2023 Department of Pediatrics Academic Annual Report

Pediatric Pulmonology & Sleep Medicine

PEDIATRIC FACULTY Dr. Hector Gutierrez.....................................Director | Professor Dr. Daphne Arnold..............................................Assistant Professor Dr. Guillermo Beltran Ale..................................Assistant Professor Dr. Ammar Saadoon Alishlash........................Associate Professor Dr. Miles Fowler...................................................Assistant Professor Dr Jennifer Guimbellot....................................Associate Professor Dr. Mohini Gunnett.............................................Assistant Professor Dr. Tom Harris....................................................Associate Professor Dr. Wyn Hoover....................................................................Professor Dr. Isabel Lowell ..................................................................Professor Dr. Terri Magruder.............................................Associate Professor Dr. Anis Nourani..................................................Assistant Professor Dr Gabriela Oates..............................................Associate Professor Dr. Spencer Poore...............................................Assistant Professor Dr. Ryne Simpson................................................Assistant Professor Valerie Tarn, MS, RD, LD .................................Associate Professor

Dr. Brad Troxler..................................................Associate Professor Dr. Brett Turner ...................................................Associate Professo

FEATURED RESEARCH The UAB Division of Pediatric Pulmonology and Sleep Medicine maintains a broad research portfolio that complements the clinical programs with focus areas in aerodigestive disorders, asthma, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), cystic fibrosis (CF), neuromuscular disorders (NMD), sleep medicine and sickle cell disease (SCD). AERODIGESTIVE DISORDERS Founded in 2012, the Children’s of Alabama Aerodigestive Program was one of the first in the region. Now, it is one of the largest in the country with three pediatric pulmonologists (Guillermo Beltran Ale, M.D., Tom Harris, M.D., and Ryne Simpson, M.D.), three gastroenterology physicians, two ENT physicians, three speech and swallow therapists, two nurse coordinators, one nutritionist and one social worker. In addition to

providing comprehensive multidisciplinary care for children with feeding and respiratory issues, the aerodigestive team is committed to advancing the field of aerodigestive health through multiple clinical research projects, including investigating the optimal medical management of dysphagia, surgical correction of laryngeal defects, identifying the etiology and optimal management of severe dysphagia with no safe liquid consistency, the feasibility of fast-sequence cervical MRI for Chiari malformation screening in children with dysphagia, as analysis of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in children with no safe drink consistency identified on swallow study, and quantifying the prevalence of eosinophilic esophagitis in children with chronic cough. In the last year, they have added to their multidisciplinary clinic an Aerodigestive-Pediatric Rehabilitation Clinic for children with chronic medical issues that required follow-up and multidisciplinary discussions from all specialties involved. The members of the Aerodigestive Program continue to increase their academic footprint through oral presentations at multiple national meetings of their peers. This year, in collaboration with Spencer Poore, M.D., they received the 2023 Aerodigestive Society Research grant for their project looking into airway inflammation due to aspiration. The program has also established an ongoing electronic database to track and monitor children with severe dysphagia, those undergoing combined endoscopy, and those with a history of repaired esophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula. The aerodigestive team will use the database to monitor quality improvement/assurance metrics and for clinical research projects. The UAB Aerodigestive Program is committed to being a national model for academic excellence in aerodigestive health through coordinated multidisciplinary care, clinical research, patient advocacy and education of our community. ASTHMA Terri Magruder, M.D., MPH, and Isabel Virella-Lowell, M.D., lead the Pediatric Pulmonary Asthma Program. It oversees the care of more than 3,000 patients, many with severe or difficult-to-treat asthma. Dr. Magruder and Dr. Lowell, in collaboration with Dr. Claudette Poole in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, received a HRSA Rural Health Coordination grant to implement sustainable educational, clinical and care coordination programs in the Black Belt region of Alabama that would improve pediatric asthma care and outcomes. The project is focused on developing collaborations with local physicians, the Alabama Department of Health, the Alabama Asthma Coalition, Whitfield Hospital and Medicaid to ensure these children are getting better asthma care. Drs. Magruder and Lowell will also develop a Project ECHO program to help providers in the region with difficult asthma questions and problems. They will also work to improve access to subspecialty care for moderate and severe asthmatics whose asthma is difficult to control.

2023 Academic Annual Report

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