Nephrology Archives

Children’s National in the News: 2024

December 26, 2024

In 2024, Children’s National Hospital continued to make remarkable strides across diverse areas of pediatric medicine, from groundbreaking technological innovations to critical health advocacy. The following compilation showcases ten significant stories that demonstrate the breadth and depth of the hospital’s impact, as featured in major national news outlets including NBC Nightly News, CNN, The Washington Post, The New York Times, NPR, The Today Show, Healio, and POLITICO. Delve into our 2024 news highlights for more.

1. World’s smallest pacemaker gives new hope to babies with heart defects

Charles Berul, M.D., and a patient family talk about the pill-sized pacemaker that saved the life of Abby, an infant born with deadly heart defects. (NBC Nightly News)

2. ‘A $10 death trip’: Fentanyl is killing teens. Meet one fighting for his life

Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy, M.D., addiction psychiatrist and director of the Addictions Program, spoke to CNN about the impact of drug addiction on teen health and the lack of resources available to treat opioid use disorder. (CNN)

3. Health panel urges interventions for children and teens with high BMI

Susma Vaidya, M.D., M.P.H., associate medical director of the IDEAL Clinic, shared her concerns about childhood obesity treatment recommendations issued today by a leading panel of independent U.S. health experts. (The Washington Post)

4. An Rx for food? Doctor’s offices offer groceries to those in need

Shideh Majidi, M.D., M.S.C.S., and Emily Frymark, clinical dietitian, spoke about how the food pharmacy, created in partnership with the Capital Area Food Bank, benefits patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions. (The Washington Post)

5. First patient begins newly approved sickle cell gene therapy

Kendric Cromer, a 12-year-old boy being treated at Children’s National Hospital, became the first person in the world with sickle cell disease to begin a commercially approved gene therapy that may cure the condition. “This is a big effort,” says David Jacobsohn, M.D., ScM, M.B.A. (The New York Times)

6. ‘We created this problem’: A pediatric surgeon on how gun violence affects children

Mikael Petrosyan, M.D., associate chief of General and Thoracic Surgery, discusses the stress medical staff face when treating young victims of gun violence. (NPR)

7. 7th grade boy rings bell after final round of chemotherapy

Landon, an 11-year-old patient, rang the bell at Children’s National Hospital with family, friends, doctors and nurses cheering after finishing his final round of chemotherapy. (The Today Show)

8. Study: One in three adolescents experience ‘period poverty’

Monika Goyal, M.D., M.S.C.E., pediatric emergency medicine specialist and co-director of the Center for Translational Research, emphasized the need for awareness in addressing period poverty in teenagers and young adults. (Healio)

9. The AI assurance labs are coming

Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., M.B.A., P.M.P., vice president and chief innovation officer, participates in a panel discussion covering AI data collection, associated risks, reliance and other topics related to artificial intelligence. (POLITICO)

10. First day of a ‘new life’ for a boy with sickle cell

Children’s National patient Kendric Cromer, 12, became one of the first children ever to be treated with a newly approved gene therapy that will free him from the sickle cell disease that has stolen his childhood. (The New York Times)

Transforming pediatric nephrology: Personalized care for every patient

December 20, 2024

“We strive to create an environment where success goes beyond medical results, focusing on lasting improvements in the lives of children around the world,” says Dr. Moxey-Mims.

Big picture

The Kidney Transplantation Program at Children’s National Hospital is the only one of its kind in the Washington, D.C. region focused on the needs of children and teens with kidney disease. Performing up to 20 kidney transplants per year, the program is one of the highest volume centers on the East Coast.

“A significant portion of the recent kidneys came from living donors,” says Marva Moxey-Mims, MD, chief of Nephrology at Children’s National. “This is crucial because living donor kidneys typically perform better and have a longer lifespan than kidneys from deceased donors.”

Children’s National leads the way

At the forefront of groundbreaking treatment, the nephrology team is pioneering progress by providing innovative care and resources. One example is the hospital’s collaboration with the National Kidney Registry and MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute’s Living Donor Program. This provides a greater chance of finding more suitable donors for difficult-to-match children and has resulted in altruistic donations.

“Living kidney donations are transforming the landscape of pediatric transplants” says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “By significantly reducing wait times, we provide children with faster access to life-saving care and a quicker journey to restored health. This reflects our unwavering dedication to improving the lives of every child we serve.”

That commitment is also seen in the division’s focus on making sure families have the resources they need during their medical journey. Through philanthropic funding, families with children undergoing kidney transplants and dialysis can receive financial assistance. In some cases, donors will be eligible for lost wage reimbursement up to $2,000 per week for up to 12 weeks (total maximum $24,000), and up to $6,000 for travel, lodging, and dependent care. Families can also receive funds for medication co-pays and other expenses incurred around the time of the transplant.

“These funds are true lifesavers for families navigating medical challenges,” says Jennifer Verbesey, MD, surgical director of pediatric kidney transplantation at Children’s National. “We are committed to ensuring that families have access to the care and resources their child requires regardless of their financial situation.”

Global efforts

In addition to the work her team is doing in the United States, Dr. Moxey-Mims is on a mission to address pediatric renal disease on a global scale. Most recently, Dr. Moxey-Mims traveled to the Kuwait Pediatric Congress in November, to discuss advances in pediatric renal care.

“Children’s National was the only pediatric hospital from the United States represented at the meeting, says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “This demonstrates our commitment to tackling this chronic condition.”

In February, Dr. Moxey-Mims will travel to Cape Town, South Africa for the 2025 International Pediatric Nephrology Association Congress, where she will present on treatments to slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.

Bottom line

Children’s National is at the forefront of pediatric kidney transplantation. “Our approach addresses every aspect of a patient’s journey,” says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “We strive to create an environment where success goes beyond medical results, focusing on lasting improvements in the lives of children around the world.”

Learn more about our latest advances in pediatric Nephrology.

The best of 2024 from Innovation District

December 19, 2024

2024 marked another groundbreaking year for Children’s National Hospital, showcasing remarkable advances across the spectrum of pediatric medicine, research and healthcare innovation. From pioneering surgical procedures to breakthrough artificial intelligence applications, the institution continued to push the boundaries of what’s possible in children’s healthcare. Read on for our list of the most popular articles we published on Innovation District in 2024.

