In this Issue....

September 23, 2008
Important Pediatric Links
Fall Pediatric Conference
Gately Academy
Center for Medically Fragile Children at Providence Child Center
Providence St. Vincent Emergency Department Update
Case Presentation
Calendar of Neonatal and Pediatric Educational Events, 2008
Neurodevelopmental Center Led by Top Physician Team

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Important Pediatric Links

Please take advantage of our "Important Pediatric Links" section. It has been updated to include important neonatal and pediatric documents. You will now find admission policies and contact information for pediatric patient admission; general information about our pediatric unit and pediatric hospitalists; a list of our subspecialists and their contact information; pediatric admission order sets; a calendar of educational offerings in pediatrics and neonatology; and a calendar of PALS and NRP classes. We hope that this section provides a central repository of information for those who are interested in and refer patients to Children at Providence St. Vincent services.

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Fall Pediatric Conference

This year's fall conference should be an outstanding program. We are pleased to announce that the Oregon Pediatric Society has chosen to collaborate with us in this presentation, and this has permitted us to expand the time and to include several national expert faculty members, including Dr. David Rosen of the University of Michigan, Dr. Colleen Kraft of Virginia Commonwealth University, and Dr. Raffi Tachdjian of UCLA. We are also delighted that former Governor John Kitzhaber, MD will address the group as a keynote speaker on the first day.

The conference will be held in the afternoon of Wednesday, October 1 and all day on October 2. Conference speakers and topics will include:

Oct. 1, 2008 (plenary sessions)
Pediatric Care for the 21st Century
John Kitzhaber, M.D.
Former Governor, State of Oregon

Community Pediatrics and Transformation        of Pediatric Care
Colleen Kraft, M.D.
Richmond, Va.

Facilitated discussion

Oct. 2, 2008 (plenary sessions)
The Challenge of Eating Disorders
David Rosen, M.D.
Ann Arbor, Mich.  

Methamphetamine and its Effect on Children in Oregon
Jack Stump, M.D.
Vancouver, Wash.

Pediatric Pain Management
Raffi Tachdjian M.D., M.P.H.
Los Angeles

Breakout sessions (participants may select two of the four)
Developmental Sexuality: How and What to do in the Office Setting
Mike Wilmington, M.D.
Vancouver, Wash.

An Approach to the Depressed Child
Linda Schmidt, M.D.
Portland, Ore.

Practical Management of Eating Disorders        Patients in Your Practice
David Rosen, M.D.
Ann Arbor, Mich.

Coping with Pediatric Surgical Diseases
Barry Newman, M.D.
Portland, Ore.

The Oregon Pediatric Society will host a luncheon meeting for members on October 1 prior to the opening of the conference. All participants will be invited to a reception to be held at the end of the first day, in addition to lunch and snacks will be provided on October 2.

Registration is filling up, but space is still available to register. You may access our brochure here and mail in registration this week, or contact Dr.Cynthia.Cristofani@providence.org  for more information. We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

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Gately Academy

A unique middle school educational environment

Gately Academy, a component of Providence Youth Services, is a unique middle school in Oregon and Washington. The school serves students who have not been successful in traditional schools due to learning challenges, such as ADD/ADHD and other learning disabilities. Opened in 1998, Gately currently serves more than 50 students, grades five through eight. The student population has steadily grown, exemplifying the community need.

Gately Academy focuses on determining the unique learning modality of each student. The school employs multi-sensory instructional strategies to meet the needs of visual, auditory and kinesthetic learners. Assessment practices vary according to the strengths and competencies of each student. The student-to-teacher ratio is 9:1, providing multiple opportunities for teacher and student to engage within the time constraints of a class period. The curricular design reflects a universal focus on core classes, such as language arts, social science, science, mathematics, art, fitness and health. It is complemented by courses that attend to organizational skills, diversity, community service, challenge course/group problem-solving, and a wealth of enrichment courses, from Shakespeare to ultimate Frisbee. Social/emotional/behavioral support is extended through an on-site counselor, an art therapist and an on-site licensed clinical social worker.

The Gately Academy staff works concurrently with a variety of health providers, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, pediatricians, academic tutors and other professionals who serve the young people attending the academy. Collaboration between staff, health care professionals, educators, parents and students ensures that the student is appropriately served. Middle school can be a difficult and confusing time in human development when young people are experiencing physical, emotional and social changes. The professional staff at Gately Academy understands the correlation between effective communication among all support players and academic/social/emotional growth.

For additional information regarding Gately Academy or the Summer Reading/Writing and Math Academy, contact David Ball, director, Providence Youth Services/Gately Academy, at 503-215-2672 or visit www.gatelyacademy.org. Financial assistance is available to those who qualify. If you are interested in visiting the school, please call and make an appointment. We are located at 205 N. 50th Ave., Portland, OR,97213.

