric residents. MedEdPORTAL Publications. 2017;13:10624. https://doi.org/10.15766/mep_2374-8265.10624
• McDermott, A.  Championing Mistakes: Reclaiming the Safe Learning Environment for Family Centered Bedside Rounds.  J Grad Med Educ. 2017, Vol. 9, No. 2, pp. 257-257.
• Mihalek A, Parisky A, McDermott A, Shaham B. Takayasu arteritis in a child.  Consultant360. [2017 Jul 3]. http://www.consultant360.com/articles/takayasu-arteritis-child

Oral Presentations

• McDermott, A.  Teaching Teach Back: A Discharge Education Curriculum for Pediatric Residents  Presented at: Innovations in Medical Education Conference, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.  February 25, 2017.
• McDermott A, Rudnick M, Maniscalco J, Christman G, Donthi R, Molas-Torreblanca K.   The Art of Communication: Tips and Tricks for Teaching and Assessing Patient-Centered Communication.   Innovations in Medical Education Conference, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA.  February 2018.
• Christman G, Callahan K, McDermott A, Smith M.  Mindfulness: Making the Change.  Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Conference.  Toronto, Canada.  May 5, 2018.

Poster Sessions

• McDermott A, Russell C, Zipkin R, Thompson M, Ferdman R, Molas-Torreblanca K.  Validation of a Novel Tool for the Assessment of Parental Understanding of the Asthma Action Plan: The Parental Asthma Action Plan Assessment (PAAPA).  Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Confernce.  Toronto, Canada.  May 6, 2018.
• McDermott A, Brook I, Ben-Isaac E.  Peer-debriefing training for pediatric residents improves likelihood and comfort with debriefing after distressing patient care events.  American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition- Peds21: Pediatricians Leading Change in Physician Health and Wellness.  Chicago, IL.  2017.
• McDermott A, Brook I, Ben-Isaac E.  Peer-debriefing training for pediatric residents improves likelihood and comfort with debriefing after distressing patient care events.  American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition- Section on Hospital Medicine.  Chicago, IL.  2017.
• Zipkin R, McDermott A, Marano R, et al.  Association of PEWS with LOS and Hospital Charges for Pediatric Transfers.  Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference.  Nashville, TN.  2017.
• Pimentel N, McDermott A, Querubin J, et al.  Reducing seizure readmission rates: A plan for everyone.  Annual Trainee Quality Improvement Poster Session.  Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.  Los Angeles, CA.  2017.
• McDermott A, Garnett C, Waloff K.  Fever, Rash, and Cytopenias? Oh, My!  Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference.  Chicago, Il.  July 29, 2016.
• Mihalek A, Parisky A, McDermott A, Shaham B. Hypertension: “Rheum” to Learn More.  Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference.  Chicago, Il. July 29, 2016.

Testimonial

I specifically chose to pursue residency in pediatrics knowing that I would likely end up as a Pediatric Hospitalist.  I am fascinated by the acute illnesses and complex chronic medical problems of childhood.  I enjoy applying physiology to patient care, and knowing why illness presents in the ways that it does.  I am humbled by patient’s families as they allow me to be a part of the care of their child during a difficult time.  I appreciate having the time to spend with patients and families in discussing of diagnoses and plans.  I also am pragmatic, and problem-oriented; I seek to find areas of improvement in processes and make them better.   Lastly, I love having medical students and residents around to teach and learn from everyday!  Putting that all together, PHM was definitely the right choice for me! Having completed my residency at CHLA, I saw firsthand how amazing and dedicated the hospitalists are to patient care, research and education.  It is inspiring to work alongside people with such enthusiasm for the field! CHLA allowed me to grow my interest in medical education by engaging in projects that were meaningful to me personally, as well as for my career development.  The mentorship I’ve received at CHLA has been invaluable, and is hands-down the most special part of the PHM fellowship at CHLA!