1. Prenatal COVID exposure associated with changes in newborn brain

A study led by researchers at Children’s National Hospital showed that babies born during the COVID-19 pandemic have differences in the size of certain structures in the brain, compared to infants born before the pandemic. The findings suggest that exposure to the coronavirus and being pregnant during the pandemic could play a role in shaping infant brain development.
(3 min. read)

2. Children’s National Hospital again ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report

Children’s National Hospital was ranked as a top hospital in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report 2024-25 Best Children’s Hospitals annual rankings. This marks the eighth straight year Children’s National has made the Honor Roll list. The Honor Roll is a distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals nationwide.
(2 min. read)

3. Children’s National performs first ever HIFU procedure on patient with cerebral palsy

In January 2023, a team of multidisciplinary doctors performed the first case in the world of using bilateral high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) pallidotomy on Jesus, a 22-year-old patient with dyskinetic cerebral palsy. The procedure is part of a clinical trial led by Chima Oluigbo, M.D., pediatric neurosurgeon at Children’s National Hospital.
(3 min. read)

4. Novel ultrasound device gets FDA breakthrough designation with Children’s National support

A novel ultrasound device developed by Bloom Standard received the Food and Drug Administration’s valued breakthrough device designation with the help of Children’s National Hospital. The device that enables autonomous, hands-free ultrasound scans to be performed anywhere, by any user.
(2 min. read)

5. First-of-its-kind pilot study on the impacts of Lyme disease in pregnancy and infant development

Understanding the effects of Lyme disease on the developing fetal brain is essential to ensure timely prenatal and postnatal treatments to protect the fetus and newborn. In response to this need, Children’s National Hospital is leading a pilot study to establish the groundwork needed for a larger study to determine the effect of in utero exposure to Lyme disease on pregnancy and early childhood neurodevelopmental outcomes.
(3 min. read)

6. Earliest hybrid HLHS heart surgery kids thrive 5 years later

Five years ago, Cayden was born 6 weeks early weighing less than four pounds and at risk of dying from her critical congenital heart disease. Today, she’s a happy five-year-old. Early diagnosis of her hypoplastic right ventricle, double inlet left ventricle and critical coarctation of the aorta allowed for the team at Children’s National Hospital to create a careful plan for safe delivery and to offer an innovative hybrid HLHS surgical approach at the hospital within 24 hours after she was born.
(1 min. read)

7. Wayne J. Franklin, M.D., F.A.C.C., named senior vice president of the Children’s National Heart Center

Children’s National Hospital appointed Wayne J. Franklin, M.D., F.A.C.C., as the new senior vice president (SVP) of the Children’s National Heart Center. In this role, Dr. Franklin oversees the full spectrum of heart care services including cardiac imaging and diagnostics, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, cardiac anesthesia, cardiac surgery and cardiac intensive care.
(2 min. read)

8. Artificial – and accelerated – intelligence: endless applications to expand health equity

By pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) innovation programs at Children’s National Hospital, Marius George Linguraru, D.Phil., M.A., M.Sc., and the AI experts he leads are ensuring patients and families benefit from a coming wave of technological advances. The team is teaching AI to interpret complex data that could otherwise overwhelm clinicians.
(4 min. read)

9. Evidence review: Maternal mental conditions drive climbing death rate in U.S.

Painting a sobering picture, a research team led by Children’s National Hospital culled years of data demonstrating that maternal mental illness is an under-recognized contributor to the death of new mothers. They called for urgent action to address this public health crisis.
(3 min. read)

10. Nathan Kuppermann, M.D., M.P.H., named chief academic officer and chair of Pediatrics

Children’s National Hospital appointed Nathan Kuppermann, M.D., M.P.H., as its new executive vice president, chief academic officer and chair of Pediatrics. In this role, Dr. Kuppermann oversees research, education and innovation for the Children’s National Research Institute as well as academic and administrative leadership in the Department of Pediatrics at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Services.
(2 min. read)

11. First global clinical trial achieves promising results for hypochondroplasia

Researchers from Children’s National Hospital presented findings from the first clinical trial of the medication vosoritide for children with hypochondroplasia – a rare genetic growth disorder. During the phase 2 trial, researchers found vosoritide increased the growth rate in children with hypochondroplasia, allowing them to grow on average an extra 1.8 cm per year.
(2 min. read)

12. Pioneering research center aims to revolutionize prenatal and neonatal health

Since its establishment in July 2023, the Center for Prenatal, Neonatal & Maternal Health Research at Children’s National Hospital has gained recognition through high-impact scientific publications, featuring noteworthy studies exploring the early phases of human development.
(3 min. read)

Advancements in nephrology: Highlights from ASN 2024 Kidney Week

November 22, 2024

Thousands of medical professionals and researchers from around the world gathered in San Diego this October for Kidney Week 2024. The American Society of Nephrology’s (ASN) annual meeting and scientific exposition featured advances in treatment, research and technology in the fight against kidney disease.

Doctors, fellows and faculty from Children’s National Hospital participated, presenting their latest research and clinical advancements in pediatric kidney disease.

Posters and topics from Children’s National included:

Jordy Salcedo-Giraldo, M.D., FAAP: Structured Application of Nephrogenetics in a Pediatric Kidney Clinic Is Clinically Impactful and Challenging
Jordy Salcedo-Giraldo, M.D., FAAP: Unmasking the Mimickers: HNF1B Variants in Pediatric Kidney Diseases
Sarah Rogal, M.D., Ph.D.: Rapidly Progressive Kidney Failure in a Patient with Longstanding Juvenile Dermatomyositis
Jennifer Nhan, M.D.: AKI in Patients with Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children
Krista Wink: The Inherited and Polycystic Kidney Disease Program
Kaushalendra Amatya, Ph.D.: Barriers to Communication with Transplant Providers Among Pediatric Kidney Transplant Patients and Their Caregivers

Additionally, there was a presentation from Denver Brown, M.D.: Low Serum Bicarbonate and Cardiovascular Disease Risk in Children with CKD.

Learn more about the IPKD program and the division of Nephrology at Children’s National.

Children’s National again ranked among the best in the nation by U.S. News & World Report

October 8, 2024

Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., was ranked as a top hospital in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report 2024-25 Best Children’s Hospitals annual rankings. This marks the eighth straight year Children’s National has made the Honor Roll list. The Honor Roll is a distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals nationwide.

This year, U.S. News ended ordinal rankings on its Honor Roll. Instead of assigning a numerical rank from 1 to 10, all hospitals on the Honor Roll will be recognized as having attained the highest standards of care in the nation.

In addition, Children’s National tied for #1 pediatric hospital in the Mid-Atlantic region, which includes New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania, the District of Columbia, West Virginia and Virginia. It’s also best in the Mid-Atlantic in Neonatology.

For the fourteenth straight year, Children’s National ranked in 10 specialty services. New this year, U.S. News included behavioral health as a service line in the rankings. Since it’s the first year, there are no ordinal rankings for behavioral health, but the Children’s National program was named one of the top 50 programs in the country.

“In my first year here, I witnessed what makes Children’s National so special — our commitment to collaboration, empowering one another, and charting a bold path forward for pediatric care,” said Michelle Riley-Brown, MHA, FACHE, president and chief executive officer of Children’s National. “I’m proud U.S. News again recognized Children’s National as one of the top in the nation and the highest-ranked pediatric hospital in D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Together, we’ll continue to push the boundaries of care, research and innovation to make a difference for those who matter most — the kids.”

The annual rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals and recognizes the nation’s top 50 pediatric hospitals based on a scoring system developed by U.S. News.

“For nearly two decades, U.S. News has published Best Children’s Hospitals to empower the parents and caregivers of children with complex medical needs,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Children’s hospitals appearing on the U.S. News Honor Roll have a track record of delivering unparalleled specialized care.”

The bulk of the score for each specialty service is based on quality and outcomes data. The process includes a survey of relevant specialists across the country, who are asked to list hospitals they believe provide the best care for patients with the most complex conditions.

