Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Craniofacial Orthodontic Fellowship Receives Full Accreditation From The American Dental Association (ADA)
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Craniofacial Orthodontic Fellowship Receives Full Accreditation From The American Dental Association (ADA)
Program becomes only the second in the U.S. to be awarded full accreditation by the ADA’s Commission on Dental Accreditation (CODA).
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| Stephen Yen, DMD, PhD, takes a break during the Thursday afternoon clinic at the Craniofacial and Cleft Center at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. |
Media Contact: Lorenzo Benet
Office: (323) 361-4823
E-mail: lbenet@chla.usc.edu
Background:
LOS ANGELES (May16, 2012) – The Children's Hospital Los Angeles craniofacial orthodontic fellowship recently achieved a prestigious milestone when it became the second program in the U.S. to be awarded full accreditation from the Commission on Dental Accreditation of the American Dental Association.
“This is a result of the work and dedication of Dr. Stephen Yen, DMD, PhD, who has been providing highly specialized care for children with craniofacial anomalies here at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for more than 20 years in coordination with our world renowned Craniofacial and Cleft Center, now under the direction of Dr. Mark Urata, MD, DDS,” says Jose Polido, DDS, MS, division chief for Dentistry and Orthodontics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
"This is about helping children with facial birth defects," says Yen. “It is a core mission of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to treat these kids."
The accreditation award was preceded by a rigorous written review and on-site visits from the chairs of orthodontic programs from Columbia University and the University of Washington in Seattle. Only one other program in the country has achieved similar status – the craniofacial clinical center at New York University.
The road to accreditation began in 2009 when the ADA determined it needed to bolster its ranks of orthodontic specialists who are trained to treat children with facial birth defects. In 2010, the ADA began accepting applications for Accreditation of Clinical Fellowships in Craniofacial and Special Care Orthodontics. According to Yen, “Most postgraduate orthodontics programs in the country do not fully train orthodontic residents in the care of children with craniofacial anomalies. A fellowship in craniofacial orthodontics has been in place at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 2000, but we wanted to go through the peer review process for accreditation. Hopefully, this program can prepare the next generation of orthodontists who will be trained in craniofacial orthodontics and give the fellows the tools to build a craniofacial team in their own hospital."
The demand is enormous. Cleft lip and palate occurs in about one in 700 live births in the U.S. and the birth defect is especially common among children of Asian and Native American heritage, showing up in about one in 450 births in both cultures. "We don’t know its exact genetic cause as we can’t pin it down to one gene defect,” explains Dr. Yen. In addition to his stellar work at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, he also serves on the research faculty at the Center for Craniofacial Molecular Biology at the University of Southern California (USC), and as an associate professor at the Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.
Here at the craniofacial program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the craniofacial team typically treats children with common facial birth defects, including cleft lip and palate, cleft palate and hemifacial microsomia, which comprise about 70 percent of the patient load. But they also see children with some of the very rare craniofacial anomalies that most other providers only see in a textbook. Children come from as far away as the California’s Central Valley, Nevada, Arizona and Mexico to receive treatment. “One child rides 16 hours on a bus from Juarez, Mexico with his mother for orthodontic appointments,” says Yen.
In all, the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles craniofacial team follows more than 3,000 craniofacial patients, ranging in age from a few weeks after birth to 19, making it among the largest programs in the country. “I do not treat patients alone but as part of a team of dedicated clinicians that include nurses, plastic surgeons, otolaryngologists, geneticists, pediatricians, pulmonologists, speech pathologists, hearing specialists, child psychologists, pediatric dentists, prosthodontists and oral and maxillofacial surgeons,” Yen says. “They are a great group to work with.”
Each Thursday morning, the craniofacial team collaborates to treatment plan for about 20 patients. “It’s personally rewarding,” Yen says. “And the patients are very grateful.”
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
The hospital’s Craniofacial and Cleft Center is housed in the Division of Plastic and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit CHLA.org.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Eye Surgeon Accepts Prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Eye Surgeon Accepts Prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor
The National Ethical Coalition of Organizations (NECO) identifies individuals who have committed their life to make the world a better place.
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| Dr. Thomas Lee examins a baby's eyes in Yerevan, Armenia. |
CONTACT: Amanda Hedlund at 323-361-7691
Email: ahedlund@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES – May 7, 2012 – Thomas C. Lee, MD, eye surgeon with The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, joins an elite group of influential members recognized with the Ellis Island Medal of Honor presented by NECO.
On May 12, Dr. Lee will join about 100 fellow honorees selected from thousands of nominations at the Great Hall on Ellis Island in New York City. He shares a commonality with past recipients including several past U.S. presidents, Muhammad Ali, Deepak Chopra, Yogi Berra, Rudy Giuliani, Nasser Kazeminy, Hillary Clinton, and Janet Reno, to name a few.
“Los Angeles is one of the most diverse cities in America with a multitude of cultural backgrounds,” says Henri Ford, MD, vice president and chief of surgery at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We are honored to have a humbling physician like Thomas Lee at our hospital because he represents a legacy of excellence and exemplifies a strength that doctors hope to attain in their careers.”
The most vivid characteristic that Dr. Lee shares with his fellow recipients is one of compassion for those who deserve a better quality life. Through medicine, education and his delicate precision, Lee prevents blindness in children around the world. No matter what a child’s ethnicity, culture or economic background, he recognizes that everyone deserves the chance to see the world around them.
“I don’t see borders. I see children that have preventable eye diseases and I want to be sure we do the best to our ability to make sure they are given a chance at sight,” explains Lee, “We need to tear down barriers that are based on religious beliefs, wars and cultural disagreements to serve the same mission, and that is to create a better life for our children.”
Dr. Lee’s contributions extend beyond America’s borders. Through his mission and dedication to teach doctors in underprivileged populations, Dr. Lee has helped populations in Armenia, China, Mexico and Mongolia, among other countries.
Dr. Lee spearheaded a telemedicine and distant learning portal to significantly reduce blindness in babies through patient screening and physician education with the Armenian Eye Care Project (AECP). As Armenian doctors diagnose and treat their patients, Dr. Lee is able to monitor exams and surgeries using advanced medical equipment from more than 7,000 miles away.
Dr. Lee has made significant advances in the understanding of pediatric retinal disorders and has pioneered the use of cutting edge imaging techniques such as Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) to identify eye diseases at the earliest possible stage. He was also the first to use an intraocular endoscope to perform complex surgery in pediatric retinal detachments resulting from retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), familial exudative vitreo-retinopathy, x-linked retinoschisis and trauma.
He has identified novel drugs that can induce blood vessel and tumor regression and is currently designing new ways to enhance delivery into the eye. His work has been supported by a number of grants from research foundations and has numerous peer-reviewed publications in recognition of these accomplishments.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. Children’s Hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Adam Levine Wins Golf Channel’s The Haney Project, Donates $40,000 Prize to Teen Impact Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Adam Levine Wins Golf Channel’s The Haney Project, Donates $40,000 Prize to Teen Impact Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Maroon 5 Front Man Turns Golf Lessons into Good for Teens with Cancer
MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Hutchison at (323) 361-4121
LOS ANGELES (April 24, 2012) – Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine is well-known for his GRAMMY Award-winning music, and now his golf swing. Last night, the singer-songwriter, guitarist and lead singer and coach on NBC’s The Voice was announced as the winner of the Golf Channel’s hit original series, The Haney Project.
After eight episodes following his progress under the tutelage of Hank Haney—one of the world’s most-renowned golf instructors—Levine took home the ultimate bragging rights and the $40,000 prize. Levine donated the funds to the Teen Impact Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which provides psychosocial support services for pre-teens, teens and young adults battling or surviving cancer and blood diseases.
Levine joined boxer Sugar Ray Leonard, celebrity chef Mario Batali and actress/model Angie Everhart on the fourth season of The Haney Project, which follows four celebrities willing to expose their golf skills to a national television audience for the chance to improve their game under the guidance of Haney, all while competing for a cash prize for the charity of their choice. The season culminated in a showdown in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where each participant received $20,000 and the chance to earn the additional $20,000 if selected as “most improved” by Haney.
While Levine admits at the beginning of the show that he’s “no good at this yet,” he went on to earn top prize and benefit an important cause.
“Winning The Haney Project is incredible—I really wanted that win,” says Levine. “But it’s nothing compared to what it means to be able to do this for Teen Impact. It’s an important program that helps kids and families deal with the psychological effects of cancer. Medicine can treat them physically, but Teen Impact helps them heal emotionally. It’s humbling to know these funds will help make a difference in someone’s life.”
Founded in 1988 at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles by Aura Kuperberg, Ph.D., Teen Impact is a support group for teens and young adults who are currently battling or have survived cancer or blood diseases. The program provides peer-based interventions within a safe and therapeutic setting. The program also features year-round special events, adventure therapy trips, weekend retreats and the most comprehensive psychosocial service for young people coping with a life-threating illness during their critical adolescent years—available at no cost to patients and their families. Teen Impact reaches more than 1,200 pre-teens, adolescents and young adults and their families every year.
Levine and Maroon 5 have been longtime supporters of Teen Impact. Since 2006, Maroon 5 has raised more than $300,000 for the program through “Make an Impact" events, which includes two concerts that also provided a special opportunity for young people with cancer and blood diseases to meet and play music with the band. They have also made donations of guitars for music lessons, provided one on one and group music lessons for patients, played acoustic sets during Teen Impact group meetings and visited hospitalized patients.
“Adam, all of the Maroon 5 members, and their team at Career Artist Management have been so incredible in their support for the program,” says Kuperberg. “Teen Impact is grant funded and therefore relies on donations and generosity of others to continue our services for patients. Maroon 5’s continued support has enabled us to offer so many critical services to teens and families in need. They have undoubtedly impacted hundreds, if not thousands, of lives.”
To view images and highlights from The Haney Project Season 4, visit http://www.golfchannel.com/tv/the-haney-project.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreChildrens.org.
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Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Group’s Post-Grammy Benefit Concert at House of Blues Raises More than $150,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Group’s Post-Grammy Benefit Concert at House of Blues Raises More than $150,000 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Performances by Rihanna, Calvin Harris and deadmau5 helped Raise Funds to Support Expressive Arts Therapies and Improved Access to Care for Patients
Media Contact: Lyndsay Hutchison at 323-361-4121
Email: lhutchison@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (April 2, 2012) – Roc Nation and Three Six Zero Group’s post-Grammy concert on February 10 at House of Blues on Sunset was one the biggest after parties of the night, not only in talent, but in heart. Proceeds from the night—which starred performances by Rihanna, Calvin Harris, Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia, and a headline turn from deadmau5—totaled $152,321.04 for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Each artist donated their time and performance, helping draw a sold-out crowd. The total also included a $40,000 individual donation from Network Capitol.
Funds raised will benefit two programs at the hospital: the Mark Taper-Johnny Mercer Artists Program, which helps children heal through the use of creative arts such as dance, music, art and crafts; and the Children’s Orthopaedic Center, which changes the lives of children dealing with disfiguring disorders, birth defects and injuries.
“We are so grateful for the incredibly generous support of Roc Nation, Three Six Zero Group, House of Blues and all the talent who donated their time to make the night such a huge success,” said Alexandra Field, Taper-Mercer Artists Program Lead at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “The Taper–Mercer Artists Program is a grant-funded program, so we rely on donations and community support to continue our services. The proceeds will be used for a much-needed program expansion so that we may reach more patients and families.”
“We are deeply honored to have the support of such powerful industry organizations and talent,” said David Skaggs, MD, Director of the Children’s Orthopaedic Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “The funds raised by this phenomenal event will have a direct impact on the lives of children’s for years to come.”