Melanie Rudnick, MD

College: Lehigh University      
Med School: New York Medical College      
Residency: University of Connecticut/Connecticut Children’s Medical Center

Areas of Interest

• Medical Education
• Quality Improvement

Fellowship Projects

• Enhancing medical student self-efficacy and performance on Family centered rounds- An interactive curriculum
• Enrolled in Masters of Academic Medicine Program at University of Southern California
• Member of MAP (multi-disciplinary action plan) and FCBR (family centered bedside rounds) committees
• -involved in implementation of standardized discharge instructions for patients admitted with bronchiolitis
• Co-author of book chapter for Challenging Cases in Pediatric Hospital Medicine
• Fellow’s Quality Improvement Project: Reducing Readmission Rates for Patients Presenting with Seizure- Implementation of a Seizure Action Plan

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

Presentations

• Rudnick, M. Christman, G. Enhancing medical student self-efficacy and performance on Family centered rounds- An interactive curriculum; Pediatric Academic Society Pediatric Hospital Medicine Club May 2017
• Rudnick, M. Christman, G. Enhancing medical student self-efficacy and performance on Family centered rounds- An interactive curriculum; Innovations in Medical Education Cool Idea, February 2017
• Rudnick, M. Moriel, G, Kuroki, R. Panaraj, P. “Here’s Winking at You Kid ”
• Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine Conference –Clinical Conundrums Poster session July 2017

Posters/abstracts

• McMahon, E. Fried, A. Rudnick, M. Corden, M; Intraventricular Hemorrhage in a Term Neonate; Pediatrics in Review, Index of Suspicion; in progress, pre-accepted to Pediatrics in Review 
• Rudnick, M. Christman, G. Enhancing Medical Student Presentations on Family Centered Rounds; Innovations in Medical Education Conference, February 2017  San Gabriel, California
• Waynik, I. Hoppa, E. Saccoccio, M. Bedus, D. Gerich, C. Rudnick, M. Mrosak, J Stewardship in Improving Bronchiolitis across the Continuum of Care; May Illuminations Conference Connecticut Children’s Medical Center; May 2017, Hartford, CT
• Rudnick, M. Christman, G. Enhancing Medical Student Presentations on Family Centered Rounds; Pediatric Academic Society- Pediatric Hospital Medicine Club, May 2017; San Francisco, California
• Pimentel N, McDermott A, Querubin J, Rudnick, M et al Reducing seizure readmission rates: A plan for everyone.  Annual Trainee  Quality Improvement Poster Session.  Children’s Hospital Los Angeles June 2017; Los Angeles, California
• Moriel, G, Rudnick, M. Panaraj, P.Kuroki, R. Here’s Winking at You Kid; Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine Conference –Clinical Connundrums Poster session; July 2017, Chicago, Illinois
• McMahon, E. Fried, A. Rudnick, M. Corden, M; Intraventricular Hemorrhage in a Term Neonate; American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference and Exhibition, Poster session; September 2017, Chicago, Illinois
• Rudnick, M. Christman G. From Bedside to Classroom and Back: An Innovative Patient and Family Centered Rounds Curriculum; Accepted for poster presentation, Council of Medical Student Education in Pediatrics Annual Conference, April 2018, Denver, Colorado
• Rudnick, M. Christman G. From Bedside to Classroom and Back: An Innovative Patient and Family Centered Rounds Curriculum; Adler Education Day CHLA, April 2018-First place in Innovations category

Workshops

• McDermott, A. Rudnick, M. Maniscalco, J. Christman, G. Donthi, R. Molas-Torreblanca, K. The Art of Communication: Tips and Tricks for Teaching and Assessing Patient-Centered Communication; Innovations in Medical Education Conference; February 2018, San Gabriel, California.
• Rudnick, M. Barqadle, F. Christman, G. Trost, M. Molas-Torreblanca, K. Bhatia, P. See One, Do One, Lead One. Teaching Leadership Skills to Medical Students; Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics Conference; April 2018; Denver, Colorado
• Wu, S. Lee, V. Trost, M. Christman, G. Rudnick, M. The Safety Dance: Gracefully blending patient-safety teaching into rounds; Pediatric Academic Society Annual Meeting; May 2018; Toronto, Canada