The Children’s National specialty services that U.S. News ranked in the top 10 nationally are:

Neonatology (No. 2), led by Billie Lou Short, M.D.
Neurology and Neurosurgery (No. 5), led by William D. Gaillard, M.D., and Robert F. Keating, M.D.
Cancer (No. 5), led by Eugene Hwang, M.D.
Diabetes and Endocrinology (No. 7), led by Andrew Dauber, M.D., MMSc.
Gastroenterology and GI surgery (No. 8), led by Ian Leibowitz, M.D., Marc Levitt, M.D., Anthony Sandler, M.D., and Timothy Kane, M.D.
Nephrology (No. 8), led by Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D.
Orthopedics (No. 9), led by Matthew Oetgen, M.D., M.B.A.

The other four specialties ranked among the top 50 are Behavioral Health, Cardiology and Heart Surgery, Pulmonology and Lung Surgery, and Urology.

Around the world

July 2, 2024

Our Global Health Initiative launched in 2016 with the goal of eliminating pediatric health disparities around the world. We aim to address the most pressing pediatric health issues through better care for medically underserved populations. This leadership helps us achieve our mission of caring for all children. A broad range of education and research projects improves health outcomes. They also offer enriching opportunities for experienced faculty and emerging leaders to advance clinical excellence.

Healing hearts in Uganda

Dr. Craig Sable and team train partners in Uganda.

Craig Sable, M.D., interim chief of Cardiology, improves care for young people with rheumatic heart disease (RHD) in Uganda. Donors, including the Karp Family Foundation, Huron Philanthropies, Zachary Blumenfeld Fund and the Wood family, make this possible. RHD affects 50 million people, mostly children, worldwide. It claims 400,000 lives each year.

Dr. Sable and Ugandan partners completed important research showing that early RHD detection, coupled with monthly penicillin treatment, can protect the heart. They are working on practical solutions, such as a new portable device with artificial intelligence (AI) that can easily screen for RHD.

In 2023, Dr. Sable led two missions in Uganda where he and his team did surgeries and special tests for 18 children with RHD. They also taught local doctors new skills to help more kids on their own.

Plastic surgery and reconstructive care in Kenya and Nepal

Each year our Craniofacial & Pediatric Plastic Surgery team, under the leadership of Johnston Family Professor of Pediatric Plastic Surgery and Chief of Pediatric Plastic Surgery Gary Rogers, M.D., J.D., LL.M., M.B.A., M.P.H., provides opportunities for fellows to participate in surgical missions.

In 2024, Perry Bradford, M.D., traveled to the Moi Teaching Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya where she provided patients with burn, pressure wound and cleft reconstruction. She built community connections with the local plastic surgeons and educated registrars and medical students. “This gave me firsthand experience working in a community with limited resources and forced me to be more creative,” Dr. Bradford says. “The experience inspired me to examine what it means to have consistent access to advanced tools and equipment.”

In 2022, a group traveled to Nepal to provide care. Some patients arrived after days of travel by yak or buffalo. One child with a burn injury recovered use of her hand. The team educated local providers to deliver life-changing treatments unavailable in Nepal.

Dr. Tesfaye Zelleke, left, and team in Ethopia.

Elevating epilepsy care in Ethiopia

Neurologist Tesfaye Zelleke, M.D., and partners in Ethiopia are seeking to improve the lives of children with epilepsy. The BAND Foundation provides support. Ethiopia has a population of about 120 million yet only a handful of pediatric neurologists.

Dr. Zelleke’s team trained nonspecialist providers to diagnose and treat children in the primary care setting. They also launched a mobile epilepsy clinic to provide community care and build the capacity of local clinicians. In collaboration with advocacy groups, the team educates the public about epilepsy with a goal of reducing stigma.

New hope in Norway

In 2023, our Division of Colorectal & Pelvic Reconstruction shared its expertise with clinicians at Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet, in Norway. This effort was a key first step in Oslo becoming the first dedicated colorectal center in Scandinavia.

Marc Levitt, M.D., and team members performed complex surgeries otherwise unavailable for waiting patients. They led an academic conference. They held clinics to educate nurses, reviewed patient records and made care recommendations. Specialized care enabled a young patient with significant bowel difficulties to recover function and lead a normal life.

The team will travel to South Africa, the Czech Republic and Spain in 2024. Donors, including The Dune Road Foundation and Deanna and Howard Bayless, make this work possible.

Improving outcomes for babies in the Congo

AI can be a valuable tool for diagnosing genetic conditions. It detects unique facial patterns that clinicians without genetics training can miss. However, existing facial analysis software struggles in nonwhite populations.

A team led by Marius George Linguraru, D.Phil., M.A., M.Sc., the Connor Family Professor of Research and Innovation and principal investigator in the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, is working to improve the newborn diagnosis rate worldwide. They are testing smartphone software in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Diverse newborn data improves AI’s ability to detect a variety of genetic conditions in more children. Early detection, diagnosis and informed care lead to better health outcomes.

Nephrology care for kids in Jamaica

Jennifer Carver and Dr. Marva Moxey-Mims, center, with staff at Bustamante Children’s Hospital.

Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., chief of Nephrology, is bringing care to children with kidney disease in Jamaica, with a goal of improving health equity. An International Pediatric Nephrology Association grant helped make it possible.

On a recent trip, Dr. Moxey-Mims and a small team — including Jennifer Carver, RN, CNN, lead peritoneal dialysis nurse at Children’s National, and three pediatric nephrologists from Jamaica — trained nearly 30 nurses from Jamaican hospitals. Nurses received hands-on dialysis education to improve their clinical skills. The team also worked to educate the community in disease awareness and prevention.

Children’s National Hospital at the 2024 Pediatric Academic Societies meeting

April 26, 2024

Children’s National Hospital-affiliated participants will present at this year’s Pediatric Academic Societies meeting. The meeting will take place in Toronto, from May 2-6, 2024. For information on the presentations, please refer to the chart below.

