1.888.592.7955Physicians’ Priority Line

Your 24-hour link to pediatric specialists for physician-to-

physician consults, referrals, admissions and neonatal

transport service.

Summer 2009 news BuLLetin for Physicians

Physicians’ Priority Line 1.888.592.7955 | chiLdrensomaha.org

new technoLogy makes heLmet fitting a snaPtransPort services exPand Children’s Hospital & Medical Center is expanding the role of its critical care transport program. With the addition of a new, state-of-the-art ambulance, Children’s is enhancing its mission to include any patient up to 18 years of age. In the past, Children’s had been exclusively providing neonatal transportation to a 150-mile radius. With this expansion, Children’s is now the only critical care transport provider for both neonatal and pediatric patients in Nebraska.

The transport team provides specially trained intensive care nurses, neonatal and pediatric nurse practitioners and physicians to accommodate the needs of all patients. Service area boundaries have also been expanded to include the entire Midwest region. Referring physicians now have more options when deciding to transfer a critical patient to a facility, such as Children’s, with advanced neonatal and pediatric care.

With one call to the Physicians’ Referral Line, Children’s transport nurse will make all the arrangements – either by air or ground. Transport services will be available in mid-September. Call 888.592.7955 to initiate transport services.

Children’s Helmet Clinic is now using state-of-the-art technology for fitting helmets to correct a variety of head shape deformities. The Orthomerica system scans the infant’s head in approxi-mately three seconds – a vast improvement over the hour-long casting procedure previously used.

With this new procedure, the child is placed on the scanner, which reads exact measurements and multiple dimensions of the head. The scans are sent to Orthomerica, who manufactures the helmets. In approximately two weeks, the child receives a custom fit from Children’s helmet maker, who monitors head growth and adjusts the helmet through-out the helmeting process. The scanner also allows the Helmet Clinic to easily track the child’s progress.

Physicians are encouraged to refer patients at about 4 months of age to the Helmet Clinic, where experienced practitioners will determine if a helmet will be beneficial for the child. Waiting until the child is older may result in a less than optimal result, or losing the window of opportunity to helmet, as brain and skull growth slow down significantly by the time the child is 12 months of age.

For any questions or referrals, please contact Children’s Helmet Clinic at 402-955-4168.

Before

After

new digitaL system imProves ecgsChildren’s has implemented Epiphany Cardio Server, a new digital ECG management system which allows practitioners to send their ECG’s for interpretation online. With online capability, Children’s cardiologists Chris Erickson, M.D., and John Kugler, M.D., can interpret the readings from anywhere they have Internet access. Once interpreted, results can be automatically communicated back to the ordering provider.

Historically, ECGs have been sent via fax or courier, sometimes back and forth many times to get a legible reading. “In addition to immediate results, the online management system creates a wonderful ECG database to which physicians can refer,” said Dr. Kugler.

According to Dr. Kugler, it’s important for pediatric ECGs to be interpreted by pediatric electrophysiology experts because pediatric ECGs are so different from adult ECGs. In the future, referring physicians will be able to send their patients’ ECGs to Children’s for interpretation using this system.

save the date The 2009 Upper Midwest Regional Pediatric Conference is a unique pediatric conference providing two distinct tracks specific to each health care provider’s scope of practice. Plan to attend Sept. 10-11, 2009, at theMarina Inn, in South Sioux City, Neb. Go towww.umrpconference.com to register and read the conference brochure.

Pediatric surgery announces feLLowshiP The Division of Pediatric Surgery at Children’s Hospital & Medical Center has initiated a pediatric surgery fellowship. The fellowship is fully integrated with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. The program has received ACGME accreditation, only the 40th such program in North America. This program is consistent with the expansion of Children’s as a regional resource for all pediatric surgical cases.

“Receiving the fellowship demonstrates our commitment to education, and positions Children’s for recognition as a regional and national center of excellence,” said Kenneth Azarow, M.D., pediatric surgeon and program director for the fellowship program.

Fellows receive training in the area of congenital anomalies, pediatric tumors, pediatric trauma, pediatric chest, abdominal wall defects, gastrointestinal and pulmonary diseases of the newborn and childhood.

“We expect to have the best and brightest young surgeons in the country pass through during the application process,” said Dr. Azarow. “Our first fellow, Adam Gorra, M.D., certainly falls into that category.” Dr. Gorra recently completed his general surgery residency at Maine Medical Center. He is a graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.

According to Dr. Azarow, having the fellowship program at Children’s will affect many specialties, not just pediatric surgery, encouraging other specialists to seek out further training here. For information concerning this new program, please contact Kenneth Azarow, M.D., fellowship program director, at kazarow@ChildrensOmaha.org or Robert Cusick, M.D., fellowship assistant program director at rcusick@ChildrensOmaha.org.

chiLdrensomaha.org

chiLdren’s Link advisory counciL

shahaB f. aBdessaLam, m.d.

david m. christensen, m.d.

don w. couLter, m.d.

Brady a. kerr, m.d.

Faxed ECG

Online ECG

In anticipation of the American College of Surgeons’ pre-verification consultation site visit later this year, Children’s is beginning to operate as a Level II trauma hospital & medical center. Children’s has been evaluating its systems based on an extensive list of criteria, including having a specified pediatric trauma team either on site or available 24/7.

Departments included on the Trauma Team include: pediatric surgery, emergency, orthopedics, neurosurgery, radiology, operating room, social work, pediatric intensive care, respiratory therapy, pastoral and spiritual care, pathology, and pharmacy with rehabilitation services involved when needed. The injury prevention and outreach education

chiLdren’s anticiPates trauma designationprogram, in coordination with Kohl’s support, is another large part of the Trauma Program development.

“We feel that traumatic injuries involving children are best managed here at Children’s,” said Shahab Abdessalam, M.D., pediatric surgeon and co-director of the Trauma Program. “We have created a formal trauma system and can best serve pediatric trauma cases because we are dedicated to providing the entire scope of patient care for children.”

Along with Dr. Abdessalam, Thomas Deegan, M.D., emergency room physician, serves as co-director of the trauma program, and Lisa Reichter, B.S.N., R.N., CCRN, serves as the trauma nurse coordinator.

John d. kugLer, m.d.

JosePh t. (Jay) snow, m.d.

Jayesh c. thakker, m.d.

Peggy hogan, r.n., Physician Liaison