Book Chapters

• Rudnick, M. Lee, V. Fever of Unknown Origin in an Immigrant Child; Challenging Cases in Pediatric Hospital Medicine, edited by Drs. Daniel Rauch and Snezana Nena Osorio and published by the American Academy of Pediatrics, In press.
• Rudnick, M. Christman, G. Pediatric Hospital Medicine; Berkowitz’s Pediatrics: A Primary Care Approach, in progress

National Communications

• Fellows Journal Club on SOHM Library Website, contributing author, October 2017; Review of article Tagarro A et al, "Dexamethasone for Parapneumonic Pleural Effusion: A Randomized Double-Blind, Clinical Trial" J Pediatr 2017;185:117-23
• Council on Medical Student Education in Pediatrics Journal Club November 2017, Review of article Feedback for Learners in Medical Education: What Is Known? A Scoping Review. Bing-You, R. Hayes, V. Varaklis, K. Trowbridge, R. Kemp, H. McKelvy, D. Academic Medicine 2017; 92(9):1346-54. DOI: 10.1097/ACM.0000000000001578

Testimonial

I discovered that I wanted to pursue a career in hospitalist medicine during my residency training. For me, being on the floors was “why I became a doctor.” I was able to see children come in ill, and was there through the collaborative process of bringing them back to health. It also offers the unique experience of being involved in education of multiple learners, which is something that was also always of interest to me.  Being interested in Quality Improvement and Medical Education, CHLA seemed like the perfect match for what I want to accomplish out of fellowship. And although my fellowship is just beginning, I have already experienced the great support and mentorship of the faculty here in helping the fellows achieve their goals!

Class of 2017

Jaidev Nath, MD

Undergraduate: University of Virginia      
Medical School: University of Birmingham College of Medical and Dental Sciences      
Residency: St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children

Current Graduate Coursework

Master of Business Administration - University of Southern California: Marshall School of Business

Research Interests

• Healthcare Administration
• Value Based Health Care
• Physician Leadership

Fellowship Projects

• Modeling the return of investment for the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Physician Advisor Program
• Survey of Physician Leadership Training Amongst Pediatric Hospital Medicine Fellowship Programs

Testimonial

Working with pediatric hospitalists during medical school and residency, I quickly realized how multi-faceted the job was. Pediatric hospitalists were involved in education, quality improvement, administration, research etc. In addition to that they were central to patient care, liaising with various subspecialists and coordinating complex patient care. This also meant that hospitalists had to excel in qualities such as leadership and interpersonal communication. This richness and variety within the job description is what attracted me to the field during residency. As I began contemplating about getting an MBA as my next career step after residency, a PHM fellowship began to make perfect sense. Not only would I get the time and support to pursue my graduate degree; I would also have an opportunity to hone and develop the skills such as research, complex care management, quality improvement and education. My fellowship experience thus far at CHLA has far surpassed my expectations which were high to begin with! I’ve had incredible mentorship and have been exposed to various areas within the pediatric hospital medicine landscape. I’m looking forward to the rest of my fellowship and the opportunity to grow as a physician, leader and academician.