Day	Time	Presenter(s)	Title
5/3/2024	9:00 AM	Stacey Stokes, M.D., M.P.H.	APA QI: Informatics for Improvers: Leveraging Clinical Decision Support to Propel Data-Driven and Reliable Continuous Improvement
5/3/2024	12:00 PM	Rana F. Hamdy, M.D., M.P.H., MSCE	A Career in Antimicrobial Stewardship… so Much More to Explore
5/3/2024	12:00 PM	Ashima Gulati, M.D., Ph.D., FASN	Case Studies in Pediatric Kidney Diseases: Who, When and How to Order Genetic Testing?
5/3/2024	3:45 PM	Priti Bhansali, M.D., ME.d.	iSPOT an Improvement: Taking Peer Observation and Feedback to the Next Level
5/3/2024	3:45 PM	Josepheen De Asis-Cruz, M.D., Ph.D.	Maternal psychopathology and SSRI use during pregnancy are associated with altered fetal hippocampal connectivity in utero
5/4/2024	8:00 AM	Andrea J. Boudreaux, Psy.D., M.P.H., M.H.A., F.A.C.H.E.	A Doctor in the School Nurse’s Office? Bringing a Virtual School Based Program into Practice
5/4/2024	8:00 AM	Jessica Hippolyte, M.D., M.P.H.	A Practical Approach to a Thorny Issue: Evaluating the Role of Race, Ethnicity, and Ancestry in Clinical Decision-Making
5/4/2024	8:00 AM	Ashraf S. Harahsheh, M.D., F.A.A.P., F.A.C.C.	Cardiology 1
5/4/2024	8:00 AM	Dewesh Agrawal, M.D.	Emergency Medicine 1: Quality and Safety
5/4/2024	8:00 AM	Lenore Jarvis, M.D., ME.d. Amanda Stewart, M.D., M.P.H.	From Bedside to State House: Daily Advocacy
5/4/2024	8:00 AM	Aisha Barber, M.D., ME.d.	Unionization in Pediatrics: A Pro-Con Debate
5/4/2024	8:45 AM	Jillian E. Nickerson, M.D., M.S.	Implementation of tele-psychiatry in an urban pediatric satellite emergency department
5/4/2024	9:00 AM	Jessica Weisz, M.D.	“TEACH”ing: Evaluation of a 3-Year Multimodal Child Poverty Curriculum
5/4/2024	9:00 AM	Tameka T. Watson, M.D.	Timing of Growth Failure in Very Premature Infants and Implications for Brain Development
5/4/2024	10:00 AM	Neha H. Shah, M.D., M.P.H.	Subspecialty Networking Breakout: Pediatric Hospital Medicine
5/4/2024	11:00 AM	Lee S. Beers, M.D.	AAP Presidential Plenary: Emerging Research on the Intersections of Mental Health, Impact of the Pandemic, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
5/4/2024	11:00 AM	Denver Brown, M.D.	Implications of SDOH on glomerular disease, hypertension and CKD
5/4/2024	11:15 AM	Josepheen De Asis-Cruz, M.D., Ph.D.	Associations Between Antenatal Opioid Exposure and Newborn Functional Brain Connectivity
5/4/2024	2:00 PM	Ian Chua, M.D., M.H.P.E.	Addressing Misinformation & Building Competency for Gender Diverse Patient Care
5/5/2024	8:00 AM	Tamara Gayle, M.D., ME.d., M.P.H.	APA SIG: Pediatric Hospital Medicine – Creating an Inclusive and Sustainable Workplace
5/5/2024	8:00 AM	Suma B. Hoffman, M.D., M.S. Simranjeet S. Sran, M.E., ME.d., C.H.S.E., F.A.A.P.	Hands on Workshop: Complex Resuscitations in Neonates and Infants – Managing High Acuity, Low Occurrence (HALO) Events
5/5/2024	8:15 AM	Jaytoya Manget, D.N.P., M.S.P.H., F.N.P.	Connecting the Dots to Improve Health and Education Equity: Results of A Pilot Program Integrating School Attendance Data into a Pediatric Primary Care
5/5/2024	8:55 AM	Aisha Barber, M.D., ME.d.	APA Pediatric Hospital Medicine SIG – Creating an Inclusive and Sustainable Workplace
5/5/2024	11:00 AM	Nicola Brodie, M.D. Julie Heier, Ph.D. Courtney Horton, M.D. Darcel Jackson, C.P.X.P., L.S.S.G.B. Emma Whitmyre, Ph.D.	Challenge Accepted: Integrating Behavioral Health in Primary Care for Children with Medical Complexity and Their Families
5/5/2024	11:00 AM	Ian Chua, M.D., M.H.P.E. Margarita Ramos, M.D., M.S. Neha H. Shah, M.D., M.P.H.	Embracing Failure: The Key To Success In Academic Medicine
5/5/2024	11:00 AM	Caleb E. Ward, M.B., B.Chir., M.P.H.	Emergency Medicine 4
5/5/2024	11:00 AM	Dewesh Agrawal, M.D. Terry Kind, M.D., M.P.H.	Launching and Landing a Career in Medical Education: From Passion to Profession
5/5/2024	11:00 AM	Nathaniel S. Beers, M.D., M.P.A. Andrea J. Boudreaux, Psy.D., M.P.H., M.H.A., F.A.C.H.E. Bianca Johnson, M.S.W. Jaytoya Manget, D.N.P., M.S.P.H., F.N.P. Jessica Weisz, M.D.	School Attendance as a Vital Sign: Integrating school attendance into practice to advance health and educational equity
5/5/2024	11:05 AM	Sudeepta Basu, M.D.	SPR 2023 Bridging to Success Award: GABA-editing spectroscopy for understanding the developing brain in preterm infants.
5/5/2024	2:00 PM	Allison M. Jackson, M.D., M.P.H.	Child Protective Services Referrals in the Context of Intimate Partner Violence: Clinical Practice, Research, & Advocacy
5/5/2024	2:00 PM	Josepheen De Asis-Cruz, M.D., Ph.D.	In utero SSRI exposure alters fetal cerebral cortical development and structural brain connectivity
5/5/2024	2:00 PM	Jeremy Kern, M.D. Lydia Lissanu, M.D. Elana Neshkes, M.D. Laura A. Nicholson, M.S.N., R.N., C.P.N., C.H.S.E. Grace Quinn, M.D. Ariella M. Weinstock, M.D., M.S. Ed	STRIVE for a restorative de-escalation: Strategies for a TRauma-Informed approach using Verbal and Environmental Skills
5/5/2024	2:45 PM	Kristen Sgambat, Ph.D., RD	Arterial stiffness, body composition, and perception of racism in pediatric kidney transplant recipients
5/5/2024	2:45 PM	Sudeepta Basu, M.D.	Cerebellar GABA and Glutamate Concentrations at Term-equivalent age Predicts 18-month Cognitive Deficits in Preterm Infants
5/6/2024	8:00 AM	Ian Chua, M.D., M.H.P.E. Gabrina Dixon, M.D., ME.d. Tamara Gayle, M.D., ME.d., M.P.H. Margarita Ramos, M.D., M.S.	Amplify Your Voice: Media Strategies Beyond Conventional Academic Dissemination
5/6/2024	8:00 AM	Stacey Stokes, M.D., M.P.H. Padma Swamy, M.D., M.P.H.	APA SIG: Health Informatics and Serving the Underserved Combined – Moving the Needle on Social Needs: From Screening to Data Management and Response
5/6/2024	8:00 AM	Deena Berkowitz, M.D., M.P.H.	APA Urgent Care SIG: You’re Not Too Busy To Think About Promotion: Leveraging Your Current Scholarly Activities For Academic Advancement
5/6/2024	8:30 AM	Padma Swamy, M.D., M.P.H.	Screening, data sharing, and resource allocation considerations when developing social needs interventions
5/6/2024	1:00 PM	Christina Lindgren, M.D.	APA Simulation-based Medical Education (SBME) SIG
5/6/2024	1:00 PM	Gabrina Dixon, M.D., ME.d.	Creating and Optimizing a Visiting Elective at your Institution for Underrepresented in Medicine (URiM) Students
5/6/2024	1:00 PM	Junghoon Kim, Ph.D.	Improved prediction of fetal neurobiological features by censoring high-motion frames in fetal functional MRI
5/6/2024	1:05 PM	Christina Lindgren, M.D.	Introduction to Conceptual Frameworks for Simulation Based Medical Education
5/6/2024	1:10 PM	Suma B. Hoffman, M.D., M.S.	Small Group Activity: Name That Conceptual Framework
5/6/2024	2:15 PM	Margaret Rush, M.D., M.S.H.S.	Racial disparities in hospital length of stay for bacterial tracheostomy associated infections

Continuing Medical Education: Disparities in pediatric kidney disease

February 22, 2024

Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D.

