Inside Pediatrics Winter 2015

On the cover:

Pediatric neurosurgeon Jeffrey Blount, M.D., calibrates a ROSA Robot as he makes preparations to perform a SEEG procedure on one of his patients with epilepsy whose seizures are not controlled by medication. Read more about our epilepsy program on page 8.

F ounded in 1871, Birmingham was dubbed “the Magic City” because of its rapid and seemingly overnight growth as a major iron and steel producer and as a key railroad hub of the Deep South. Today, similar growth is seen in the Magic City’s strong presence in other industries, including banking and, especially, health care.

Birmingham is home to more than a dozen hospitals and specialty healthcare facilities, including Children’s of Alabama, the only freestanding pediatric hospital in the state. Indeed, the Magic City is thriving, and people have noticed. Our urban parks win national awards and our restaurants earn national acclaim. Our sports facilities draw major athletic competitions. And, most importantly to us, our doctors are developing groundbreaking therapies that are changing, improving and saving lives. Doctors like nephrologist David Askenazi, who is among those pioneering the use of aquapheresis in the pediatric population to reduce potential consequences of excessive fluid accumulation from kidney disease. Doctors like neurosurgeon Jeffrey Blount, who with a collaborative team of epileptologists, EEG technicians and

specially trained nurses, improve the quality of life in 70 to 75 percent of the small number of patients who undergo surgery for epilepsy at Children’s. You’ll learn more about their world-class work and that of their Children’s colleagues in the following pages. Yes, Birmingham is the Magic City, but here at Children’s, we know that what we do isn’t magic. The care and curing that happens here is the result of our staff’s unwavering commitment to provide the finest pediatric health services to all children in an environment that fosters excellence in research and medical education, to be an advocate for all children and to work to educate the public about issues affecting their health and wellbeing.

Mike Warren CEO and President

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