Research shows that music therapy can provide therapeutic and rehabilitative benefits such as stress relief, pain management, speech and language improvement, among others. The Taper-Mercer Artists Program is an innovative model that brings together local artists and performers with registered and certified Expressive Arts Therapists to offer critically and chronically ill patients something beyond diversionary arts and crafts projects. Expressive Arts Therapists at Children’s Hospital use dance, movement, music and art to assist patients and families in building coping skills, exploring the thoughts and feelings related to hospitalization and illness and utilizing the arts for exploration and self-expression. The Taper-Mercer Artists Program has reached thousands of children through various forms of Expressive Arts therapy over the past 20 years, and is able to continue through ongoing support from the S. Mark Taper Foundation and The Johnny Mercer Foundation and other donor support.
The Children’s Orthopaedic Center (COC) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The COC specializes in bone & soft tissue tumors, hip disorders, neuromuscular disorders, scoliosis and other spinal deformities and spina bifida. Ranked sixth in the nation for orthopaedic care on the U.S. News & World Report 2011 “Best Children's Hospitals” list, the Children’s Orthopaedic Center is one of the nation’s most comprehensive orthopaedic programs, and the only in Los Angeles County devoted to children. The COC is also a pioneer in the care and research for children with spinal disorders, and is conducting research that is changing the way pediatric orthopaedics is practiced around the world.
For more information about the Mark Taper Johnny Mercer Artists Program and the Children’s Orthopaedic Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, visit www.CHLA.org. To make a donation, visit www.CHLA.org/HOUSEOFBLUES.
For more information on Roc Nation, please visit www.rocnation.com. For more information on Three Six Zero Group, please visit www.threesixzerogroup.com.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Hand Sanitizer Can Pose a Danger to Children
Hand Sanitizer Can Pose a Danger to Children
Teens treated at L.A. County hospitals for alcohol poisoning after ingesting hand sanitizer.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles experts urge parents to take precautions
Contact: Lorenzo Benet at 323-361-4823
Email: lbenet@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (April 24, 2012) – California Poison Control has reported 16 cases of teens requiring medical attention in Los Angeles County for alcohol poisoning resulting from ingesting hand sanitizer since March 2012.
So far, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles hasn’t treated any cases.
The liquid sanitizer, which contains 62 percent Ethanol, makes it a powerful 120 proof liquid. Highly concentrated alcohol can be distilled from even a small two ounce bottle of the sanitizer, through a process kids can find in cyberspace, says Cyrus Rangan, MD, a medical toxicology consultant for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
“It’s like drinking shots of hard liquor,” he says.
How can parents keep their children safe? Monitor the hand sanitizer like you would hard liquor or any medication, say experts from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Rangan says the pattern of abuse of hand sanitizer is similar to what he has seen over the years with products like Listerine and Robitussin. He advises that parents keep hand sanitizer out of sight and out of reach when not in use. “Teens may ingest hand sanitizer recreationally, and one or two swallows could get a child visibly drunk. The larger the bottle, the greater the potential for poisoning. Methods to distill it can be found through friends and the internet, but straight ingestion of the product without distillation is also common,” he says, adding that the containers especially pose risks to younger children because the bottles are not outfitted with child-resistant caps.
“A young child can get into hand sanitizer rather easily, and come into a hospital with alcohol intoxication,” he says.
Helen Arbogast, MPH, CHES, CPST, injury prevention coordinator-Trauma Program, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, urges that parents restrict access to these products. If they do buy the product, she recommends parents avoid the Ethanol-based liquid product (“Ethanol” would be the first item listed on the ingredients disclosure) and use a foam hand sanitizer.
“Any hand sanitizer will be a risk for alcohol poisoning, as the foam type is still 62% ethyl alcohol,” says Arbogast. “If someone is purposefully ingesting it, they will not drink the ‘foam’ type, they would likely open the top and drink. We encourage parents of small children to use the foam since it has a smaller concentration of alcohol for accidental consumption prevention.”
See the Los Angeles Times article.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
For additional information about child safety and injury prevention, visit Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Safety Tips and Injury Prevention.
LA Laker Pau Gasol Introduces New Technology Donated by Grifols to Pharmacy at Children's Hospital Los Angeles
LA Laker Pau Gasol Introduces New Technology Donated by Grifols to Pharmacy at Children's Hospital Los Angeles
New equipment designed to enhance safety and efficiency by automating quality control oversight during compounding of medications
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| LA Laker Power Forward Pau Gasol |
Contact:
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Marlen Bugarin
Email: MBugarin@chla.usc.edu
Grifols USA
Becky Levine
Email: Becky.Levine@grifols.com
LOS ANGELES (March 28, 2012) – Los Angeles Lakers’ power forward Pau Gasol has partnered with Grifols, a Barcelona-based global health care company with U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles, to bring new technology to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles’ pediatric pharmacy.
A charitable donation from Grifols, the Phocus Rx system is designed to enhance the safety of compounding medicines while also improving efficiency and workflow in the sterile compounding pharmacy at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The equipment visualizes and records pharmacy compounding procedures so that pharmacists can remotely validate the pharmacy technician’s activity and ensure its accuracy.
Gasol facilitated the donation through his personal connections with both Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Grifols, a company based in his native city of Barcelona. As a former pre-med student with a strong interest in medicine, Gasol is a frequent visitor and champion for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, where he observed spinal surgery in 2010.
“Just as teamwork is critical in sports, I think it is essential to form partnerships between businesses, nonprofits and government agencies,” said Gasol. “Pairing Grifols with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles seemed like a natural fit, and I was happy to bridge the connection.”
As a pediatric hospital that treats many children who have rare and serious illnesses, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles tailors its treatments to the unique medical needs of each patient, said Carol Taketomo, director of Pharmacy at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “In order to make sure that the right medication gets to the right patient at the correct dose, we have a required process of checks and double checks. The Grifols Phocus Rx system adds an additional measure of safety. We are excited to have new technology that enhances our workflow efficiency and serves as an important quality- control check in our pharmacy validation process.”
In addition to Phocus Rx, Grifols will donate an inventory management system to the hospitals’ pharmacy infusion center that will automate the cataloguing and inventory control of medicines and compounds, thereby enhancing efficiency and speeding the delivery of prescriptions to pediatric patients.
About Grifols
Grifols, S.A. is a global healthcare company that specializes in the pharmaceutical and hospital sectors. Headquartered in Barcelona, Spain, Grifols has a presence in more than 100 countries and is the third largest global producer of therapies derived from human plasma. A vertically integrated company, Grifols is the world leader in plasma collection, with 147 plasma donation centers across the United States. Grifols owns and operates three state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in California (Los Angeles), North Carolina and Spain, allowing the company to respond to the growing market demand for plasma-derived therapies.
Since 2006, the ordinary shares of Grifols (class A) have been quoted on the Mercado Continuo Español and since 2008 they have been on the Ibex-35 (GRF). Starting in June 2011, the non-voting shares of Grifols (class B) were also quoted on the Mercado Continuo (GRF.P) and on the U.S. NASDAQ (GRFS) through ADRs (American Depository Receipts).
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Muscular Dystrophy Association and Children's Hospital Los Angeles Team Up to Provide Advanced Care for Children Living with Neuromuscular Diseases
Muscular Dystrophy Association and Children's Hospital Los Angeles Team Up to Provide Advanced Care for Children Living with Neuromuscular Diseases
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| (left to right): Leigh Ramos-Platt, MD, MDA-CHLA Clinic Director, Brent Polk, Children's Hospital Physician in Chief, Los Angeles City Councilman, Paul Koretz and Emma Karavardanyan, MDA Health Care Services Coordinator symbolically cut the ribbon to open the MDA Clinic at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. |
MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Hutchison at 323-361-4121
Email: lhutchison@chla.usc.edu
(LOS ANGELES) Mar. 13, 2012 ─ The Muscular Dystrophy Association and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles announced today a new clinical partnership for a multidisciplinary pediatric clinic that will provide care to Southern California children living with neuromuscular diseases.
Board certified physicians specializing in neurology, cardiology and pulmonology will collaborate in one clinical location to provide highly-specialized medical care to children who are affected by muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease and other muscular diseases.
“Through this partnership with MDA, we’re able to provide neuromuscular patients with a convenient, centralized location where they can see multiple specialists in one visit,” said Leigh Maria Ramos-Platt, M.D., director of the MDA Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Clinic.
“With a multidisciplinary approach, our specialists are better equipped to create a comprehensive treatment plan to deliver the highest quality care possible.”
The MDA Clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will provide diagnostic procedures to determine if a child has a neuromuscular disease. Some of the procedures involve: testing muscle strength and appearance, testing the amount of muscle proteins present in the blood and genetic testing for families to determine if any other family members may be at risk.
Part of the clinic’s specialized care includes physical and respiratory therapy and in some cases speech therapy when mouth and throat muscles become weakened. Families receiving care at the clinic will also be supported by healthcare social workers who will help guide them through the challenges they face daily and provide support groups where they can meet and share experiences with others.
Neuromuscular disease experts provide medical care at 200 MDA clinics nationwide adhering to strict standard of care guidelines for treating children and adults with muscle diseases. The MDA Clinic at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will be affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and provide on-site training for medical students and residents.
“MDA is pleased to welcome Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to our nationwide network of clinics,” said MDA Interim President and Medical Director Valerie Cwik, M.D. “Working together, their pediatric specialists will provide Southern California families with state of the art care for complex neuromuscular diseases; and they will also benefit from collaborating with neuromuscular disease experts throughout our national clinical network.”
In addition to maintaining a network of 200 medical clinics nationwide, MDA funds some 300 research teams worldwide; facilitates hundreds of support groups for families affected by neuromuscular diseases; and provides local summer camp opportunities for thousands of youngsters fighting progressive muscle diseases.
The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles MDA clinic is open on the second Friday of every month from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, please call 323-361-2471 or visit CHLA.org/MDAClinic.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
About MDA
MDA is the nonprofit health agency dedicated to curing muscular dystrophy, ALS and related diseases by funding worldwide research. The Association also provides comprehensive health care and support services, advocacy and education. For more information, visit www.mda.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Partners with Families, Community to Launch Ambassador Program
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Partners with Families, Community to Launch Ambassador Program
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Celebrity Ambassador Matt Lillard poses with several Junior Ambassadors at the March 1 Ambassador Program launch event at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
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Unique Philanthropy Program Empowers Individuals, Families and Children Who Want to Make a Difference in their Community and Build a Legacy of Giving
MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Hutchison at 323-361-4121
Email: lhutchison@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (March 5, 2012) – For two Southern California families who wanted to give thanks for the life-saving medical care their sons received, it’s a labor of love. Though their hospital experiences and hometowns were six years and 80 miles apart, the Page’s from San Clemente, Calif., and the Hoffman’s of Pasadena, Calif., came together to champion a formal program designed to empower and mobilize the community in support of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
Launched on March 1, the Ambassador Program is a community of 1,200 members that generate awareness and give annual financial support for the very heart and soul of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The program is a function of the hospital’s Foundation and is supported by four volunteer sub-committees comprised of other grateful patient families from across Southern California, staff and other supporters who believe in the hospital’s mission. The Program has also engaged Celebrity Ambassadors, including actor Matthew Lillard (“The Descendants”), whose wife and three children will join him in the program to raise funds and awareness together.
“My gratitude for the extraordinary care my son received—and that of many others—now has a home in the Ambassador Program,” said Christina Hoffman, Ambassador Program Co-Chair and mother to Johnny, 7, who suffered acute cerebellar ataxia two years ago and had to relearn to walk, talk and even swallow. “We want to connect our Ambassadors to the hospital in a way that is meaningful to them. An Ambassador can be an active participant, a financial supporter or anything in between—it’s really flexible for what’s right for you. We honor all giving.”