Join Children’s National Hospital for a pre-recorded Continuing Medical Education (CME) presentation on Disparities in Pediatric Kidney Disease. The session, featuring Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., Division Chief of Nephrology at Children’s National, offers one (1) CME credit.

Learning Objectives:

Recognize racial differences in chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) in children
Understand the impact of apolipoprotein 1 (APOL1) genetic mutations on CKD and ESKD
Recognize disparities in kidney transplant access and allograft survival

Click here to view the presentation.

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group photo from nephrology training in Jamaica

Update: Collaboration across borders to improve access to nephrology care

February 12, 2024

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Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., division chief of Nephrology at Children’s National, has a grant from the International Pediatric Nephrology Association (IPNA) to bring care to children with kidney disease in Jamaica.

During her recent trip, Dr. Moxey-Mims was joined by peritoneal dialysis nurse, Jennifer Carver, RN, and three pediatric nephrologists in Jamaica, Drs. Maolynne Miller, Nadia McClean and Sandrica Peart. Together, they trained close to 30 nurses from three hospitals across the island, including the Bustamante Children’s Hospital, the University Hospital of the West Indies — both in Kingston — and the Cornwall Regional Hospital in Montego Bay.

Nurses were given hands-on training in using peritoneal dialysis cycler machines and manual peritoneal dialysis. The training is part of an initiative that focuses on:

Improving clinical training of staff (medical, nursing, and allied health) involved in caring for children with kidney disease
Developing and upgrading services for children and adolescents with kidney diseases
Educating the community on disease awareness and prevention strategies

“Our ability to offer innovative training and resources to nurses underscores our commitment to ensuring children throughout Jamaica receive the essential care they require,” said Dr. Moxey-Mims. “This signifies to both domestic and international audiences that we’re upholding our pledge to health equity.”

Children’s National in the News: 2023

January 18, 2024

Explore some of the notable medical advancements and stories of bravery that defined 2023, showcasing the steadfast commitment of healthcare professionals at Children’s National Hospital and the resilient spirit of the children they support. Delve into our 2023 news highlights for more.

1. COVID during pregnancy dramatically increases the risk of complications and maternal death, large new study finds

According to a study published in British Medical Journal Global Health, women who get COVID during pregnancy are nearly eight times more likely to die and face a significantly elevated risk of ICU admission and pneumonia. Sarah Mulkey, M.D., prenatal-neonatologist neurologist, discussed findings based on her work with pregnant women and their babies.
(Fortune)

2. Rest isn’t necessarily best for concussion recovery in children, study says

A study led by Christopher Vaughan, Psy.D., pediatric neuropsychologist, suggests that — despite what many people may presume — getting kids back to school quickly is the best way to boost their chance for a rapid recovery after a concussion.
(CNN)

3. Pediatric hospital beds are in high demand for ailing children. Here’s why

David Wessel, M.D., executive vice president, chief medical officer and physician-in-chief, explained that one reason parents were still having trouble getting their children beds in a pediatric hospital or a pediatric unit after the fall 2022 respiratory surge is that pediatric hospitals are paid less by insurance.
(CNN)

4. Anisha Abraham details impact of social media use on children: ‘True mental health crisis’

Anisha Abraham, M.D., M.P.H., chief of the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, joined America’s Newsroom to discuss the impact social media access has had on children’s mental health.
(FOX News)

5. Saving Antonio: Can a renowned hospital keep a boy from being shot again?

After 13-year-old Antonio was nearly killed outside his mom’s apartment, Children’s National Hospital went beyond treating his bullet wounds. Read how our Youth Violence Intervention Program team supported him and his family during his recovery.
(The Washington Post)

6. Formerly conjoined twins reunite with doctors who separated them

Erin and Jade Buckles underwent a successful separation at Children’s National Hospital. Nearly 20 years later they returned to meet with some of the medical staff who helped make it happen.
(Good Morning America)

7. Asthma mortality rates differ by location, race/ethnicity, age

Shilpa Patel, M.D., M.P.H., medical director of the Children’s National IMPACT DC Asthma Clinic, weighed in on a letter published in Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, asserting that the disparities in mortality due to asthma in the United States vary based on whether they occurred in a hospital, ethnicity or race and age of the patient.
(Healio)

8. How one Afghan family made the perilous journey across the U.S.-Mexico border

After one family embarked on a perilous journey from Afghanistan through Mexico to the U.S.-Mexico border, they eventually secured entry to the U.S. where Karen Smith, M.D., medical director of Global Services, aided the family’s transition and provided their daughter with necessary immediate medical treatment.
(NPR)

9. When a child is shot, doctors must heal more than just bullet holes

With the number of young people shot by guns on the rise in the U.S., providers and staff at Children’s National Hospital are trying to break the cycle of violence. But it’s not just the physical wounds though that need treating: young victims may also need help getting back on the right track — whether that means enrolling in school, finding a new group of friends or getting a job.
(BBC News)

10. This 6-year-old is a pioneer in the quest to treat a deadly brain tumor

Callie, a 6-year-old diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, was treated with low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) at Children’s National Hospital and is the second child in the world to receive this treatment for a brain tumor. LIFU is an emerging technology that experts like Hasan Syed, M.D., and Adrianna Fonseca, M.D., are trialing to treat this fatal childhood brain tumor.
(The Washington Post)

11. F.D.A. approves sickle cell treatments, including one that uses CRISPR

The FDA approved a new genetic therapy, giving people with sickle cell disease new opportunities to eliminate their symptoms. David Jacobsohn, M.B.A., M.D., confirmed that Children’s National Hospital is one of the authorized treatment centers and talked about giving priority to the sickest patients if they are on Vertex’s list.
(The New York Times)

12. 6-year-old fulfils wish to dance in the Nutcracker

After the potential need for open-heart surgery threatened Caroline’s Nutcracker performance, Manan Desai, M.D., a cardiac surgeon, figured out a less invasive procedure to help reduce her recovery time so she could perform in time for the holidays.
(Good Morning America)

Children’s National designated as Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation Pediatric Clinic

January 5, 2024

Children’s National Hospital has been designated as a Pediatric Clinic by the Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) Foundation, the only organization in the U.S. solely dedicated to finding treatments and a cure for PKD. This elite designation is given to nephrology practices and clinics that meet patient-centered, specialized PKD criteria established by the PKD Foundation.

As a designated Pediatric Clinic by the PKD Foundation, the Inherited and Polycystic Kidney Diseases (IPKD) Program within the Division of Nephrology at Children’s National offers comprehensive care with the coordination and support of an integrated healthcare team, access to top PKD experts with leading research, and a network of specialists and other providers for referrals, partnerships and mentoring.

“This achievement has been made possible with the support of the PKD Foundation and our Division of Nephrology as we join hands to provide next-level PKD focused care for our patients and families,” says Ashima Gulati, M.D., Ph.D., pediatric nephrologist at Children’s National.

“As PKD providers, it reminds us that we are all part of the larger PKD community with our patients and caregivers at the center. I am delighted that the Children’s National Division of Nephrology is part of this initiative that aligns with the mission of the PKD Foundation to move promising PKD therapies into clinical practice and focuses on providing the best possible PKD care as of today,” Gulati said.

The best of 2023 from Innovation District

December 27, 2023

Advanced MRI visualization techniques to follow blood flow in the hearts of cardiac patients. Gene therapy for pediatric patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. 3D-printed casts for treating clubfoot. These were among the most popular articles we published on Innovation District in 2023. Read on for our full list.