Namrata Ahuja, MD

Medical School: The Ohio State University College of Medicine
      
Residency: Indiana University School of Medicine/Riley Hospital for Children

Other training

Academic Pediatric Association Research Scholars Program; cohort 3


Research Interests

• Children with medical complexity
• Care of children at non-children’s hospitals


Active projects

Comparison of care of technology dependent children at children’s hospitals versus non-children’s hospitals, QI project on Family-Centered Rounds


Publications

1. Ahuja, N., Stage, L., Schneider, K., Dietrich-Kusch, A. The Use of Sleep Sacks To Improve Safe Sleep Practices in an Inpatient Unit. E-PAS2015:2865.144 (Poster Presentation)
2. Ahuja, N., Zhao, W., & Xiang, H. (2012). Medical Errors in US Pediatric Inpatients with Chronic Conditions. Pediatrics, 130(4), e786 -e793. PMID: 22966036
3. Ahuja, N., Brothers, B., Andersen, B., Hopelessness, not Social Support, Predicts Physical Status in Patients with Breast Cancer Recurrence. Poster presentation at Society of Behavioral Medicine 2007 meeting, Washington DC

Testimonial

My journey to become a pediatric hospital medicine fellow at CHLA did not start right out of residency, but rather after I had already embarked on a career as a pediatric hospitalist at a community hospital. While my work as a community pediatric hospitalist was rewarding in many ways it also helped me recognize that there were skills I needed to acquire in order to go from being merely a good pediatric hospitalist to an exceptional one. I joined the fellowship program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with the goal of enhancing my clinical, teaching, quality improvement, and research skills, and thus far this program has delivered on all of these fronts. In particular, I am enjoying the opportunity to learn more about research methodology, and the guidance from my excellent and enthusiastic research mentor. Informed by my experience as a community hospitalist I am pursuing a research project comparing the care of children with technology dependence in children’s versus non-children’s hospitals.

Class of 2016

Thanh Huynh, MD

Medical School: Oregon Health and Science University      
Residency:  Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

Areas of Interest

• Trainee Education
• Patient Safety
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Cultural Competency
• Medical Provider Wellness

Fellowship Projects

• Improving physician communication with patients about Complementary and Alternative Medicine through the use of electronic medical record prompts and education
• Development of a Pediatric Hospital Medicine Transport Curriculum

Testimonial

When I thought about the career I wished to have as a pediatric hospitalist, I envisioned one that included scholastic endeavors enabling me to contribute beyond the direct medical care of hospitalized children.  I believed a fellowship would offer me the opportunity to enhance both my clinical and academic skills, and was honored to be able to join the PHM Fellowship at CHLA.  This fellowship has exceeded my hopes for providing the experience I was looking for.  Being able to care for medically complex children at a children’s hospital has broadened the clinical exposure I received during residency training at a county hospital.  In addition to providing ample learning experiences encompassing the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Core Competencies, I have been supported in applying my personal interest in Complementary and Alternative Medicine to the field hospital medicine.  The vision I have for my career has become increasingly tangible through this fellowship and I am grateful to be part of this wonderful program.

Mayuri Ganupuru, MD

Undergraduate: University of Georgia      
Medical school: Morehouse SoM      
Residency: Children's Hospital Oakland

Areas of Interest

• Socioeconomic determinants of health
• Advocacy in disparities in access to care
• Health care delivery systems

Fellowship Accomplishments

• Development of curriculum for pediatric residency program: Child Poverty, “Best of Cool Ideas” award winner, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Innovations in Medical Education Conference
• Master’s in Public Health Candidate, Public Policy Track, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine 2014-2017
• American Academy of Pediatrics Advocacy Trainee/Legislative Conference scholarship recipient, March 2015
• Poverty Committee Chair, American Academy of Pediatrics California Chapter 2
• Lown Institute Annual Conference scholarship recipient, March 2015
• Member of Health Care Operations Research Group and Education Research Group, Division of Hospital Medicine
• Member of Disparity Equity Collaborative Project, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Member of Utilization Management Committee, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Fellow education improvement subgroup leader

