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From the Chair
Temperatures have soared this summer, and so has the enthusiasm of those at the Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center who devote their lives to improving the health and well-being of Georgia’s youngest citizens. Our team of health care providers grows more impressive with every passing year, and we are pleased to introduce our new recruits in this edition of Georgia Kids First. Please take a moment to peruse the specialties, research interests and clinical focus areas of the stellar new members of our faculty, along with our 2012-13 pediatric interns. We think you will agree that their extensive expertise and boundless dedication make for a healing environment that rivals that of the best facilities in the world. And don’t overlook the articles in this edition that aim to launch a sunny, successful school year for the backpack-toting set. Immunizations, vision/hearing screenings and healthy sleep habits are among the topics covered to ensure that all of Georgia’s children make the grade this year. On a personal note, I’m pleased to announce that I have been appointed a scientific reviewer for the Neurofibromatosis Research Program for U.S. Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs. Using my expertise as a pediatric neuro-oncologist, I will serve on two Experimental Therapies and Diagnosis panels reviewing grant applications for drug and device development as well as targeted and gene therapies for neurofibromatosis, the most common genetic disorder affecting the nervous system. I am delighted to be better-positioned than ever to support our most precious resource, our children. And as you’ll see in these pages, I am in excellent company. n
Asthma Screenings Have Area Children Breathing Easy
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After 10 children died from asthma in the Augusta area from 200608, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended more community education in this region. The Georgia Health Sciences Children’s Medical Center responded on several Jennifer Anderson fronts, including teaming with Kohl’s to provide asthma screening and education last spring. This free event was the second in a series of asthma education initiatives funded by a $32,000 grant from the Kohl’s Cares program. “With asthma cases rising in both numbers and severity, we want to do everything we can to provide education for patients and families,” said Jennifer Anderson, CMC Director of Respiratory Care Services. “Our goal is to help patients manage their asthma and prevent adverse events.” A condition affecting about 226,000 children in Georgia, asthma is a lifelong disease that targets the lungs, causing wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness and coughing. Asthma triggers include smoke, mold, pet dander and air pollution. Although there is no cure, most people can control symptoms and prevent asthma attacks by avoiding triggers and correctly using prescribed medicine. n Respiratory Therapist Lindsay Smith talks to children at a Kohl’s Cares event.
Sincerely,
Bernard L. Maria, M.D./M.B.A. Pediatrician-in-Chief, GHS Children’s Medical Center Ellington Charles Hawes Professor Chair, Department of Pediatrics Georgia Health Sciences University
GEORGIA Kids First
Asthma Treatment at the CMC For more information, call 706-721-3225.