2023 Department of Pediatrics Academic Annual Report

Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition

PEDIATRIC FACULTY Dr. Sandeep Gupta....................................................Director | Professor Dr. Nick CaJacob .....................................................Assistant Professor Dr. Cary Cavender.......................................................................Professor Dr. Adam Cohen........................................................Assistant Professor Dr. Mitch Cohen..........................................................................Professor Dr. Chinenye Dike.....................................................Assistant Professor Dr. Reed Dimmitt........................................................................Professor Dr. David Galloway..................................................Associate Professor Dr. Helena Gutierrez.................................................Assistant Professor Dr. Traci Jester .........................................................Associate Professor Dr. Rachel Kassel .....................................................Associate Professor Dr. Claire Keith...........................................................Assistant Professor Dr. Jeanine Maclin ..................................................Associate Professor Dr. Jose Mestre ...........................................................................Professor Dr. Diana Montoya Melo.........................................Assistant Professor Dr. John Sands.............................................................................Professor Dr. Amanda Soong ..................................................Assistant Professor

FEATURED RESEARCH , PROGRAMS AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS The UAB Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition provides the highest quality of care to children with gastrointestinal (GI), hepatobiliary, pancreatic and nutritional disorders, and advancing research in these areas. The division collaborates with other specialties across UAB Department of Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama to provide multidisciplinary care to children within Alabama and the Southeast region. Some of our multidisciplinary programs include: AERODIGESTIVE PROGRAM The UAB/Children’s of Alabama Aerodigestive Program aims to provide longitudinal comprehensive care of children with disease processes involving the airway and GI tract. The Aerodigestive Program continues to be a very robust collaborative. The multidisciplinary team includes providers from pediatric gastroenterology (Rachel Kassel, M.D., Ph.D., Amanda Soong, M.D.), pediatric pulmonology, pediatric otolaryngology, pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation, genetics, pediatric surgery, clinical nutrition, social work, speech therapy and respiratory therapy. This team is involved in several research and quality-improvement projects, including the ”No Safe Swallow” initiative, which aims to improve care of children with no safe drink consistency by avoiding unplanned admissions and to better understand the etiology and natural history of their dysphagia. Within the program, there are specialized clinics for patients with tracheoesophageal fistulas and those with complex chronic care needs. The team treats patients in outpatient clinics, the operating room and via telemedicine. The comprehensive, multifaceted program completes approximately 1000 outpatient clinic visits annually. The program is an invaluable resource for patients and families navigating dysphagia and challenges encountered with this diagnosis. ALABAMA CENTER FOR EOSINOPHILIC GASTROINTESTINAL DISORDERS (ACED) ACED is one of a few centers around the country that offers unsedated transnasal endoscopy (TNE). This is a novel technique that decreases anesthesia exposure in children with eosinophilic esophagitis. This clinic is staffed by gastroenterologists (Nick CaJacob, M.D., Sandeep Gupta, M.D., and Diana Montoya, M.D.), who are national and international experts in the care of children with this group of diseases. This clinical program continues to grow and expand. THE CENTER OF ADVANCED INTESTINAL REHABILITATION (CAIR) CAIR is a multidisciplinary program that provides care to patients with intestinal failure. Currently, the program follows more than 150 children with a combination of diagnoses, including short bowel syndrome, intestinal pseudo-obstruction and Hirschsprung’s disease. Our multidisciplinary care model encompasses clinical services from the time of disease onset to achieving enteral autonomy and into adolescence. We follow patients closely in the inpatient (i.e., NICU) and outpatient settings. Additionally, we provide intestinal rehabilitation services to several satellite clinics in Huntsville and Dothan, Alabama.

2023 Academic Annual Report

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