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

1. Ganupuru M, Trost M, Molas-Torresblanca K, Christman G, Rao S. Development of a Child Poverty Curriculum for Pediatric Residents. Cool Ideas platform presentation, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine Innovations in Medical Education annual conference, February 2016
2. Ganupuru M, Waloff K, Kuroki RA, Wong, PC. Breathless from testicular surgery. Clinical Conundrums poster presentation, Pediatric Hospital Medicine annual conference, July 2015
3. Shenoda S, Sweetland J, Nathawad R, Ganupuru M, Goldhagen J, Strategic communication to effect policy change. Workshop, Pediatric Academic Societies, 2016 (pending)
4. Artinian H, Ganupuru M, Huynh T, Ihyembe D, Jalian E, Kasi A, Storms A. Improving ability to identify medical team members during inpatient admission. QI poster presentation, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, June 2015
5. Ganupuru M, Trost M, Molas-Torresblanca K, Christman G, Rao S. Development of a Child Poverty Curriculum for Pediatric Residents. Work in Progress presentation, Academic Pediatric Association Region IX and X annual conference, January 2016

Testimonial

I loved my residency and was presented with strong and challenging inpatient work. Having said that, I felt that there were many things I needed to learn before I could truly be an effective hospitalist in academic medicine, which requires skill in didactic practices and scholarly work. This is the role hospital medicine fellowship has served for me, and I haven’t looked back once. At CHLA, I have had the opportunity to work with some of the best clinicians and most academically productive hospitalists in the country, and I’ve grown a great deal as a result. My interest is in health disparities and social determinants of heath, and I wanted to find its intersection with hospital medicine and medical education, which led me to design a curriculum on child poverty. I feel as though I’ve started something meaningful.

Class of 2015

Anna Gay, MD

2013 - 2015

Current Position

Attending Physician, Division of Hospital Medicine, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles      
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, USC Keck School of Medicine

Current Employment and Areas of Focus

• Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, Division of Hospital Medicine
• Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
• Interests: family and patient-centered care; children with medical complexity; trainee education

Fellowship Accomplishments

• Created and delivered the workshop “Innovative and Evidence-Based Strategies to Incorporate Teaching into Family-Centered Bedside Rounds” at the 2015 Pediatric Academic Societies and Pediatric Hospital Medicine national conferences
• PI for the “Whiteboard Study,” a qualitative study exploring parents’ experiences with communication during and after family-centered bedside rounds and the use of in-room whiteboards
• Co-investigator for a secondary database study utilizing the Pediatric Health Information Systems (PHIS) database to assess national practice variations in the management of acute pancreatitis and risk factors for length of stay and 30-day readmission rates for children hospitalized with acute pancreatitis
• Co-investigator for the “Capstone Curriculum,” an educational scholarship project to create a pediatrics-themed elective for graduating 4th year USC Keck School of Medicine students focused on the transition from medical school to internship
• Co-Investigator for a quality improvement project designing an educational intervention to improve pediatric fellows’ teaching skills during family-centered rounds
• Member of the Family-Centered Rounds Committee
• Participated in year-long seminar on medical leadership offered by the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Division of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