“We are a family that owes everything to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles—they are our family and we wouldn’t be who we are without them,” said Ambassador Program Co-Chair Jennifer Page, whose son Max, now 7, was born with a congenital heart defect and required open heart surgery and pacemaker at just 3 months old. “I hear people say they can’t do much, but it’s important to remember that every dollar counts, ever hour counts, every book counts, every smile counts. What we can do as a group is tremendous.”
Members’ efforts will help support critical hospital programs, fund research and education, and improve the lives of countless families and children in Southern California. Ranked eighth in the nation among children’s hospitals in the nation and first on the West Coast by US News & World Report, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles provides the highest quality pediatric healthcare to more than 97,000 children every year.
The Ambassador Program provides members the resources and tools to go out into their communities to fundraise and generate awareness. Those assets include personalized giving pages on the hospital website; unique volunteer opportunities; trainings; outreach and marketing programs; educational, social and recruitment events; monthly hospital tours; speaker series; leadership positions; conferences and more.
The Program also includes a Junior Ambassadors Program for kids in the community who would like to get involved, like 14-year-old Henry Johnson, a High School quarterback who will ask family and friends for sponsorships and hopes to let his teammates know that he’s giving back to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, or 12-year-old Chloe Kudler and her sister Shayna, 16, of Westlake Village, who raised more than $3,200 last year by selling hand-made bracelets for Chloe’s Bat Mitzvah.
“As a parent, one of the most important virtues that I can instill in my children is gratitude,” said Hoffman. “Our children can share in the joy and the benefit of charitable giving through the Junior Ambassador Program. Kids helping kids—the ways may be small, but the impact is tremendous. We hope to set the gold standard for the concept of giving for generations to come.”
Hoffman’s son, Johnny, and Page’s son, Max, are already active members in the Junior Ambassador Program. Both participated in the hospital’s 2011 5k “Walk for Kids” event and raised a combined $51,000 to help open the new state-of-the-art Marion and John E. Anderson Pavilion so that other children may continue to receive the highest quality pediatric health care available on the West Coast. Max also used his notoriety as the pint-sized Darth Vadar in the popular “The Force” Volkswagen commercial to lobby on Capitol Hill against Medicaid cuts, which heavily impact children’s hospitals.
“Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is a non-profit hospital that relies heavily on the support of the very community it serves to continue its mission,” said Karen Wirick, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Foundation. “We cannot express our gratitude enough to the program chairs, committee chairs, our junior and celebrity ambassadors and other families who have made this program come to life.”
Individuals who annually give and/or fundraise $1,000 to $24,999 in support of Children's Hospital Los Angeles are eligible for Ambassador Program membership. Ambassadors who give $10,000 and above receive an additional membership in Children's Circle of Care, a roster of leading philanthropists from throughout North America that support the nation's top Children's Hospitals. They will also have access to the hospital’s annual Scientific Symposium, which highlights the discoveries and innovation of Children’s Hospital doctors and researchers.
To learn more about the Ambassador Program, contact Karen Wirick (kwirick@chla.usc.edu or 323-361-1711) or visit www.CHLA.org/AMBASSADORS.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreChildrens.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Opens Optical in San Gabriel Valley Specializing in Eyewear for Babies to Young Adults
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Opens Optical in San Gabriel Valley Specializing in Eyewear for Babies to Young Adults
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John Mellinger, ABOC fits young girl with glasses.
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LOS ANGELES – February 28, 2012 – The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has opened its first shop for children’s eyewear in the San Gabriel Valley.
Conveniently located in Monrovia close to the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Outpatient Center in nearby Arcadia, Children’s Optical offers one-stop shopping for patients needing prescription eye glasses, contact lenses, frame repairs, accessories and protective eyewear.
“Because a child’s visual system is still developing, it is important that their glasses be made and fitted correctly by a trained pediatric optician to insure that they can see properly,” said Mark Borchert, MD, director of the Eye Birth Defects Institute in The Vision Center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “Shops specifically for children’s glasses are scarce throughout Southern California. Since we understand the challenges our patient families face of having to travel long distances to receive proper eye care, we hope this new optical in the San Gabriel Valley will provide families with convenience as well as expertise.”
Children’s Opticalprovides customized lenses for children to ensure proper prescriptions and comfort. When very young children are prescribed glasses to correct a developmental condition such as strabismus, doctors say it is crucial that the lenses be properly aligned.
“More children are being prescribed bifocal lenses to treat esotropia or crossed eyes,” said Dr. Borchert “Prescribing and fitting bifocal lenses for children is different than for adults; the glasses need to fit precisely and be designed to stay in place so the child can get the full therapeutic value of the lens. An improper prescription or poor fit of a pair of eyeglasses can impair a child’s visual development and lead to permanent visual loss.”
With dozens of frames to choose from, Children’s Optical offers kid-friendly frames that require proper fit to facial characteristics, nasal bridge and temple length to provide the best comfort. Children have smaller noses, which can lead to the glasses slipping down if they aren’t properly fitted. This is less of a problem if the frames are durable plastic, not wire, and made to fit the width of the face. The arms of the frame should be short or wrap around the back of the ear or use straps to secure the glasses. Because children are more active than adults, frames with durability and polycarbonate lenses are recommended for protection against glass shatters and UVA/UVB rays.
Children’s Optical is located at 509 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016.
Store hours are from 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday.
Eye screenings are available at three Vision Center locations: Children’s Hospital Los Angeles main campus, Arcadia and Orange County. For more information, visit CHLA.org/VISION.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Receives $1 Million Donation From Walmart
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Receives $1 Million Donation From Walmart
Southern California customers and store associates raise funds over one-year period. Donation to support the highest quality healthcare for children across the region.
Media Contact: Lyndsay Hutchison at 323-361-4121
Email: lhutchison@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (February 22, 2012) – On behalf of its customers and associates, Walmart today presented Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with a check for more than $1 million representing customer, associate and corporate contributions collected over the last year to support the hospital’s mission of providing the highest quality health care for children in the region. The donation is part of Walmart’s ongoing partnership with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to support its more than 170 member hospitals that treat 17 million children annually.
This is the first time in Walmart’s 25-year support of the hospital that a single-year contribution has surpassed the $1 million mark, raising approximately $1,057,000. Walmart stores in Southern California have raised a total of $9.6 million for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the past 20 years. Nationally, Walmart and Sam’s Club associates, customers and members have contributed more than $500 million to support the patients of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals since 1987.
“This gift is special because it comes directly from Walmart shoppers and associates,” said Kim Sentovich, Senior Vice President for Walmart's Pacific Division. “At Walmart, we have the opportunity to positively impact the lives of millions of people every day, and that’s particularly true when it comes to helping our neighbors and the communities we call home. The work being done at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is saving and changing lives every day in this region. I’m so proud of the ongoing support the Walmart family of customers and associates have been able to provide to this amazing hospital.”
Walmart locations in 80 communities across Southern California participated in the fundraising drive. The gift will help the hospital continue to provide the highest quality patient care for the more than 97,000 children with pediatric health care in a setting designed just for their needs.
“We are so grateful for the generosity of the Walmart family and its customers, who came together to raise critical funding that will make a huge impact on the lives children and families in need,” said Claudia Looney, Senior Vice President, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Foundation. “Walmart has been a tremendous and steadfast partner over the past two decades, and this latest campaign underscores their dedication to supporting the hospital and the community it serves.”
Founded in 1901, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is the first and largest hospital dedicated specifically to treating children in Los Angeles. Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
About Walmart
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) serves customers and members more than 200 million times per week at more than 10,000 retail units under 69 different banners in 27 countries. With fiscal year 2011 sales of $419 billion, Walmart employs 2.2 million associates worldwide. Walmart continues to be a leader in sustainability, corporate philanthropy and employment opportunity. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting http://walmartstores.com and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/walmart. Online merchandise sales are available at http://www.walmart.com and http://www.samsclub.com.
Ara Balkian, MD, MBA, Named Chief Medical Director of Inpatient Operations and Associate Chair of Inpatient Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Ara Balkian, MD, MBA, Named Chief Medical Director of Inpatient Operations and Associate Chair of Inpatient Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Hutchison at 323-361-4121
Email: lhutchison@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (January 31, 2012) - Ara Balkian, MD, MBA, has been named chief medical director of Inpatient Operations and associate chair of Inpatient Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
As chief medical director, Balkian will be responsible for the medical leadership of Inpatient Access and Throughput (efficient patient flow), and will collaborate with other physician leaders and medical staff on the hospital’s Utilization Management efforts. Through his involvement in strategic planning and business development, he will work closely within the leadership team to support the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles mission—to create hope and build healthier futures.
In his role as associate chair of Inpatient Pediatrics, Balkian will represent physicians within the Department of Pediatrics on all Children’s Hospital inpatient matters, collaborating with other hospital leaders to disseminate and operationalize related policies and procedures.
“We are very pleased to have Ara take on this new role,” says Rod Hanners, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. “I have no doubt he will help the hospital continue to grow by helping us improve our inpatient access processes for our families and referring providers and representing the faculty on inpatient issues. He will serve a very important role here at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.”
Among many other duties, Balkian will help with the creation and medical staff adoption of policies, processes, technology and infrastructure for the safe and efficient admission, discharge and transfer of patients within the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles health system. He will also contribute, with other medical leaders, on inpatient Utilization Management functions to help identify and resolve utilization issues and will also aid in the strategic and operational planning for the hospital and health system.
“We will benefit greatly from the expertise Ara brings in the areas of hospital medicine and inpatient care of acute and chronically ill children with complex medical issues,” says D. Brent Polk, MD, chair of the Department of Pediatrics and vice president of Academic Affairs at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “It’s an exciting time at the hospital, and his knowledge will certainly help Children’s Hospital to continue to grow.”
Board-Certified in Pediatrics, Balkian also serves as an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and is currently the associate head of the Division of Hospital Medicine.
Balkian was raised in Los Angeles and received his bachelor’s degree from Whitworth University in Spokane, Wash., (1995) and his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia (1999). He completed his master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California (2010).
Balkian completed his internship (1999-2000) and residency (2000-2002) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and was then selected to serve as chief resident in Pediatrics at the hospital (2002-2003). Following his training, he became the first hospitalist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in 2003. The Division of Hospital Medicine now has more than 30 hospitalists providing care at multiple hospitals and also includes a fellowship training program.
Balkian has received the Phillip Rothman Memorial Award for Excellence in Teaching at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and in his new role, he’ll continue to care for hospitalized children and will be actively involved in the teaching of residents and medical students.
His research interests are in the development and evaluation of processes to improve the quality of care and efficiency of health care delivery for hospitalized children and he is also involved in clinical research of inpatient pediatric conditions.
About Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Appoints Mitchell Geffner, MD, as Division Chief at the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Appoints Mitchell Geffner, MD, as Division Chief at the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Former Interim Chief Leads Center that is Ranked Fifth in Nation for Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Care by U.S. News & World Report
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| Mitchell E. Geffner, MD, has been appointed division chief and director of fellowship training for the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. |
Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: BGreene@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (February 6, 2012) – Mitchell E. Geffner, MD, has been appointed division chief and director of fellowship training for the Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The Center is among the nation’s best and is ranked fifth nationally for pediatric endocrinology and diabetes care by U.S. News & World Report.
“Dr. Geffner has made innumerable contributions to our hospital during the past decade as a member of the endocrinology team and has done an outstanding job in his role as the interim division chief of the Center,” said Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “I am extremely pleased that Dr. Geffner has accepted this full-time appointment as division chief.”
The Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Metabolism provides clinical care and also conducts research on childhood diabetes, growth, weight management, general endocrinology and bone metabolism. The center cares for more than 4,000 children with endocrine disorders annually. Nearly 2,000 patients are treated each year for type-1 and type-2 diabetes. The center continues to pioneer new tools, treatments and lifestyle-changing clinical programs. Geffner, who specializes in endocrinology and metabolism, previously served as interim division chief of the center and has been a member of the medical staff at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 2002.
“Our team of professionals in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism is working on multiple fronts to advance early intervention, education and scientific investigation to continue to give the children we care for a better quality of life,” said D. Brent Polk, MD, professor and chair of the Department of Pediatrics and director of the Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “We are honored to have Dr. Geffner overseeing all of these great efforts by this wonderful team.”
Geffner’s responsibilities also include serving as a professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, which has been affiliated with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles since 1932 and is also one of the nation’s premier teaching hospitals.
"We are fortunate that Dr. Geffner is taking on this dynamic leadership role with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in conjunction with his role at the university,” said Carmen A. Puliafito, MD, MBA, dean of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and a member of the Board of Trustees at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “His dedication to medicine, research and education will have a tremendous impact on patients, residents and clinicians for years to come.”
Geffner’s educational background includes graduating from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (1975); completing his residency at the LAC-USC Medical Center (1975-1979); and fulfilling his fellowship in Pediatric Endocrinology at the University of California Los Angeles (1979-1982). He remained at UCLA through 2001, rising up the academic ladder to the rank of professor in 1996. Geffner has been recognized with numerous awards during his career, including being selected in 2011 as one of the nation’s Top Doctors by U.S. News and World Report for being among the top 1 percent of all pediatric endocrinologists in the country.
Geffner’s clinical interests include disorders of growth and puberty, adrenal hyperplasia and he is involved in studies of new formulations, delivery systems and indications for growth-promoting therapies. His longstanding basic science research interest is in the general area of hormone resistance. Geffner is the principal investigator at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for the Treatment Options for type 2 diabetes in Adolescents and Youth (TODAY) trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. He is also national endocrinology consultant to the NIH-sponsored Pediatric HIV/AIDS Cohort Study (PHACS) of adolescents with HIV infection and uninfected children exposed to anti-retroviral therapy in utero.
Geffner has had a career-long interest in medical and patient education. He recently finished a three-year term as an elected member of the board of directors of the Pediatric Endocrine Society (PES); is chair of the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-Board on Pediatric Endocrinology; serves as medical advisor on childhood panhypo-pituitarism for the MAGIC Foundation and the Pituitary Network Association; and participates as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the CARES Foundation.
Geffner is the author of more than 110 research articles. He serves as pediatric endocrinology editor for UpToDate; as associate editor of the journal Pediatric Endocrinology Reviews; and as co-editor of the new textbook “Pediatric Practice: Endocrinology” recently published and distributed by McGraw-Hill.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Latino Business Chamber of Greater LA Honors Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as Nonprofit Business of the Year
Latino Business Chamber of Greater LA Honors Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as Nonprofit Business of the Year
Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: BGreene@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (February 2, 2011) — The Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles (LBC-GLA) selected Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as the Nonprofit Business of the Year during its Third Annual Awards luncheon held this week in downtown Los Angeles. The chamber presented Business of Year Awards to six outstanding businesses and one non-profit organization during the event.
"This year winning companies represented the best and brightest of today's entrepreneurs—and they hold the key to spurring economic revival, job generation and sustained growth," said Jorge Corralejo, chairman and CEO of the Latino Business Chamber of Greater Los Angeles.
The prestigious awards recognize the dedication, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit displayed by the Greater Los Angeles’ Latino business community. The key criteria upon which the nominees were judged included business and income growth, innovation, community involvement and excellence in industry.
The award to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles caps a tremendous year of expansion for the 110-year-old hospital. In July 2011, a new era in pediatric and adolescent healthcare began when Children’s Hospital opened its new 317-bed, $636 million state-of-the-art hospital building. The 460,000-square-foot building, known as the Marion and John E. Anderson Pavilion, is able to offer broader services to patients and families and is one of the nation’s premier medical facilities for children.
“We’re grateful for this recognition by the Latino business community which acknowledges the hard work of all of our doctors, nurses and employees every day of the year,” said Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “As a community we believe we have designed and constructed the perfect building to care for patients and their families for generations to come. The Anderson Pavilion is truly a work of art and certainly a precious jewel for the City of Los Angeles.”
The 2012 LBC-GLA Award Winners are:
Nonprofit of the Year
- Richard D. Cordova, President and CEO
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Large Private Company
- Miguel Gonzalez, Chairman and CEO
Northgate Super Market
Large Public Company
- Maria Contreras-Sweet, Founder and Chairwoman of the Board
ProAmerica Bank
Medium Company
- Julius Argumedo, President
Computer 1 Products
Small Private Company
- Thelma Garcia, President
Taco Nazo
Legacy Award
- Carlos Guerra and Richard Gutierrez, Founders
Guerra Gutierrez Mortuary, Since 1945
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
The Saban Research Institute Awarded $2.5 Million Grant for Ongoing Stem Cell Studies
The Saban Research Institute Awarded $2.5 Million Grant for Ongoing Stem Cell Studies
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Dr. Warburton (center) directs the promising Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program
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California Institute of Regenerative Medicine supports the promise of stem cell-based therapies for pediatric disorder
MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
Los Angeles (January 6, 2012) - A three-year extension of a major training grant from the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) was recently awarded to the Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The $2.5 million dollar grant will fund an ongoing stem cell training program for post-doctoral scientists and medical fellows.
“Developmental biology and regenerative medicine is one of our main scientific priorities. Stem cell-based therapies show tremendous promise for treating pediatric conditions, that may also lead to cures for later in life diseases,” said Brent Polk, MD, director of The Saban Research Institute.
Over the last six years, the CIRM grant has already funded the training and career development of several young investigators and they, in turn, have made significant medical discoveries.
Among the findings, investigators have pinpointed how the early-stage human embryo organizes stem cells for particular functions in the body. With this information scientists can now understand how blood vessels direct the formation of organs from these stem cells. Additionally, stem cells are being isolated from amniotic fluid and show promise for therapeutic purposes. These findings shed light on new theories for healing and regenerating the damaged tissues of several vital organs.
Despite the sluggish economy and federal budget cuts, advances at The Saban Research Institute have attracted the attention of major funding institutions, philanthropists and investors. These additional avenues of support have contributed to several US and foreign patent applications as well as the development of new therapies for kidney, lung, and intestinal disease. Also, new treatments for brain damage and brain cancer continue to emerge. All of these new advances are quickly progressing towards clinical trials that offer promise to patients suffering from historically irreversible disease and trauma.
“I cannot overstate the significance of the CIRM training grant and how it has supported the development of our research program. We have made several landmark discoveries that inform our understanding of how the body can heal itself and the continued support will help our trainees and their mentors to evolve better treatments for our patients,” says David Warburton, MD, Director of the Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Program at The Saban Research Institute.
The fellows participating in the training grant also have the opportunity to incorporate the larger ethical issues into their work with embryonic and other stem cells. A steering committee has incorporated medical ethics education into the program to promote awareness of the ethical, legal, and societal implications for the emerging stem cell based therapeutic applications.
“We are very aware of the scrutiny and ethical concerns involving embryonic stem cell research. In this light, the CIRM training grant offers support for both scientific investigation as well as a structure for exploring the humanistic issues that are connected to our findings. In our program, we harness the discoveries and apply them for the greater good for our young patients. We always keep the ethical and social implications of the work in mind, and we are totally focused on using our novel findings to help those in need,” continues Dr. Warburton.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Investigators From The Saban Research Institute and the University of Southern California are Recognized by Prestigious Pediatric Society
Investigators From The Saban Research Institute and the University of Southern California are Recognized by Prestigious Pediatric Society
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From left to right: Ching-Ling Lien, PhD, Mark Frey, PhD, Michael Neely, MD, Wei Shi, MD, PhD, Alex Chen, MD (not pictured: Tracy Griksheit, MD)
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Six scientists elected into the Society for Pediatric Research
MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
Los Angeles (January 5, 2012) - “The Saban Research Institute and the Keck School of Medicine are honored to work with such a talented array of physicians and scientists. The recognition of our six researchers by the Society for Pediatric Research is a significant achievement for each investigator. The diversity of their interests displays the rich portfolio of work that we are developing into productive research programs. Ultimately, it is the hard work and initiative of our investigators that delivers the best outcomes for our patients,” says Brent Polk, MD, Director of The Saban Research Institute.
Membership into the Society is by election only and represents peer recognition for significant contributions to advances in pediatric research and care. Investigators to be honored include:
- Alex Y. Chen, MD, is an associate professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. He studies healthcare access across different socioeconomic populations as well as how to improve the quality of primary care for children with complex needs. He is also a member of the Community, Health Outcomes, and Intervention program at The Saban Research Institute.
- Michael N. Neely, MD, assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine, studies antiretroviral pharmacology and the use of these medications in patients with HIV/AIDS.
Four of the investigators honored are members of the Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine program at The Saban Research Institute.
- Tracy C. Griksheit, MD, is working to develop tissue-engineered intestines as a replacement option for infants with intestinal failure. She is also an assistant professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine.
- Ching-Ling Lien, PhD, investigates the key factors that are required for cardiac regeneration in zebrafish. Dr. Lien is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
- Mark Frey, PhD, studies the molecular mechanisms that drive intestinal repair after injury or inflammation. He is an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
- Wei Shi, MD, PhD, investigates lung and heart development and human morphogenesis. He is an assistant professor of Surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
The Society for Pediatric Research fosters career development for physicians and researchers by organizing annual conferences and journals to present the latest findings for treating young patients. In addition, the organization is a part of the Public Policy Council and advocates for legislation to benefit the pediatric research community. The Saban Research Institute and University of Southern California Investigators will be formally announced as new members at the Society for Pediatric Research annual meeting in April.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreChildrens.org.
Investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Discover Possible Treatment Option for Drug-Resistant ALL
Investigators at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Discover Possible Treatment Option for Drug-Resistant ALL
“Trojan horse”- type therapy specifically targets cancer cells
MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (April 6, 2012) – Nora Heisterkamp, PhD, and Reshmi Parameswaran, PhD, of The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, have found a novel approach to killing acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cells. Using a fusion toxin that specifically targets cancer cells, this novel therapeutic may offer a future alternative to patients who become resistant to chemotherapy.
“Although we have made tremendous progress in the treatment of leukemia, the work of Dr. Heisterkamp and her colleagues’ research into drug-resistant disease fills a crucial need,” said Brent Polk, MD, director of The Saban Research Institute.
The most common cancer diagnosed in children, ALL, also accounts for 30% of adult leukemia. Although the cure rate of pediatric ALL is high, resistance to drug treatment is a major cause of disease relapse. Treatment-resistant ALL continues to be a significant medical challenge and investigators, like Drs. Heisterkamp and Parameswaran, are actively seeking alternative therapies.
Dr. Heisterkamp, who is also a professor at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, said, “Although these are laboratory studies, we are very encouraged by our findings and we’re actively developing this approach to test in the clinic.”
Malignancies in ALL can develop from either the T-cell or B-cell lymphocytes. The majority of ALL cases are of B-cell lineage. Drs. Heisterkamp and Parameswaran had previously discovered that these leukemia cells have a protein on their surface called BAFF-R. It was known that this BAFF-R was present on mature B-cells but finding it on pre-B cells was surprising and also presented a therapeutic target for selectively killing the pre-B ALL cells.