1. Advanced MRI hopes to improve outcomes for Fontan cardiac patients

Cardiac imaging specialists and cardiac surgeons at Children’s National Hospital are applying advanced magnetic resonance imaging visualization techniques to understand the intricacies of blood flow within the heart chambers of children with single ventricle heart defects like hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The data allows surgeons to make critical corrections to the atrioventricular valve before a child undergoes the single ventricle procedure known as the Fontan.
(3 min. read)

2. Children’s National gives first commercial dose of new FDA-approved gene therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy

Children’s National Hospital became the first pediatric hospital to administer a commercial dose of Elevidys (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl), the first gene therapy for the treatment of pediatric patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Elevidys is a one-time intravenous gene therapy that aims to delay or halt the progression of DMD by delivering a modified, functional version of dystrophin to muscle cells.
(2 min. read)

3. New model to treat Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Researchers at Children’s National Hospital developed a pre-clinical model to test drugs and therapies for Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD), a debilitating neuromuscular disease that is growing in numbers and lacks treatment options. The work provides scientists with a much-needed method to identify, develop and de-risk drugs for patients with BMD.
(2 min. read)

4. First infants in the U.S. with specially modified pacemakers show excellent early outcomes

In 2022, five newborns with life-threatening congenital heart disease affecting their heart rhythms were the first in the United States to receive a novel modified pacemaker generator to stabilize their heart rhythms within days of birth. Two of the five cases were cared for at Children’s National Hospital. In a follow-up article, the team at Children’s National shared that “early post-operative performance of this device has been excellent.”
(2 min. read)

5. AI: The “single greatest tool” for improving access to pediatric healthcare

Experts from the Food and Drug Administration, Pfizer, Oracle Health, NVIDIA, AWS Health and elsewhere came together to discuss how pediatric specialties can use AI to provide medical care to kids more efficiently, more quickly and more effectively at the inaugural symposium on AI in Pediatric Health and Rare Diseases, hosted by Children’s National Hospital and the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech.
(3 min. read)

6. AAP names Children’s National gun violence study one of the most influential articles ever published

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) named a 2019 study led by clinician-researchers at Children’s National Hospital one of the 12 most influential Pediatric Emergency Medicine articles ever published in the journal Pediatrics. The findings showed that states with stricter gun laws and laws requiring universal background checks for gun purchases had lower firearm-related pediatric mortality rates but that more investigation was needed to better understand the impact of firearm legislation on pediatric mortality.
(2 min. read)

7. Why a colorectal transition program matters

Children’s National Hospital recently welcomed pediatric and adult colorectal surgeon Erin Teeple, M.D., to the Division of Colorectal and Pelvic Reconstruction. Dr. Teeple is the only person in the United States who is board-certified as both a pediatric surgeon and adult colorectal surgeon, uniquely positioning her to care for people with both acquired and congenital colorectal disease and help them transition from pediatric care to adult caregivers.
(3 min. read)

8. First-of-its-kind holistic program for managing pain in sickle cell disease

The sickle cell team at Children’s National Hospital received a grant from the Founders Auxiliary Board to launch a first-of-its-kind, personalized holistic transformative program for the management of pain in sickle cell disease. The clinic uses an inter-disciplinary approach of hematology, psychology, psychiatry, anesthesiology/pain medicine, acupuncture, mindfulness, relaxation and aromatherapy services.
(3 min read)

9. Recommendations for management of positive monosomy X on cell-free DNA screening

Non-invasive prenatal testing using cell-free DNA (cfDNA) is currently offered to all pregnant women regardless of the fetal risk. In a study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, researchers from Children’s National Hospital provided context and expert recommendations for maternal and fetal evaluation and management when cfDNA screening is positive for monosomy X or Turner Syndrome.
(2 min. read)

10. Innovation in clubfoot management using 3D anatomical mapping

While clubfoot is relatively common and the treatment is highly successful, the weekly visits required for Ponseti casting can be a significant burden on families. Researchers at Children’s National Hospital are looking for a way to relieve that burden with a new study that could eliminate the weekly visits with a series of 3D-printed casts that families can switch out at home.
(1 min. read)

11. Gender Self-Report seeks to capture the gender spectrum for broad research applications

A new validated self-report tool provides researchers with a way to characterize the gender of research participants beyond their binary designated sex at birth. The multi-dimensional Gender Self-Report, developed using a community-driven approach and then scientifically validated, was outlined in a peer-reviewed article in the American Psychologist, a journal of the American Psychological Association.
(2 min. read)

12. Cardiovascular and bone diseases in chronic kidney disease

In a study published by Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease, a team at Children’s National Hospital reviewed cardiovascular and bone diseases in chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease patients with a focus on pediatric issues and concerns.
(1 min. read)

Revolutionizing pediatric nephrology one patient at a time

December 15, 2023

“With each kidney transplant, we’re not just restoring the health of children, we’re pioneering progress and setting new benchmarks for the field of pediatric nephrology,” says Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., chief of Nephrology at Children’s National Hospital.

“With each kidney transplant, we’re not just restoring the health of children, we’re pioneering progress and setting new benchmarks for the field of pediatric nephrology,” says Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D., chief of Nephrology at Children’s National Hospital. “We offer not just treatment, but a chance for our patients to flourish and live their best life.”

Big picture

The Kidney Transplantation Program at Children’s National is the only one of its kind in the Washington, D.C., region focused on the needs of children and teens with kidney disease.

Performing an average of 15-20 kidney transplants per year, the program’s latest one- and three-year graft and patient survival data from the Scientific Registry for Transplant Recipients is 100%.

“Our program surpasses national numbers, reflecting a commitment to exceptional care, superior patient outcomes and a focus on setting a new standard for excellence in transplant support,” says Dr. Moxey-Mims.

Children’s National leads the way

At the forefront of groundbreaking treatment, the nephrology team is pioneering progress by providing innovative care and resources. One example is the hospital’s collaboration with the National Kidney Registry and MedStar Georgetown Transplant Institute’s Living Donor Program. This provides a greater chance of finding more suitable donors for difficult-to-match children and has resulted in altruistic donations.

“Through living kidney donations, we redefine the timeline for pediatric transplants. Children experience shorter waits and swifter paths to renewed health compared to the national wait list,” says Asha Moudgil, M.D., medical director of the Kidney Transplantation Program at Children’s National. “It’s a testament to our commitment to making a difference in every child’s life.”

That commitment is also seen in the hospital’s focus on making sure families have the resources they need during their medical journey.

“Caring for a child with renal disease is an immense challenge, not only for the young patients but also for their families. The demanding schedule of hospital visits, often three times a week, adds an extra layer of stress and disruption to daily life,” says Dr. Moudgil.

Through grant funding from donors and national programs, families with children undergoing kidney transplants and dialysis can receive financial assistance. In some cases, families receive up to $2,000 of mortgage or rental payment assistance. Families can also receive funds for medication co-pays and other expenses incurred around the time of the transplant.

“In the face of medical adversity, these funds become a source of support,” says Dr. Moudgil. “We make sure every family, regardless of financial constraints, can access the care and resources their child needs.”