1. Gay AC, Wu S, Maniscalco J. “Whiteboards: Understanding what is Right to Write.” Poster presented at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Club Works-in-Progress session at the 2014 Pediatric Academic Societies annual conference. Vancouver, BC. 5/2014
2. Gay AC, Lallas M, Spencer J, Toor K. “Teaching in Family-Centered Bedside Rounds.” Poster presented at the annual CHLA Fellows’ Quality Improvement Core Curriculum Poster Session. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Los Angeles, CA. 6/2014
3. Gay AC, Cannon JM, Lamphier K, Russell CJ. Clinical conundrum: Ptosis, Acidosis, and Hemosiderosis. Poster presented at the 2014 Pediatric Hospital Medicine annual conference. Orlando, FL. 7/ 2014
4. Pai A, Gay AC, Russell CJ. “Care Variations in Pediatric Patients Hospitalized with Acute Pancreatitis.” Abstract presented at the 2015 Academic Pediatric Association Region IX and X annual conference. Monterey, CA. 1/2015.
5. Waloff K, Gay AC, Molas-Torreblanca K, Maniscalco J. “Filling the Gaps: Implementing a Capstone Course to Better Prepare Students for Pediatrics Residency.” Poster presented at the 2015 USC Innovations in Medical Education annual conference. Los Angeles, CA. 2/2015
6. Gay AC, Christman G, Corden M, Donthi R, Essig M, Molas-Torreblanca K, Mittal V, Maniscalco J. “Innovative and Evidence-Based Strategies to Incorporate Teaching into Family-Centered Bedside Rounds.” Workshop presented at the 2015 Pediatric Academic Societies annual conference. San Diego, CA. 4/2015
7. Gay AC. “13 Tips to Improve Your Medical Student Teaching.” CHLA Resident noon conference. Los Angeles, CA. 5/2015
8. Gay AC, Wu S, Iversen EJ. “A Qualitative Study Exploring Parental Attitudes toward Whiteboards to Augment Communication after Daily Rounds.” Poster presented at the Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles annual poster session. Los Angeles, CA. 6/2015
9. Gay AC, Christman G, Corden M, Donthi R, Essig M, Molas-Torreblanca K, Ottolini M, Maniscalco J. “Innovative and Evidence-Based Strategies to Incorporate Teaching into Family-Centered Bedside Rounds.” Workshop presented at the 2015 Pediatric Hospital Medicine annual conference. San Antonio, TX. 7/2015
10. Denniston S, Maniscalco J, Blankenburg R, Rassbach C, Davis E, Truckenbrod J, Gay AC, Lin J, Ward V. “Teaching and Supervising a PHM Fellow: The Transition from Learner to Instructor.” Workshop presented at the 2015 Pediatric Hospital Medicine annual conference. San Antonio, TX. 7/2015

Nancy Chen, MD

2013 - 2015

Current Position

Associate Medical Director in Pediatric Patient Safety and Quality at Tucson Medical Center.      
KidsLink Hospitalist, Phoenix Children's Hospital

Education

Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology      
Medical School: College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University      
Residency: University of California, San Francisco

Interests

• Quality improvement and patient safety
• Pain management
• Medical informatics and technology

Fellowship Accomplishments

1. PI for a project evaluating Patient and Prescriber Factors Associated with the Simultaneous Prescription of an Opioid and Bowel Regimen to Prevent Opioid-Induced Constipation
2. Co-investigator on fellow-run QI project focused on improving Fleet Enema prescribing practices in the inpatient setting
3. Other scholarly activities:
   1. Co-investigator in a project assessing the use of QR codes to dessimate information and network at academic conferences, specifically the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Conference in July 2014
   2. Participant in a multi-site study funded by the Patient Centered Outcomes Research (PCORI) looking at the use of prolonged intravenous versus oral antibiotic therapy (PIVVOT study)
   3. Member of divisional Quality Improvement Research Group, participant in a Withdrawal Prevention Protocol Quality Improvement project.
4. Member of Comfort and Pain Management Committee
5. PHM fellows website (phmfellows.org) editorial board

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

1. Chen N, Wu S: “When Intensive Care is Too Intense? Variations in Standard Practices Across Hospital Acuity Levels,” Bending the Value Curve, Hospital Pediatrics, in press, 2015
2. Chen, N:  Health IT Trends: Tech company model that promotes innovation comes to health care.  AAP News, 36 (6): 24 - June 2015
3. Christman G, Schrager S, Trost MJ, Chen N, Sestokas J, Fu P, Ottolini M: "Upgrade Your Teaching: Developing and Improving an Online Learning System,"  PAS 2015, and PHM Annual Conference, 2015
4. Chen N, Bender J, Bard JD, Trost M, Corden M. When Vancomycin and Ceftriaxone was Not Enough: A Case of Campylobacter rectus Empyema.  Clinical Conundrums Oral Presentation, PHM Annual Conference, 2014
5. Russell C, Fiore D, Chen N, Sun K. From Adjuvants to Acupuncture: Moving Beyond Acetaminophen and Morphine to Address Pediatric Pain. Workshop, PHM Annual Conference, 2014
6. Chen N, Nguyen E, Schrager SM, Russell CJ; “Factors Associated with the Simultaneous Prescription of an Opioid and Bowel Regimen to Prevent Opioid-Induced Constipation,” Scientific Abstract, PHM Annual Conference, 2015