The investigators made use of the fact that a protein called BAFF specifically binds to the BAFF-R protein and then is allowed entry into the cell. They tested a toxin-BAFF fusion protein. Using a “Trojan horse” approach, the investigators showed that when ALL cells were exposed to the BAFF-toxin, the ALL cells bound the BAFF-toxin, transported it inside the cell, and were then killed. The BAFF-R is only present on certain blood-forming cells, so the BAFF-toxin is not expected to harm any other cells, making it much less toxic than standard chemotherapy.
Results of the study were published in the February 29 issue of Leukemia. Collaborators on the study include M. Yu, M. Lim, and J. Groffen, all of The Saban Research Institute, as well as Michael G. Rosenblum and M-A Lyu, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Investigators at The Saban Research Institute Demonstrate That Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Can Slow Progression of Kidney Disease
Investigators at The Saban Research Institute Demonstrate That Amniotic Fluid Stem Cells Can Slow Progression of Kidney Disease
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Roger De Filippo, MD and Laura Perin, PhD
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MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (February 15, 2012) – Investigators at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have found that amniotic fluid stem cells (AFSC) can slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. A new study, published in the current issue of the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, reveals that these stem cells can protect the kidneys and help maintain their function.
“We believe that this novel and innovative study clearly demonstrates the value and promise for amniotic fluid stem cells,” comments Roger De Filippo, MD, head of the GOFARR Laboratory for Organ Regenerative Research and Cell Therapeutics at The Saban Research Institute.
Using a model for Alport’s Syndrome, Dr. De Filippo’s team, which includes Dr. Laura Perin, one of the original investigators of AFSC and co-director of the GOFARR Laboratory, injected AFSC early in the course of the disease. Alport’s Syndrome is a kidney disease characterized by progressive renal fibrosis. Treatment with AFSC increased survival time and ameliorated the decline in kidney function.
Kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins from the blood. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects millions of children and adults in the United States. Characterized by a progressive decline in kidney function, CKD leads to an increase in health problems, including heart disease and diabetes. Those who develop end-stage kidney disease depend on dialysis to clear the waste from their blood and, ultimately, most patients require a kidney transplant in order to survive. With such stark long-term consequences, the new study offers hope to those suffering from the disease and is also a significant advancement in the stem cell research field.
Stem cell therapies have emerged over the last twenty years as a promising new area of biomedical research. While embryonic stem cells remain a controversial subject, AFSC are found in the fluid surrounding a fetus. The cells can be collected via amniocentesis or at birth without any harmful effects. This study demonstrates that the therapeutic benefit of AFSC is similar to that of embryonic stem cells.
“These findings are of significant interest to stem cell researchers. By using these common cells that are easily obtained, we can focus on other types of therapeutic studies that offer hope to many patients with chronic disabilities and disease,” says David Warburton, DSc, MD, director of the Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research program at The Saban Research Institute. This work was funded in part by a training grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine, the Alport’s Syndrome Foundation, GOFARR and the Pasadena Guild of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
The Saban Research Institute Distributes $700,000 in Merit Awards to Support Scientific Progress
The Saban Research Institute Distributes $700,000 in Merit Awards to Support Scientific Progress
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Merit Awards totalling over $700,000 distributed to Principle Investigators
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To develop intramural research funding and foster scientific excellence across different specialties
MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
Los Angeles (January 4, 2012)-
The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles recently distributed more than $700,000 to support Principal Investigators on federally funded grants through the 2011 Merit Awards. The awards recognize research accomplishments and emphasize the importance of teamwork between scientists.
“The Saban Research portfolio depends upon the strength of our investigators. The 2011 Merit Awards recognize those who increased our funding from federal sources. Over the last year, our investigators have published landmark studies and been at the forefront of important medical breakthroughs. We will continue to leverage funding to drive our research initiatives that translate into better outcomes for our patients,” says Brent Polk, MD, Director of The Saban Research Institute.
Fatih Uckun, MD, PhD, is one of the 2011 Merit Award recipients. As head of Translational Research in Leukemia and Lymphoma at the Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases at Children’s Hospital, Dr. Uckun researches anti-cancer therapies for patients suffering from leukemia. “The Merit Award will enable me and my collaborators at The Saban Research Institute to generate critical preliminary data for competitive federal grant applications. We are hoping to transform this investment in our research into a sustainable NIH funded program we can all be proud of and that can have a positive impact on patient outcomes,” explains Dr. Uckun, who is also a research professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
Academic medicine is a unique blend of clinical practice, research, and teaching. Those who practice medicine or research at teaching hospitals must balance their daily obligations with their larger duty towards education: training, mentoring, and collaborating. In addition to promoting these values, scientists must also apply for grants in order to gain access to important resources. The 2011 Merit Awards is one of several initiatives to develop long-term term intramural research funding and foster scientific excellence across different specialties.
"One of the major challenges in developing sustainable research programs is having access to funds that can be rapidly deployed to take advantage of emerging opportunities and new technologies. Merit awards serve to impact both of these challenges as well as provide additional resources to enhance the experience of students and trainees involved in research,” says Richard Simerly, PhD, Deputy Director of The Saban Research Institute.
Funding for The Merit Awards was made possible by Children's Hospital Los Angeles, The Saban Research Institute’s Reinvestment Plan, and the generous support of the Nautica Triathlon.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Researchers Link Maternal Diabetes to Obesity in Offspring
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Researchers Link Maternal Diabetes to Obesity in Offspring
A Team Led by Sebastien Bouret, PhD, Finds That Diabetes During Pregnancy Disturbs Normal Development of Appetite-Related Brain Circuits
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Dr. Sebastian Bouret links maternal diabetes to childhood obesity
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MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
Los Angeles (October 20, 2011)-
A research team at The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles has made critical discoveries demonstrating that maternal diabetes during pregnancy triggers obesity in the offspring and sets them up for lifelong health issues.
The investigations led by Sebastien G. Bouret, PhD, provide new insights into the biological mechanisms by which the prenatal environment contributes to obesity and diabetes—findings that may lead to new therapeutic options for children and adults.
The study, “Maternal Diabetes Compromises the Organization of Hypothalamic Feeding Circuits and Impairs Leptin Sensitivity in Offspring,” will appear in the November 2011 journal Endocrinology. Lead author is Sophie Steculorum, MSc.
The team’s findings come at a critical time. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Recent statistics estimate that 22 million children under the age of 5 are overweight worldwide. One of obesity’s primary consequences—type 2 diabetes—has been reported with increasing frequency among U.S. children and adolescents.
In earlier investigations, Dr. Bouret’s team found that the fat hormone leptin can fundamentally alter the brain’s circuitry in areas that control appetite. Now the researchers have determined that the development of the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that plays a role in eating and body weight regulation, is greatly influenced by maternal insulin, a hormone that normally control blood sugar levels.
“The gestational and early postnatal periods represent important periods of vulnerability, during which alterations in the intrauterine environment may have long-term and potentially irreversible consequences on neuron growth and connectivity,” said Dr. Bouret, a member of The Saban Research Institute’s Developmental Neuroscience Program and an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC).
Investigators also found that offspring born to diabetic mothers experienced impaired metabolic regulation during adulthood, marked by increased fasting glucose and insulin levels. The offspring had higher body weights at birth and these elevated body weights persisted into adulthood. Moreover, the ability of leptin to induce weight loss was curtailed in mice born to diabetic mothers.
Underlying all of these problems were miswired neural circuitry—specifically, abnormally organized feeding pathways—precipitated by maternal diabetes. Together, these findings provide evidence that a balanced perinatal hormonal environment is an important determinant of future weight gain and obesity—in other words, children are likely to be what their mothers eat during pregnancy.
“People have long suspected that brain circuits involved in appetite in a developing child can be disrupted when mom has diabetes during pregnancy,” noted Thomas A. Buchanan, MD, chief of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes in the USC Keck School of Medicine. “This paper shows very elegantly that the suspicion is true and identifies some of the important pathways that may lead to obesity and, eventually, diabetes in offspring.”
The next step, added Dr. Buchanan, will be to determine whether effective treatment of diabetes can prevent such consequences and reduce the risk of diabetes transmission from mother to child.
Dr. Bouret envisions interventional studies to alleviate and “hopefully reverse the metabolic malprogramming of fetuses and neonates born to diabetic mothers.” First, researchers must better understand the vulnerable development period when the hypothalamus responds to hormonal changes. To date, all studies have been conducted in rodents. “There is also an urgent need for an in-depth characterization of hypothalamic development in humans,” he said.
In 2010, Dr. Bouret received a $1.68 million grant from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases to support his inquiries into leptin’s role in the development of neurological structures that regulate metabolism and weight throughout life. The current studies also received support from the USC Center for Transdisciplinary Research on Energetics & Cancer.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Saban Symposium Featured First Annual Roberta G. Williams Lecture in Adolescent and Young Adult Transitional Care
Saban Symposium Featured First Annual Roberta G. Williams Lecture in Adolescent and Young Adult Transitional Care
Symposium emphasized bench-to-bedside-to-community approach
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Roberta Williams, MD, at The Saban Symposium
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MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
Los Angeles (November 15, 2011)- Roberta G. Williams, Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, was honored at the Saban Symposium, an annual event at The Saban Research Institute of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
"At a time when the transition from pediatric to adult-centered care has become part of the national agenda, it is only fitting that we acknowledge and honor Dr Roberta Williams, who is truly a pioneer in this field," said D. Brent Polk, MD, Chair of the Department of Pediatrics and Director of The Saban Research Institute. Morning lectures were held in the Anderson Pavilion of Children’s Hospital with afternoon lectures given across the street at The Saban Research Institute, in order to emphasize the importance of a "bench to bedside to community" approach to this health care issue.
Medical breakthroughs have allowed young people with chronic and complex medical issues to survive to adulthood in greater numbers, with the expectations of leading long and productive lives. Now, the challenge is to facilitate the transition of these adolescents from the pediatric health care system where they have flourished, to adult-centered care. Although the transition is essential, it does put increased responsibility on the young person at a time when they are dealing with other transitions involved with growing up. During this time, medical care is often delayed and health can deteriorate. Physicians and allied health professionals can provide patients with skills and tools that will facilitate their receiving uninterrupted, timely and appropriate care.
Dr. Roberta Williams, Professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at USC, formerly held the positions of chair of Pediatrics for the Keck School of Medicine at USC and chair of Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. She has long shown her interest and commitment to developing best practices for managing the transition of care for children with lifelong health challenges. In 2001, she was instrumental in helping to establish the highly successful Institute for Fetal and Maternal Health, where cardiac surgery can now be performed in utero. Children such as these with certain cardiac issues, as well as children with other medical conditions, will continue to require care for these conditions throughout their lives.
"We have been building strength in transitional healthcare services available at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Now, we are pulling these resources together into a coherent program. This program will provide our patients the opportunity to develop into adults with the skills to manage their health in order to enjoy the best possible futures," said Dr Roberta Williams.
"Regardless of whether young people have heart disease, cancer, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease or autism, they will require comprehensive and coordinated care. Our goal is to advance the agenda for developing a formal, knowledge-driven approach in this important next step to a fulfilling and productive adult life," said Dr Brent Polk.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Development of E. coli K1 Meningitis Dependent Upon Neutrophils
Development of E. coli K1 Meningitis Dependent Upon Neutrophils
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| Prasadarao V. Nemani, PhD, studies role of neutrophils in the development of meningitis. |
White blood cells that usually protect against infection have essential role in development of meningitis
MEDIA CONTACT:
Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
Los Angeles (November 22, 2011)- Dr. Prasadarao V. Nemani, and Dr. Rahul Mittal, investigators at The Saban Research Instituteof Children’s Hospital Los Angeles published the first report of the role of neutrophils as essential in the development of Escherichia coli K1 meningitis. The paper appears today in Nature Communications.