Bottom line

Children’s National is at the forefront of pediatric kidney transplantation. “Our unique approach ensures every facet of a patient’s journey is considered,” says Dr. Moxey-Mims. “We’ve created an environment where success is not just a medical outcome but a comprehensive and sustained improvement in a child’s overall quality of life.”

Learn more about our latest advances in pediatric Nephrology.

Modified aquapheresis for the smallest patients in intensive care

December 5, 2023

To date, four patients have benefited from modified aquapheresis at Children’s National in both the PICU and the CICU.

The Division of Nephrology at Children’s National Hospital now offers modified aquapheresis for the smallest patients with acute kidney injury or chronic kidney disease in intensive care units. Aadil Kakajiwala, M.D., MSCI, director of Pediatric Acute Kidney Support Therapies, has been the leader in establishing modified aquapheresis at Children’s National. He joined the faculty at Children’s National in 2021 after completing his pediatric nephrology fellowship at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and pediatric critical care medicine fellowship at Children’s National.

To date, four patients have benefited from modified aquapheresis at Children’s National in both the PICU and the CICU. Dialysis equipment designed for adults has filter set volumes as high as 165ml. Since implementing modified aquapheresis, the new equipment’s filter set volume is just 35ml, making it a great option for dialyzing small patients as low as 1.8kg. This limits blood exposure to the patient and overcomes the limitation of obtaining larger vascular access by using a PICC line.

Dr. Kakajiwala looks to continue training nephrologists, intensive care unit providers and staff across the hospital on modified aquapheresis. “This new offering allows us to offer dialysis to our smallest patients. By utilizing modified aquapheresis, we ensure simultaneous removal of waste products along with fluid removal during the therapy,” says Dr. Kakajiwala. He hopes to work on standardizing all forms of renal replacement therapy offered at Children’s National across all care providers.

Patient and doctor demoing Rare-CAP technology

M.D. in your pocket: New platform allows rare disease patients to carry medical advice everywhere

October 13, 2023

When someone has a rare disease, a trip to the emergency room can be a daunting experience: Patients and their caregivers must share the particulars of their illness or injury, with the added burden of downloading a non-specialist on the details of a rare diagnosis that may change treatment decisions.

Innovators at Children’s National Hospital and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, supported by Takeda, are trying to simplify that experience using a new web-based platform called the Rare Disease Clinical Activity Protocols, or Rare-CAP. This revolutionary collection of medical information allows patients to carry the latest research-based guidance about their rare disorders in their phones, providing a simple QR code that can open a trove of considerations for any medical provider to evaluate as they work through treatment options for someone with an underlying rare disease.

“No one should worry about what happens when they need medical help, especially patients with rare diseases,” said Debra Regier, M.D., division chief of Genetics and Metabolism at Children’s National and Rare-CAP’s lead medical advisor. “We built this new tool because I have watched as my patient-families have wound up in an emergency room — after all, kids get sprains or fractures — but they don’t have the expertise of a rare disease specialist with them. My hope is that they’re going to pull out their phones and access Rare-CAP, which will explain their rare disease to a new provider who can provide more thoughtful and meaningful care.”

The big picture

A rare disease is defined as any disorder that affects less than 200,000 people in the United States. Some 30 million Americans are believed to be living with one of the 7,000 known rare disorders tracked by the National Organization of Rare Diseases (NORD). Led by Dr. Regier, the Rare Disease Institute at Children’s National is one of 40 NORD centers for excellence in the country that provide care, guidance and leadership for the wide array of disorders that make up the rare disease community.

While a key goal of Rare-CAP is to bolster patient self-advocacy, the platform will also allow medical providers to proactively search for protocols on rare diseases when they know they need specialized advice from experts at Children’s National, a network of tertiary care centers and patient organizations.

As a leading values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical company, Takeda has committed $3.85 million to the project to help activate meaningful change and empower a brighter future for rare disease communities, providing a unique understanding of the struggle that patients and caregivers face when they need care.

“Our team, alongside the medical and rare disease community, saw the need for a single portal to collect standardized care protocols, and we are thrilled to see this innovative tool come to life,” said Tom Koutsavlis, M.D., head of U.S. Medical Affairs at Takeda. “People with rare diseases and their caregivers need faster access to authoritative medical information that providers anywhere can act on, this will lead to improving the standard of care, accelerating time to diagnosis and breaking down barriers to increase equitable access.”

The patient benefit

The creators of Rare-CAP imagined its use in a wide range of settings, including emergency rooms, surgical suites, dental offices, urgent care offices and school clinics. The platform will eventually profile thousands of rare diseases and lay out the implications for care, while also creating a dynamic conversation among users who can offer updates based on real-world experience and changes in medical guidance.

“Our patients are unique, and so is this tool,” Dr. Regier said. “As we roll out Rare-CAP, we believe it is just the beginning of the conversation to expand the platform and see its power for the patient and provider grow, with each entry and each new rare disease that’s added to the conversation.”

Children’s National Hospital ranked #5 in the nation on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll

June 21, 2023

Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., was ranked #5 in the nation on the U.S. News & World Report 2023-24 Best Children’s Hospitals annual rankings. This marks the seventh straight year Children’s National has made the Honor Roll list. The Honor Roll is a distinction awarded to only 10 children’s hospitals nationwide.

For the thirteenth straight year, Children’s National also ranked in all 10 specialty services, with eight specialties ranked in the top 10 nationally. In addition, the hospital was ranked best in the Mid-Atlantic for neonatology, cancer, neurology and neurosurgery.

“Even from a team that is now a fixture on the list of the very best children’s hospitals in the nation, these results are phenomenal,” said Kurt Newman, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Children’s National. “It takes a ton of dedication and sacrifice to provide the best care anywhere and I could not be prouder of the team. Their commitment to excellence is in their DNA and will continue long after I retire as CEO later this month.”

“Congratulations to the entire Children’s National team on these truly incredible results. They leave me further humbled by the opportunity to lead this exceptional organization and contribute to its continued success,” said Michelle Riley-Brown, MHA, FACHE, who becomes the new president and CEO of Children’s National on July 1. “I am deeply committed to fostering a culture of collaboration, empowering our talented teams and charting a bold path forward to provide best in class pediatric care. Our focus will always remain on the kids.”

“I am incredibly proud of Kurt and the entire team. These rankings help families know that when they come to Children’s National, they’re receiving the best care available in the country,” said Horacio Rozanski, chair of the board of directors of Children’s National. “I’m confident that the organization’s next leader, Michelle Riley-Brown, will continue to ensure Children’s National is always a destination for excellent care.”

The annual rankings are the most comprehensive source of quality-related information on U.S. pediatric hospitals and recognizes the nation’s top 50 pediatric hospitals based on a scoring system developed by U.S. News.

“For 17 years, U.S. News has provided information to help parents of sick children and their doctors find the best children’s hospital to treat their illness or condition,” said Ben Harder, chief of health analysis and managing editor at U.S. News. “Children’s hospitals that are on the Honor Roll transcend in providing exceptional specialized care.”

The bulk of the score for each specialty service is based on quality and outcomes data. The process includes a survey of relevant specialists across the country, who are asked to list hospitals they believe provide the best care for patients with the most complex conditions.