Testimonial

I decided third year of residency, that I wanted a career as a pediatric hospitalist. I decided for personal reasons not to pursue fellowship immediately after fellowship.  A year later, I found that I was much more desirable candidate for academic positions but I personally still felt that I didn’t know where to begin to develop my academic niche, initiate projects, seek mentors and advance my academic career. An opportunity came up outside of the regular application cycle, and I jumped at the chance to do fellowship.  It was the best career decision I could have made. In 2 short years, I learned so much and grew tremendously both as a clinician and in my non-clinical work. Most importantly, I was able to develop a network of friends and mentors nationally. I developed a passion in patient safety and quality improvement and improving the system in which we practice to optimize the care we provide for our hospitalized patients.  I am grateful for all of the mentorship and support of this amazing group of hospitalists at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and excited to be a part of this growing field.

Class of 2013

Cyrus Heydarian, MD

Years of Training

2011-2013

Current Employment and Areas of Focus

• Employment: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Hospital Medicine, Children’s Hospital of the King's Daughters; Norfolk, VA
• Interests: Pediatric palliative care and pain management; trainee education; hospital throughput

Fellowship Accomplishments

• PI for the CHLA Pediatric Palliative Care Educational Initiative, a comprehensive curricular intervention using online modules and a live seminar from regional content experts to improve pediatric hospitalists’ knowledge and attitudes in pediatric palliative care, based upon principles of the Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) Core Competencies.
• Quality Improvement Project: Use of a pathway to improve the Time to Antibiotic-Administration for patients with fever and neutropenia in the Emergency Department.
• Developed the Croup Multidisciplinary Action Plan (MAP), an evidence based guideline, order set, and educational handout for the management of viral croup in the emergency department and inpatient wards at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
• Developed a comprehensive mentorship program for the PHM fellowship, in collaboration with other division members.
• Member of the Pain, Comfort and Palliative Care Committee and Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee.

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

1. Heydarian C, Maniscalco, J. Pediatric hospitalists in medical education: current roles and future directions. Curr Probl Pediatr Adolesc Health Care 2012; 42:120-126.
2. Heydarian C, Russell C, Schrager S, Derrington S. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Pediatric Palliative Care Educational Initiative. Poster presentation at 2013 Pediatric Academic Societies Annual Meeting, PHM Club.
3. Heydarian C, Lamphier K, Lee V. Fever of Furry Origin: A Case of Isolated Splenic Cat Scratch Disease. Poster presentation at Pediatric Hospital Medicine Annual Conference 2012, Clinical Conundrums.
4. Heydarian C, Ostrom K. A Rash Conclusion: A case of Acute Hemorrhagic Edema of Infancy. Poster presentation at Pediatric Hospital Medicine Annual Conference 2013, Clinical Conundrums.
5. Division of Hospital Medicine Presentations:
   1. Journal Club: Urinary Tract Infection: Clinical Practice Guideline for the Diagnosis and Management of the Initial UTI in Febrile Infants and Children 2 to 24 Months. Pediatrics 2011.
   2. Clinical Update Seminar: Controversies in the Management of Urinary Tract Infection and Vesicoureteral Reflux
6. Resident Education: a one hour educational conference on “End of Life Symptom Management”

Testimonial

Despite completing my pediatric and chief residency at a medium-sized tertiary care program, there were specific aspects of my hospital medicine training that I felt were inadequate -- particularly quality improvement, trainee education and research. In my pursuit to be a well-rounded academician, fellowship has provided me with an opportunity to fully explore all facets of hospital medicine and to use these positive experiences to carve out my own career niche. Specifically, I have been able to cultivate my interest in pediatric palliative care through my time spent with the palliative care team, and use these experiences to lead educational efforts for not only housestaff, but also my peers. Additionally, I have received exceptional mentorship in research, throughput, quality and curriculum development. I am very confident that my exceptional fellowship training has provided me with the essential skills to succeed as a leader in the field of pediatric hospital medicine. 