“This is a significant finding that will ultimately help us protect our most vulnerable patients against the devastation of meningitis,” said Brent Polk, MD, director of The Saban Research Institute.
Bacterial meningitis strikes an average of 1500 Americans each year. Thirty percent of those infected will die. In the U.S., meningitis resulting from E. coli infection primarily occurs in newborn infants, and especially vulnerable premature and low birth weight babies are at four times greater risk for developing the disease. E. coli K1 is the leading cause of meningitis in developing countries where the mortality rates are higher than in the U.S. Without treatment, the mortality rate approaches 100 percent. Even with effective therapy, 15 to 30 percent of affected babies will die while the majority of those who survive will face lifelong consequences including blindness, deafness, and brain damage.
Neutrophils are a type of white blood cell and act as the first responders in battling infection. In this study, the investigators sought to determine the role of neutrophils in the pathogenesis of E. coli K1 meningitis. What they found surprised them. They discovered that the bacteria manipulates the function of the neutrophils by preventing oxidative killing of pathogens within the cell, which in turn allows the level of pathogens to build instead of being cleared from the blood. They also observed that E. coli K1 utilized gp96, a protein located on the surface of the cell, as a receptor to gain entry into the cell.
In contrast to the existing paradigm that neutrophils are protective against infectious disease, the investigators demonstrated that depletion of neutrophils caused mice to be resistant to E. coli K1 meningitis. They also used a novel technique to “knock down” expression of gp96 in mice and were able to show that gp96 is required for E. coli K1 to produce meningitis in mice.
Dr Nemani said, “These findings encourage us to begin identifying small molecule therapeutics that can target gp96 as an effective preventive strategy against E. coli K1 meningitis.”
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Heart Patient Max Page Stars in AdWeek’s No. 1 Commercial for 2011
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Heart Patient Max Page Stars in AdWeek’s No. 1 Commercial for 2011
Super Bowl Commercial for Volkswagen Features 7-year-old Patient as Mini Darth Vader from “Star Wars”
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| Max Page, who portrayed a Mini Darth Vader in a TV commercial, meets with NBC news anchor Brian Williams during a recent trip to Washington, D.C. |
Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: BGreene@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (December 7, 2011) – The power of the dark side made its presence felt in the advertising world this year when a Volkswagen TV commercial featuring Children’s Hospital Los Angeles heart patient Max Page, age 7, as a pint-sized Darth Vader amused consumers worldwide. Calling the commercial “one of the great crowd-pleasing TV ads of all time,” AdWeek magazine selected the spot as the No. 1 TV commercial for 2011.
“I can't believe the commercial keeps winning awards,” said Max. “I love being Mini Darth Vader and hope VW sells lots of Passats.”
The commercial features Max playing a small version of Darth Vader, the evil villain from the Star Wars movies. Darth Vader is seen walking through a typical American home with the sounds of "The Imperial March" theme in the background. Darth Vader tries to make inanimate objects move by using “the power of the Force.” All his efforts fail until his father arrives home and parks his VW Passat in front of the house. Mini Darth runs to the driveway, stares at the car with arms parallel to the ground and magically the car ignition erupts – thanks to dad’s remote control starter – much to the surprise of the startled Mini Darth.
The metrics of the commercial were out of this world. After debuting Super Bowl in February, AdWeek reported the commercial received 44 million views on YouTube, a reported 6.8 billion impressions worldwide, more than $100 million in earned media. In addition to his success with the VW commercial, Max also has recurring roles on the TV shows “Young and the Restless” and “Prime Suspect,” as well as a Kay Diamonds TV commercial where he plays a mini Santa Claus.
It’s been an amazing ride for the young child actor who certainly had a very rough start in life. Shortly after he was born, Max was diagnosed with Tetralogy of Fallot, which is a congenital heart defect found in children. The condition causes mixing of oxygen-poor blood with the oxygen-rich blood being pumped out of the heart and into the circulatory system of blood vessels, according to his pediatric cardiologist Michael Silka, MD, of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. The cardiac team also implanted a pacemaker in Page to regulate is heartbeat.
“Tetralogy of Fallot occurs in about one of every thousand live births,” said Silka. “Max’s prognosis going forward is very good. While he cannot play contact sports like football because of his pacemaker, he can essentially have normal activity and with careful care, he’ll have a full life.” Silka said future care for Max will include replacement of the pacemaker.
The Page Family used Max’s new celebrity status earlier this year during the family’s week-long trip to Washington, D.C. to lobby members of Congress to support continued funding for graduate medical education at children’s hospitals throughout the nation. Max was a huge hit in the halls of Congress, and even shared the TV screen during a brief interview with NBC news anchor Brian Williams who was filming a documentary to chronicle a day in the life of Congress.
“What can we say -- this commercial has provided our family experiences we never dreamed about,” said Max’s mom Jennifer Page. “It gives us platform to bring attention to children’s health care issues and that has meant the world to our family.”
Watch VW Commercial.
See AdWeek Article.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreChildrens.org.
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Arcadia Outpatient Center Treats 3,144 Patients During First Year of Operation
Children's Hospital Los Angeles Arcadia Outpatient Center Treats 3,144 Patients During First Year of Operation
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| Staff members from left include: Andrew Strafford, Zayra Ruiz, Lillian Pleitez, Jennifer Chu, Minfu Liu, Araceli Marrufo, Jienni Manalo and Kelly Iwanabe. |
Media Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: bgreene@chla.usc.edu
ARCADIA, Calif. (Nov. 18, 2011) – November marks the one year anniversary of the opening of Children's Hospital Los Angeles - Arcadia outpatient center where clinicians have treated 3,144 patients from throughout the San Gabriel Valley and surrounding communities.
The Arcadia outpatient center is the first multispecialty clinic partnership between the hospital and Children's Hospital Los Angeles Medical Group. The center has expanded to offer services in seven different specialties including endocrinology, gastroenterology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, orthopaedics, pediatric surgery, pulmonary, ancillary services in laboratory and radiology.
“The center’s success highlights the teamwork and collaboration among the hospital leadership, physicians and staff,” said Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, President and CEO, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “With the opening of the outpatient center in Arcadia, we have realized our vision of bringing the best pediatric sub-specialty care into the community, improving access and promoting patient convenience. This endeavor could not have been made possible without the commitment of our physicians, administrators and our wonderful team at Arcadia. We are proud of this accomplishment and look forward to further expansion and growth in 2012.”
The center provides continuity of care across disciplines by enhancing communication and harnessing a positive working relationship between the patient, family, physician staff and necessary care that extends back to the hospital’s main campus. Serving as a “one stop shop,” the Arcadia location offers walk-in laboratory services, radiology and clinic visits while utilizing the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles information system platforms. The outpatient center provides a personalized patient experience with the dedicated multilingual staff catering to the needs of each patient from the diverse community. The seamless patient care demonstrates the teamwork between the Arcadia and main clinic staff.
“This is a wonderful facility with easy access for children in the San Gabriel Valley,” said neuro-ophthalmologist Mark Borchert, MD, Medical Director of the outpatient center. “Although our practice is very busy, it doesn’t feel pressured thanks to the spacious environment and efficient staff. It is easy to make customer service a priority in such a welcoming space. The feedback I've received from our patients and referring pediatricians has been overwhelmingly positive.”
Since the center’s opening one year ago, the San Gabriel Valley has welcomed Children’s Hospital Los Angeles into the community. A group of high school students, known as “Love of Literature” donated a library for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles patients to enjoy at Arcadia. The Arcadia Lion’s Club hosted a walk-a-thon fundraiser for Arcadia in October. The community continues to reach out to our patients through various community service efforts. In addition, the Arcadia outpatient center has been involved with various events that strengthened our tie with the community. The new Center has also helped promote on-going community outreach efforts on behalf of the hospital to include a successful blood drive with over 50 donors and car seat inspections for the San Gabriel Valley community, offered by the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Trauma Program.
About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles: Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and City of Hope Researchers Receive NCI Program Project Grant to Investigate Neuroblastoma Tumor Microenvironment
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and City of Hope Researchers Receive NCI Program Project Grant to Investigate Neuroblastoma Tumor Microenvironment
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Yves De Clerck, M.D., Principal Investigator on the grant and professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
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$2.5 million grant to study drug resistance in pediatric cancer
MEDIA CONTACT: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 2, 2011) - A $2.5 million grant from the National Cancer Institute (NCI)’s Tumor Microenvironment Network will enable cancer researchers from City of Hope and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles to investigate drug resistance in neuroblastoma, a type of childhood cancer that usually develops in the nervous system of children five years of age or younger. Neuroblastoma is the most common type of cancer in infants, and an estimated 650 new cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S.
Researchers believe that bone marrow provides a unique microenvironment that protects cancer cells from the effects of chemotherapy, and that malignant tumor cells develop specific signaling pathways in the bone marrow that help neuroblastoma cells survive and replicate into drug-resistant offspring. The NCI grant will establish an Environment-Mediated Drug Resistance (EMDR) center at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which will be one of 11 NCI Tumor Microenvironment Network centers in the United States, to help researchers better understand this process and identify possible targets for new therapies.
“Our research demonstrated that the interactions between cancer cells and normal cells in the tumor microenvironment are essential for the growth and spread of neuroblastoma cancers,” said Yves De Clerck, M.D., Principal Investigator on the grant and professor of Pediatrics and Biochemistry/Molecular Biology at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.
“We found that one such pathway of interaction called STAT3 is persistently activated in both tumor cells and in the tumor microenvironment, and we believe that targeting STAT3 signaling in bone marrow stromal cells will inhibit EMDR for neuroblastoma,” said Hua Yu, Ph.D., co-leader, Cancer Immunotherapeutics Program at City of Hope, a National Cancer Institute comprehensive cancer center.
Yu is principal investigator for one of the two projects of the new NCI Program Project Grant. The co-principal investigator of the project is Richard Jove, Ph.D., director of Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, and holder of the Morgan and Helen Chu Director’s Chair. The researchers are collaborating with De Clerck, the program project’s principal investigator, and his colleagues Robert Seeger, M.D., and Shahab Asgharzadeh, M.D., from The Saban Research Institute at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The growth of drug-resistant cancer cells in the bone marrow contributes to cancer progression, and significantly lowers the rate of patients’ long-term disease-free survival. Researchers are studying a signaling pathway called STAT3, a protein that promotes tumor growth. They hope to identify new ways to disrupt this pathway so neuroblastomas can be more effectively treated.
With new data, investigators will aim to develop specific, targeted therapies that can be tested in pediatric clinical trials. “By inhibiting environment-mediated drug resistance, we will provide a new paradigm that will result in improved survival not only for children with neuroblastoma but also for children and adults with other types of cancer,” said Robert Seeger, M.D., director of the Cancer Research program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
The investigators at both institutions credit a 2009 seed grant from ThinkCure, the official charity of the Los Angeles Dodgers, in helping researchers collaborate for the initial stages of their research, which led to securing the NIH grant at a time when many funding sources are disappearing.
“This grant was made possible to a significant extent by the collaboration we began with investigators in neuroblastoma biology at City of Hope as part of our ThinkCure initiative,” said Stuart Siegel, M.D., director of the Children’s Center for Cancer & Blood Diseases, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
“This is an excellent example of the benefits of such collaboration between world-class research institutions, and the dedication of ThinkCure supporters who help push forward scientific research,” added Stephen J. Forman, M.D., chair, Hematology & Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation, and Francis and Kathleen McNamara Distinguished Chair in Hematology and Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation at City of Hope.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org, Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
Scientists at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Awarded Prestigious V Foundation Grant providing $600,000 funding for Translational Cancer Research
Scientists at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Awarded Prestigious V Foundation Grant providing $600,000 funding for Translational Cancer Research
Will further develop an innovative strategy targeting chemotherapy-resistant leukemic stem cells
Media Contact: Ellin Kavanagh at 323-361-8505
Email: ekavanagh@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (November 9, 2011) – Scientists at the Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Diseases (CCCBD) and the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, have been awarded a highly competitive translational research grant of $600,000 from The V Foundation for Cancer Research. This grant will provide funding for further development of a novel bioengineered derivative of CD19-L, a recombinant human biotherapeutic agent targeting CD19-positive leukemic stem cells.