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Center for Medically Fragile Children at Providence Child Center

Respite care and short-stay medical management update

The Center for Medically Fragile Children (CMFC) provides care, information and support to families who have children with profound and complex daily medical needs. The center is the only pediatric nursing facility in the Pacific Northwest that provides 24-hour skilled care and treatment on a long-term and short-stay basis.

CMFC is expanding its respite and short-stay medical services. Admission into this program is based on an individual medical assessment. The admission criteria include: age requirement of birth to 20 years of age, non-ambulatory, 13-day minimum stay and limited mobility.

Traditional respite care is available for families needing help due to illness, vacations, and other circumstances. Respite care is typically paid for by Medicaid or private pay but is typically excluded by insurance companies.

Short-stay medical management is available for children who need nutrition assessment and support, seizure management, medication management, post-surgical care, interdisciplinary assessments, pain management, and end-of-life care. Payment for short- stay services is dependent upon the child's private insurance or Medicaid coverage.

For more information about CMFC’s respite care and short-stay medical management program, please contact us at 503-215-2400 or visit www.providence.org/childcenter. We are located within the Providence Child Center at 830 N.E. 47th Ave., Portland, OR, 97213.

Providence Child Center serves children of all abilities, helping them reach their fullest potential. It includes the Center for Medically Fragile Children, Providence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children, Jean Baton Swindells Resource Center for Children and Families, Providence Montessori School and Providence Wee Care. For more information, visit www.providence.org/childcenter.

Click here for a 2008 calendar of events at the Jean Baton Swindells Resource Center for Children and Families.

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Providence St. Vincent Emergency Department Update

We recently completed our first pediatric "mock” codes practice session in the Emergency Department at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center. Alex Kitzis, M.D., and Gina Craven, R.N., wrote several code scenarios, gathered the equipment, and set up the pediatric emergency rooms. A mock code was announced on the speaker system in the emergency area, as a real code would be, and the employees arrived and anticipated their roles. The participants, doctors, nurses and techs were enthusiastic and committed to reviewing our system, evaluating our pediatric skills and offering suggestions. Practice sessions will continue; our goal is to present a new scenario every other month during different times of day and night. In partnership with Oregon Emergency Medical Services for Children, we will also test the latest technology in computerized wireless pediatric mannequins used for training.

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Case Presentation

Our September pediatric in-service discussion focused on an interesting case that was treated at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center this year. It was an excellent presentation led by Nancy Church, R.N., nurse manager of Infection Control at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, Woody English, M.D., infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist, and Paul Lewis, M.D., pediatric infectious diseases and tri-county deputy health officer.

Here is the case:

A 16-month-old child was brought to the ER with the chief complaint of fever and rash. His fever had been present for four days, being as high as 103 F, and his facial rash had been present for two days.

On presentation to the ER, the child had rash on chest, back and groin. The child had a slight cough, runny nose, slight increase in watery discharge from the eyes, but no vomiting, good urine output and a dry cough. Click below links for rash images.

Rash photo 1

Rash photo 2

Click for diagnosis and cases discussion.

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Calendar of Neonatal and Pediatric Educational Events, 2008

Click here for calendar

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Neurodevelopmental Center Led by Top Physician Team

Three of the Northwest’s top developmental pediatricians are on staff at Providence Neurodevelopmental Center for Children (PNCC). Martine Sacks, M.D., FAAP, Michele Raddish, M.D., M.P.H., FAAP, and Sarojini Budden, M.D., FAAP, evaluate and treat children who have a wide range of developmental conditions, including the medically fragile. These physicians, working with PNCC’s experienced clinicians and therapists, design personalized treatment programs involving primary care providers, family members and caregivers. The treatment goal is to help each child achieve his or her highest level of functioning.

"What’s unique about our center is its ability to serve medically complex children,” says Dr. Sacks. “We offer a highly collaborative program where our physicians work together with therapy professionals, audiologists and dietitians, allowing us to re-evaluate therapeutic needs. This integrative approach is a great advantage for our patients and their families because we can re-adjust therapy and provide new interventions, maximizing outcomes.

"When we see a child with autism, for example, we can give proper attention to the medical needs as well as the needs related to nutrition, speech, motor skills, hearing and sensory issues. Various services, from audiology to nutrition, allow us to address problems that are part of the complex puzzle of kids with neurological issues. Our families and referring physicians have a high degree of satisfaction because we can provide this comprehensive service in one location."

Evaluation and treatment services at PNCC include:

• Developmental pediatrics

• Physical therapy

• Occupational therapy

• Speech-language therapy

• Aquatic therapy

• Augmentative communication and assistive technology 

• Audiology

• Medical nutrition and pediatric weight management

• Feeding and swallowing

• Follow up clinics for high-risk infants

For more information about PNCC and our staff, please visit www.providence.org/childcenter or call us at 503-215-2529. If you have a referral or an inquiry about a referral, contact the specific center location of your patient: PNCC East at 503-215-2233, PNCC West at 503-216-2339, or PNCC Newberg at 503-537-1863.

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