Class of 2012

Vivian Lee, MD

2010-2012

Current Employment and Areas of Focus

• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Hospital Medicine
• Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
• Interests: patient safety, teaching quality improvement to residents, discharge communication, research in comparative efficacy of medications and variation in practice

Fellowship Accomplishments

• Participated in the development and execution of a residency curriculum in Quality Improvement and Patient Safety.
• Prepared a case for discussion at the hospital-wide Morbidity and Mortality conference, including facilitation of a root cause analysis and identification of system changes for improvement.
• Participated in national collaborative effort via the Value in Inpatient Pediatrics (VIP) Network Transitions of Care Initiative to improve discharge communication between inpatient and outpatient providers. The first phase was a quality improvement effort to improve the rate of timely communication. The second phase was an IRB-approved study investigating providers’ view of content, timeliness and satisfaction of discharge communication, leading to two abstracts and plenary sessions presented at the Pediatric Hospital Medicine Annual Conference 2012.
• Developed the Functional Constipation Multidisciplinary Action Plan (MAP), an evidence-based guideline for management of constipation in the emergency department and inpatient wards at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
• Member of the Committee on Expedited Event Review and Corrective Actions (CEERCA).

Fellowship Publications and Presentations

1. Lee V, Maniscalco J. Acute Glomerulonephritis. In: AAP Pediatric Hospital Medicine Manual (1st Edition; Rauch and Gershel Eds.). Publication pending.
2. Lee V, Maniscalco J. Reading Abdominal X Rays and Head CTs. National Pediatric Nighttime Curriculum, 2011.
3. Lee V, Schrager S, Wu S. Nasal Decongestants and Its Use In Hospitalized Infants with Bronchiolitis: Variation in Practice and Association with Outcomes. Presented at The Saban Research Institute at Children's Hospital Los Angeles 17th Annual Poster Session, 2012, and accepted for poster session at AAP National Conference & Exhibition, 2012.
4. Lee V. Colorful eyes: Kawasaki Disease presenting as jaundice. Poster presentation at Society of Hospital Medicine Annual Meeting 2011 and Pediatric Hospital Medicine Annual Conference 2012, Clinical Conundrums.
5.  Heydarian C, Lamphier K, Lee V. Fever of Furry Origin. Poster presentation at Pediatric Hospital Medicine Annual Conference 2012, Clinical Conundrums.

Testimonial

I’ve known I wanted to be a pediatric hospitalist since my days in medical school, particularly inspired by the great clinical educators I’ve had throughout my training. After graduating from a high-volume and high-acuity pediatric residency, I felt well-trained to take care of patients, but decided to pursue a fellowship in hospital medicine to further my skills in teaching. Little did I realize how much more there was to learn in this exciting and growing field! The first year of the fellowship provided me exposure to such a diverse range of clinical, educational, administrative and research encounters; the second allowed me the time and mentorship to develop my specific interests and projects. I discovered in this process a passion for work in quality improvement and patient safety that I had never known, and in the meantime have been able to integrate teaching a quality curriculum for the residents, as well as participate in a national collaborative designed to improve communication between providers at the time of hospital discharge. I am incredibly honored to have been the first fellow for a wonderful group of hospitalists at Children's Hospital Los Angeles and grateful for the dedicated time to complement my clinical work with the pursuit and development of my academic and administrative interests.