B-lineage acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer occurring in children and adolescents. Despite having received intensive chemotherapy, some patients have recurring disease. For these individuals, the prospect of long-term survival is poor. The goal of this project is to further develop and test an anti-leukemic therapy capable of killing these chemotherapy-resistant leukemia cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.
The proposed research will help establish “personalized salvage regimens” against chemotherapy-resistant leukemia. The protein will be used to amplify the potency of standard chemotherapy against leukemia. The researchers believe that the addition of this protein to chemotherapy will prove highly effective against drug-resistant leukemia cells. They are hopeful that this research will open a new range of effective treatment opportunities for children with recurrent leukemia. The successful completion of this research project may provide the foundation for a more effective and potentially paradigm-shifting therapeutic innovation against chemotherapy-resistant leukemia.
The research team includes Fatih Uckun, MD, PhD, head of Translational Research in Leukemia and Lymphoma at CCCBD and professor of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, who will serve as Principal Investigator. His co-Investigators include: Paul Gaynon, MD, professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC, and director of Clinical Oncology Research in CCCBD and Amanda Termuhlen, MD, professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC and medical director of the Jonathan Jaques Children’s Cancer Center at Miller Children’s Hospital. Scientists specializing in genetic engineering and developmental therapeutics, including Drs. Hong Ma and Dorothea Myers, will provide laboratory expertise.
Dr Uckun is one of nine scientists, nationwide, to be awarded a 2011 V Foundation Translational Research Grant. "I am honored to be a recipient of this very special award," says Dr Uckun. “The translational research grant from the V Foundation will enable us to fully develop a therapeutic innovation that can have a significant positive impact on the survival and quality of life of children diagnosed with aggressive leukemias.”
The V Foundation is a charitable organization created in 1993 by ESPN and Jim Valvano, the legendary North Carolina State University basketball coach and ESPN broadcaster who died of cancer that year. The V Foundation's Translational Research Grant Program supports teams of basic and clinical investigators carrying out research that has imminent potential for translation into the clinic.
About Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
For more information, visit CHLA.org, Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
The Leapfrog Group Names Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as One of the Safest Hospitals in the Nation for Third Consecutive Year
The Leapfrog Group Names Children’s Hospital Los Angeles as One of the Safest Hospitals in the Nation for Third Consecutive Year
Media Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: BGreene@chla.usc.edu
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is 1 of Only 10 Children’s Hospitals Nationally To Receive Prestigious Recognition for Providing Exceptional Patient Safety and Quality Services
LOS ANGELES (December 6, 2011) – For the third consecutive year, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has earned the Top Hospital designation from The Leapfrog Group, which annually recognizes the best hospitals in the nation for providing the safest and highest quality health care services to patients. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles is one of only 10 children’s hospitals nationally to receive this honor.
“This has been a banner year for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles with the opening of our new 317-bed hospital. We were recognized once again in July as one of the best children’s hospitals in the nation by U.S. News and World Report, and now we cap this year of achievement with this great recognition from The Leapfrog Group,” said Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “The doctors, nurses and staff and especially our Quality Improvement and Patient Safety team have worked extremely hard during 2011, so the Leapfrog award is a fitting tribute to all of their exceptional efforts. The honor also recognizes the great work by our hospital Board of Trustees and our Safety, Quality and Services Committee, which oversees quality management at our hospital.”
The Leapfrog Group’s annual class of top hospitals was announced today (Dec. 6) in Washington, D.C., at its 11th anniversary meeting. The Leapfrog Hospital Recognition Program uses standards from the Leapfrog Hospital Survey to calculate an overall quality score for each children’s hospital. The quality score, which is a numerical value from 0 to 100, includes Leapfrog’s standards for preventing medication errors (CPOE), ICU Physician Staffing, Safe Practices, Never Events, and in some cases preventing hospital-acquired conditions such as infections. Hospitals with high quality scores – like Children’s Hospital Los Angeles -- have demonstrated strict adherence to Leapfrog’s safety and quality standards. The Leapfrog website provides specific details about these calculations: www.leapfroggroup.org/lhrpreports.
“I’m personally proud and honored to work in a place that is recognized as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country,” said Jim Stein, MD, vice chair of surgery and chief medical quality officer at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “I want to thank and congratulate everyone here at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles for the work they’ve done with making this one of the safest and highest quality hospitals in the country.”
In addition to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, the other nine children’s hospitals to receive The Leapfrog Group Top Hospitals designation include: Children’s Hospital Orange County in Orange, Calif.; Children's National Medical Center in Washington, DC; Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago, Ill.; Children's Hospital Boston in Boston, Mass.; Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio; Children's Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota- St. Paul in St. Paul, Minnesota; Children's Hospitals and Clinics Of Minnesota- Minneapolis in Minneapolis, Minn.; Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio; and Cook Children's Medical Center in Ft. Worth, Texas.
The Leapfrog Group is a coalition of public and private purchasers of employee health coverage founded a decade ago to work for improvements in health care safety, quality and affordability. Initially organized by the Business Roundtable, it is now an independent advocacy group working with a broad range of partners, including hospitals and insurers. The annual survey is the only voluntary effort of its kind. Leapfrog officials say they plan to expand their efforts in the months ahead to work with consumer groups.
The survey, which launched in 2001, focuses on four critical areas of patient safety: the use of computer physician order entry (CPOE) to prevent medication errors; standards for doing high-risk procedures such as heart surgery; protocols and policies to reduce medical errors and other safe practices recommended by the National Quality Forum; and adequate nurse and physician staffing. In addition, hospitals are measured on their progress in preventing infections and other hospital-acquired conditions and adopting policies on the handling of serious medical errors, among other things.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: WeAreChildrens.org.
PICU Nurse from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Receives Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award
PICU Nurse from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles Receives Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award for Her Clinical Expertise and Tireless Volunteer Efforts
Media Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: bgreene@chla.usc.edu
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| Jennifer Huson, RN is the Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award Winner |
LOS ANGELES (Nov. 10, 2011) – All too often, children struggling with life-threatening illnesses miss out on creating childhood memories. But Jennifer Huson, a nurse practitioner in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, is working tirelessly to change that. Thanks to her unwavering voluntary service to the Dream Street Foundation, sick children and young adults get to attend medically supported free sleepover summer camps and make everlasting memories of their own.
Huson devotes herself to making a positive difference for the children she cares for each day and for those facing similar obstacles in her broader community. Through her work at the hospital, she learned about Dream Street Foundation, a nonprofit committed to improving the lives of children with chronic and life threatening illnesses. Huson has dedicated countless hours of her free time over the past 11 years to helping Dream Street achieve its goals. In recognition of her exceptional service and compassion and helping to make the impossible possible for this young patient population, Huson is one of just seven recipients nationwide being honored with a prestigious 2011 Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award.
“Jennifer determinedly pursued her vision to make a difference for children and families that have been touched by frightening illnesses by partnering with Dream Street,” explained Wendell Mobley, who directs Cherokee Uniforms’ charitable and scholarship programs. “To our judges, Jennifer’s dedication to providing these children with exciting experiences outside of the homes and hospitals that serve as a constant reminder of their illnesses distinguishes her as an extraordinary nurse who deserves to be recognized.”
As the volunteer nursing director for Dream Street, Huson works year-round organizing the logistics for two different summer camps hosting children and young adults. Most of her time is committed to Dream Street’s “Big Camp” which accommodates about 120 children each year with cancer, blood disorders and other long-term illnesses. While the normal sleep-away camps are unable to meet these children’s daily medical needs, Huson volunteers her extracurricular time to make sure that Dream Street can provide specific medical services to each child attending the camp. Huson arranges campers’ medical charts, orders medications, equipment and supplies, and even prepares the infirmary herself. Additionally, she recruits and manages on-site volunteer nurses and doctors to make sure that children can receive 24/7 care when attending the camp. Huson even holds herself accountable to be on duty an astounding 24 hours a day for up to 10 straight days throughout each camp session.
“By taking on a full-time volunteer position in addition to her job with Children’s Hospital, Jennifer demonstrates an incredible amount of dedication to improving the lives of these children,” said Christina Smith, a registered nurse at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Huson’s nominator. “The Dream Street Foundation and its camps would not be possible without her organizational skills, nursing expertise and compassion.”
The Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award is granted by Cherokee Uniforms as a way of recognizing the caring and highly competent work of nurses and other non-physician healthcare professionals who provide exceptional service, sacrifice and innovation while positively impacting others’ lives. This is the ninth year the nation’s leading designer and manufacturer of healthcare apparel has honored inspirational caregivers across the country.
As a Top National Winner, Huson receives an all-expense-paid trip to a 2012 medical conference of her choice courtesy of Cherokee Uniforms; an annual membership to her preferred clinical association; a wardrobe featuring the best of Cherokee Uniforms and Footwear worth more than $1,000; a Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award trophy; a 14K gold-plated commemorative pin; a year’s subscription to Scrubs, the nation’s first lifestyle magazine for nurses; and a $500 donation in her name to the DAISY (Diseases Attacking the Immune System) Foundation.
Ultimately, Huson is rewarded by her ability to make any kind of difference, big or small, in her patients’ lives. “Being a nurse allows me to be a part of a person's life when they are at their most vulnerable. I am equally rewarded when I make a huge difference, such as saving a person’s life, or when the difference I make is small, like bringing a smile to a child’s face,” said Huson. “As a nurse, I am happiest when I am able to use the talents I have been blessed with to benefit others. When I volunteer my skills and expertise, I am reminded that nursing is more than just a career for me. It’s a calling.”
A page is dedicated to Huson on the Cherokee Inspired Comfort Award website.
About Cherokee Uniforms: Cherokee Uniforms, Tooniforms and Cherokee Footwear are leading brands in healthcare apparel, recognized for helping to foster a warmer, friendlier, more comfortable environment for healthcare workers and their patients. For more information, visit www.CherokeeUniforms.com.
About Childrens Hospital Los Angeles: Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
Tiny Baby Marks Big Milestone for Calfornia's Largest ECMO Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Tiny Baby Marks Big Milestone for California’s Largest ECMO Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Two Day Old Boy Becomes 1000th Patient at Children’s Hospital Treated with Life-Saving Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) Technology
Media Contact: Lyndsay LaGree
Office: 323-361-4121
Email: llagree@chla.usc.edu
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Baby Dorion was placed on ECMO for five days after suffering respiratory failure.
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ECMO is a heart-lung bypass technology assisted by a team of specialists and round-the-clock care.
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ECMO Program Coordinator, Laura Klee and NICCU Medical Director, Philippe Friedlich, MD, hold Dorion, who is making great progress five days after coming off ECMO. He is expected to go home soon and will be able to live a healthy, normal life.
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[LOS ANGELES] November 9, 2011 - On Sun., Oct. 30, an Emergency Transport Helicopter rushed two-day-old Dorion Freeman to the Newborn and Infant Critical Care Unit (NICCU) at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. Suffering from severe respiratory failure, Dorion was diagnosed with Meconium Aspiration Syndrome, a serious condition in which a newborn inhales meconium and amniotic fluid into the lungs during delivery. To save his life, specialists placed him on Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, or ECMO.
