Department of Pediatrics Report Academic Year 2022-2023
Dear Colleagues,
We are excited to provide an update from the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. In 2022, when we began to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic, like so many of you, I found myself reflecting on the past few years and particularly on what I have witnessed and learned. What I witnessed was an astounding demonstration of perseverance and resilience from our health care teams. Our faculty, trainees and staff showed incredible strength and dedication as they first battled a pandemic and then during the aftermath, faced new challenges that included fatigue, unanticipated changes, loss and more. Despite all of this, our steadfast and gifted faculty have continued to be successful in clinical care, education and research — the three cornerstones of our mission.
The successes and achievements of our Department could fill many volumes, and I am excited to share just a few highlights from the past academic year with you. As you follow the links in the report you will read about groundbreaking research into brain tumors by our cancer center investigators, and will learn more about how ECMO support has transformed the outlook for some of the sickest children and young adults in our care.
The field of Data Science hardly existed a decade ago, but nowadays — the terms ‘big data’ and ‘Artificial Intelligence’ are in everyone’s vocabulary, and you will read about how we are applying data science to our workflows to improve communication and quality of care.
Embedded in our values as health care professionals is the importance that all children deserve equal access to excellent health care, and this starts at birth. One of our features focuses on how the Newborn Center strives to achieve this for our infants and their families.
Texas Children’s Hospital is no stranger to natural disasters, and in this report, you will hear more about how Department of Pediatrics researchers are leading the development of a regional disaster care Center of Excellence.
At the time of writing, the first anniversary of the tragic shootings at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has just passed. This unthinkable event will impact the community for generations, but in our report, we highlight how our psychology and psychiatry teams have gone above and beyond to respond to the behavioral health needs of the people of Uvalde by building a collaborative and sustainable model of support.
These are just a few snapshots from this Department of Pediatrics report. Please take some time to follow the links, enjoy the content and, like me, feel incredibly proud of all the amazing work that our friends and colleagues have done.
Wishing you all the best,
Lara Shekerdemian, MD, MHA
Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine
Pediatrician-in-Chief, Texas Children’s Hospital
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