The eight Children’s National specialty services that U.S. News ranked in the top 10 nationally are:

Neonatology (No. 2), led by Division Chief Billie Lou Short, M.D.
Neurology and Neurosurgery (No. 3), led by Division Chiefs William D. Gaillard, M.D., and Robert F. Keating, M.D.
Cancer (No. 4), led by Division Chief Jeffrey S. Dome, M.D., Ph.D.
Nephrology (No. 6), led by Division Chief Marva Moxey-Mims, M.D.
Orthopedics (No. 7), led by Division Chief Matthew Oetgen, M.D., M.B.A.
Diabetes and Endocrinology (No. 7), led by Division Chief Andrew Dauber, M.D., MMSc.
Gastroenterology and GI surgery (No. 8), led by Division Chief Ian Leibowitz, M.D.
Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (tied for No. 9), led by Division Chief Anastassios Koumbourlis, M.D., M.P.H.

The other two specialties ranked among the top 50 were cardiology and heart surgery, and urology.

The future of Wilms tumor therapies: Q&A with Jeffrey Dome, M.D., Ph.D.

February 22, 2023

Dr. Dome’s mission is to come up with other therapies to treat Wilms tumor.

Conducting Wilms tumor research has placed Children’s National Hospital as the leader in this space. Jeffrey Dome, M.D., Ph.D., talks about the future of Wilms tumor therapies and what excites him about being able to offer different treatment options to this group of patients.

Q: What’s next for Wilms tumor therapy treatments?

A: Something we’ve learned is that we’re reaching the maximum benefit that we can achieve with conventional chemotherapy and have hit a plateau with some of the high-risk Wilms tumors.

If you look at the history of Wilms tumor, we’ve ratcheted up the cure rate by adding more and more chemotherapy agents. We’re now at a point in which patients can’t tolerate having more toxic chemotherapy added to their regimen. Our mission is to come up with other therapies that work differently.

Q: What have you learned that can lead to new therapy options?

A: I was a co-investigator on a National Cancer Institute-funded project called the TARGET study, which entailed sequencing several hundred Wilms tumors to identify genetic mutations that could be druggable. While a wealth of knowledge was gained on the nature of the biology of Wilms tumor, only a minority of Wilms tumors have targetable mutations. We understand what the mutations are, but most are not mutations that lend themselves to drug therapy.

Therefore, we must think about other forms of therapy for Wilms tumor, such as immunotherapy. That’s where the work with the T cells targeting the WT1 protein Wilms tumor cells come into play.

Q: What do the new therapies look like?

A: I think the future of Wilms tumor therapy will be combining the classic chemotherapy and radiation therapy that we’ve used for many years but also adding another component for the patients with the highest risk of relapse, such as immunotherapy.

Up until now, the studies that we’ve conducted using immunotherapy have introduced this treatment very late as a last resort after everything else has failed. We have seen early signals of efficacy and if we can corroborate this in current studies, I believe the future will be to introduce immunotherapy earlier in the treatment course.

There has been success using immunotherapy in other pediatric solid tumors such as neuroblastoma. I believe the prospects for Wilms tumor are also exciting.

Leading Wilms tumor research nationwide: Q&A with Jeffrey Dome, M.D., Ph.D.

February 22, 2023

Children’s National has become a resource for patients and families with Wilms tumor.

During the past year, Children’s National Hospital saw nearly 100 patients with Wilms tumor and other less common kidney cancers of childhood, far more than most centers in the country. This is largely due to the reputation the hospital has established for specializing in these diseases. While most patients with Wilms tumor have excellent outcomes, a significant minority of children with kidney cancer do not fare well. Children’s National has become a resource for patients and families with these challenging cancers.

Behind this reputation is Jeffrey Dome, M.D., Ph.D., senior vice president of the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and division chief of Oncology at Children’s National, and the team of researchers he leads. For over a decade, he chaired the Children’s Oncology Group Renal Tumor Committee, an opportunity that gave him and his work great exposure.

Dr. Dome shares more on how Children’s National is leading in this space and what the future holds for new, exciting Wilms tumor treatment options.

Q: How is Children’s National leading in this space?

A: The good news is that for the most common type of childhood kidney cancer, Wilms tumor with “favorable histology,” the survival rate is more than 90%, which is an incredible success story. But approximately 25% of children and teens with other types of Wilms tumor and other kidney cancers do not fare as well. We specialize in kidney cancers that are harder to treat, such as anaplastic Wilms tumor, relapsed favorable histology Wilms tumor, bilateral Wilms tumor, clear cell sarcoma of the kidney, malignant rhabdoid tumor and renal cell carcinoma. Because we see a relatively large number of patients, we can draw on our prior experience and observations to recommend the best treatment options.

Q: What’s unique about this research?

A: We have several early-phase clinical trials that are of interest for children with relapsed kidney tumors. Some of these trials are part of research consortia, such as the National Cancer Institute-funded Pediatric Early Phase Clinical Trials Network (PEP-CTN). Other studies have been developed in-house at Children’s National, including a couple of studies using T cells to target pediatric solid tumors. The T cells that have been engineered by the Children’s National Cellular Therapy Laboratory are of particular interest for Wilms tumor because they target a protein called WT1, which is expressed in most Wilms tumors. In fact, WT1 was named after Wilms tumor. We have now had more than 25 patients with relapsed Wilms tumor come from around the country to participate in these studies. Based on early successes, we are continuing this line of research and trying to improve the technology in the current generation of studies.

Cardiovascular and bone diseases in chronic kidney disease

January 27, 2023

A new study reviews cardiovascular and bone diseases in chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease patients with a focus on pediatric issues and concerns.

In a study published by Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease and co-authored by Aadil Kakajiwala, M.D., MSCI, critical care specialist and nephrologist at Children’s National Hospital, a team reviewed cardiovascular and bone diseases in chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease patients with a focus on pediatric issues and concerns.

Chronic kidney disease is common and causes significant morbidity including shortened lifespans and decrease in quality of life for patients. The major cause of mortality in chronic kidney disease is cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease within the chronic kidney disease population is closely tied to disordered calcium and phosphorus metabolism. The metabolic bone disease of chronic kidney disease encompasses vascular calcification and the development of long-term cardiovascular disease.

Recent data suggest that aggressive management of metabolic bone disease can augment and improve cardiovascular disease status. Pediatric nephrologists need to manage the metabolic bone disease while keeping the ongoing linear growth and skeletal maturation in mind, which may be delayed in chronic kidney disease.

Read the full study in Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Profit facility status linked to longer wait times for kidney transplants

January 12, 2023

Researchers found that profit dialysis facility status was associated with longer wait-listing times and kidney transplants.

Care of adults at profit versus nonprofit dialysis facilities has been associated with lower access to kidney transplants.

In a study published in JAMA, Celina Brunson, M.D., nephrologist and medical director of dialysis at Children’s National Hospital, and a cohort of researchers, found that profit facility status was associated with longer wait-listing times and kidney transplants. Whether there was a correlation in profit status was unknown before this study.

Researchers reviewed the United States (US) Renal Data System records of 13,333 pediatric patients under the age of 18 who started dialysis from the year 2000 through 2018 in U.S. dialysis facilities. This was followed up through June 30, 2019. Results showed that among U.S. pediatric patients undergoing dialysis, profit dialysis facility status was significantly associated with increased time to wait-listing and kidney transplants.

The full study can be viewed here.