Home to the largest ECMO Program in the state, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles ECMO team treats an average of 40 patients annually. Dorion is the 1,000th patient treated by the ECMO Program at Children’s Hospital.
“ECMO is an incredible technology that has saved countless lives through the support of hundreds of healthcare providers here at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles,” said Philippe Friedlich, MD, Children’s Hospital NICCU medical director and associate professor of pediatrics and surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California,. “For the past quarter of a decade, we have worked very hard to provide this level of support. Because of this technology and our dedicated ECMO team, Dorion will go home in the next few weeks and be able to live a healthy, normal life.”
Similar to a heart-lung bypass machine used for open-heart surgery, ECMO is a heart-lung bypass system that takes over circulatory and respiratory functions in infants whose systems fail. It is a life-saving surgical and medical treatment for a variety of issues, such as meconium aspiration syndrome, sepsis, respiratory distress syndrome, persistent pulmonary hypertension, pneumonia, or a congenital diaphragmatic hernia.
Typically used as a last-resort when the infant is not responding to standard treatment, ECMO technology increases survival rate by up to 80 percent.
ECMO requires two staff specialists at the patient’s bedside 24 hours a day, seven days a week, as well as a team consisting of neonatologists, pediatric surgeons, perfusionists, ECMO specialists, cardiologists, neuro-radiologists and pediatric emergency transport specialists. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles houses a wide range of pediatric subspecialists under one roof, enabling the ECMO Program to treat the most difficult of cases.
Established in 1987, the ECMO Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles will celebrate its 25th anniversary in January. It remains the largest referral center in Southern California and surrounding states for the treatment of neonatal conditions requiring ECMO support.
Thanks to the technology and a team of highly specialized physicians in one of the nation’s top NICCU’s, Dorion was taken off ECMO on Friday and is expected to make a full recovery.
**Visit www.FLICKR.com/Childrensla to view photos and video of the ECMO team caring for Dorion, the 1000th ECMO patient at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States, is one of America's premier teaching hospitals and has been affiliated with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California since 1932.
American Association of Medical Colleges Will Present National Humanism Award to Henri Ford
American Association of Medical Colleges Will Present National Humanism Award to Henri Ford, M.D. of Keck School of Medicine of USC, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
AAMC Will Honor Dr. Ford During Ceremonies on Nov. 5
Children's Hospital Los Angeles
Media Contact: Brian Greene
Office: (323) 361-4823
Email: bgreene@chla.usc.edu
USC Media Contact: Leslie Ridgeway
Office: (323) 442-2823
Email: lridgewa@usc.edu
LOS ANGELES – As the son of a minister in Haiti, Henri Ford, M.D., was accustomed to people coming to the family home for help. Watching his parents respond to others’ needs for food or spiritual assistance taught Ford that giving to others was a prerogative of human beings.
“The concept of caring and sharing are principles that I grew up with,” said Ford, professor of Surgery and vice dean for Medical Education at the Keck School of Medicine, and vice president and chief of surgery at Keck School-affiliated Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
That instinctive devotion to service has resulted in Ford being awarded the American Association of Medical Colleges (AAMC) Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanism in Medicine Award, to be presented at the association’s Nov. 5 annual meeting in Denver.
Medical students nominate the faculty honored with this award. Students stated in their nomination that “Dr. Ford is a true hero and exemplifies the professional and personal qualities of a great doctor.” Students also praised Ford for his mentorship and compassionate care of his patients.
“We admire and appreciate Dr. Ford's generosity to medical students in helping them reach their highest potential,” said Keck School of Medicine Dean Carmen A. Puliafito, M.D., M.B.A. “His work in Haiti is an example of his commitment to service, and he has been inspirational to our students. We agree with them that he very much deserves this prestigious award.”
Ford is one of nine clinicians and educators honored by AAMC for their exemplary contributions to academic medicine. The AAMC also honors one teaching hospital. Ford was chosen for his mentorship of young people, especially medical students, as well as his work as a pediatric surgeon, his efforts to treat victims of the 2010 Haiti earthquake and his contributions to improving the health care structure of that nation.
“Dr. Ford always has the best interests of children at the forefront of everything he does, whether it’s caring for patients at our hospital, teaching the next generation of medical students, or leading multiple relief efforts in his home country of Haiti,” said Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “By sharing his life in all of these ways, Dr. Ford offers all of us an inspirational example that we can emulate.”
Ford was lauded for his commitment to young people, who he mentors in his lab and encourages through medical school. The opportunity to help shape the future of medical care drives Ford’s guidance of students to find the careers that best suit their potential.
“This is a great opportunity to help mold the next generation of caring, compassionate and competent physicians,” he said. “Through medical education we can have a tremendous impact on global health, because these students will deliver care, shape health care policy, and promote advances in biotechnology and biomedical research. As medical educators, we need to inspire them and make sure they are on the right path.”
The award also recognizes Ford’s work to discover and implement surgical alternatives for several pediatric disorders, and his research in the areas of pediatric trauma and necrotizing enterocolitis, a life-threatening gastrointestinal disease affecting newborns.
His contributions to the relief effort in Haiti received special mention. Ford was one of the first surgeons on the ground after the quake devastated the small Caribbean country. As a pediatric surgeon in a nation where nearly half the population is under the age of 15, his assistance was greatly needed.
Ford continues to travel to Haiti to help improve the country’s health care infrastructure and works in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health and Project Hope to lead a group of medical educators working to promote reform in medical education and training. He also is working with the Haitian Ministry of Health, Project Medishare, and the Interim Commission for Haiti’s Reconstruction, co-chaired by former President Clinton and Haiti's Prime Minister, to help establish a trauma and critical care system in the country.
Through his work in Haiti, Ford has projected an example that seems to have influenced students. Ford notes that many Keck School students are already signing up to volunteer in schools, prisons and other places where their training can make a difference.
“That shows that the spirit of humanism is well developed in our students, and it makes me proud,” he said. “This award tells me the Keck School students have understood the message that we should care not only for one another and our patients, but also for people all over the world.”
About the Keck School of Medicine of USC
Located on USC’s Health Sciences Campus, just east of downtown Los Angeles, the Keck School of Medicine includes more than 500 nationally recognized physicians practicing in a multitude of clinical specialties. They practice in private clinics on campus and at the USC-owned private hospitals, USC University Hospital and USC Norris Cancer Hospital. They also work at the LAC+USC Medical Center — one of the largest teaching hospitals in the United States — Children's Hospital Los Angeles and elsewhere around the greater Los Angeles area. The Keck School of Medicine also is home to several research institutes, including the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, the Eli and Edythe Broad Center for Stem Cell Research and Regenerative Medicine at USC, the USC Cardiovascular Thoracic Institute and the USC Institute for Global Health. Established in 1885, the Keck School is the oldest medical school in Southern California.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States.
U.S. News Top Doctors List Includes 52 Physicians from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
U.S. News Top Doctors List Includes 52 Physicians from Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Contact: Brian Greene at 323-361-4823
Email: BGreene@chla.usc.edu
LOS ANGELES (December 5, 2011) – Fifty-two physicians from a variety of medical specialties at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles have been selected to the new Top Doctors List recently released for the first time jointly by U.S. News & World Report magazine in collaboration with Castle Connolly Medical Ltd., publisher of America's Top Doctors. Twenty-seven of the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles physicians listed are, in Castle Connolly's estimation, among the top 1% in the nation in his or her specialty.
“This achievement is a true compliment to our doctors who were nominated by their peers across the nation for their clinical excellence,” said Richard D. Cordova, FACHE, president and CEO of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “I’m proud to note that Children’s Hospital Los Angeles has more than twice as many doctors on the list as any other children’s hospital serving Southern California.”
The new U.S. News Top Doctors List was built upon data from Castle Connolly's Top Doctors™ list. U.S. News teamed with the New York City-based company that has worked for nearly two decades to identify the nation's top doctors. Castle Connolly bases its Top Doctors selections on nominations submitted by other doctors and reviewed by its physician-led research team. To be considered for inclusion on the list, any doctor may nominate one or more peers, but doctors cannot nominate themselves.
According to U.S. News, the goals of this new project are to help consumers find the doctors who can best address their needs and to enlist doctors across the country in sharing their awareness of who among their peers are the most worthy of referral. The national list includes more than 27,000 physicians in dozens of medical specialties.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles staff physicians included on the U.S. News Top Doctors List are:
- Robert Adler, MD – General Pediatrics
- Eyal Ben-Isaac, MD – General Pediatrics
- Richard Boles, MD* – Medical Genetics
- Mark Borchert, MD* –Ophthalmology
- Thomas Chen, MD* - Neurosurgery
- Paul Choi, MD – Orthopedic Surgery
- Joseph Church, MD* – Clinical Immunology/Allergy
- Richard Feuille, Jr., MD – General Pediatrics
- Walter Fierson, MD – Ophthalmology
- Jonathan Finlay, MD* – Hemotology/Oncology
- Henri Ford, MD* – General Pediatric Surgery
- Mitchell Geffner, MD* – Endocrinology/Metabolism
- Kenneth Geller, MD* – Pediatric Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, Throat)
- Inderbir Singh Gill, MD* - Urology
- Vicente Gilsanz, MD* – Pediatric Radiology
- John Gross, MD – Plastic Surgery
- Carl Grushkin, MD – Pediatric Nephrology
- Robert Hartman, MD – Dermatology
- Neena Kapoor, MD* – General Pediatrics
- Robert Kay, MD – Orthopedic Surgery
- Thomas Keens, MD* – Pediatric Pulmonology
- Sheldon Kishineff, MD – General Pediatrics
- Mark Liker, MD – Neurosurgery
- Dennis Maceri, MD – Pediatric Otolaryngology (Ear, Nose, Throat)
- Richard MacKenzie, MD* – Adolescent Medicine
- Wilbert Mason, MD* – Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Paul McFadden, MD – Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Wendy Mitchell, MD* – Neurology
- A. Linn Murphree, MD* – Ophthalmology
- Robertson Parkman, MD – Bone Marrow Transplant
- Arnold Platzker, MD* – Pediatric Pulmonology
- D. Brent Polk, MD – Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Rangasamy Ramanathan, MD – Neonatology
- Linda Randolph, MD* – Medical Genetics
- Lawrence Ross, MD – Pediatric Infectious Diseases
- Vincent Rowe, MD – Pediatric Surgery
- Tena Rosser, MD* – Neurology
- Janet Salomonson, MD – Plastic Surgery
- Pamela Schaff, MD – General Pediatrics
- Robert Selby, MD* – Pediatric Surgery
- David Skaggs, MD – Orthopedic Surgery
- Neil Sherman, MD – Pediatric Surgery
- Stuart Siegel, MD* – Hemotology/Oncology
- Vaughn Starnes, MD* -- Thoracic Surgery
- James Stein, MD* – Pediatric Surgery
- Daniel Thomas, MD – Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Vernon Tolo, MD* – Orthopedic Surgery
- Timothy Triche, MD/PhD* – Anatomic Pathology
- Susan Turkel, MD – Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mark Urata, MD/DDS* – Plastic Surgery
- Winfield Wells, MD* – Cardiothoracic Surgery
- Nancy Ruth Zimble, MD – General Pediatrics
Note: Asterisk * denotes a Top Doctor who, in Castle Connolly's estimation, is among the top 1% in the nation in his or her specialty.
About Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
Children's Hospital Los Angeles has been named the best children’s hospital in California and among the best in the nation for clinical excellence with its selection to the prestigious US News & World Report Honor Roll. Children’s Hospital is home to The Saban Research Institute, one of the largest and most productive pediatric research facilities in the United States. The hospital is also one of America's premier teaching hospitals through its affiliation since 1932 with the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. For more information, visit www.CHLA.org. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn, or visit our blog: www.WeAreChildrens.org.
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