Beginning November 10, 2023, physicians, local leaders, and members from Novant Health, UNC Health and the UNC School of Medicine attended a two-day conference to focus on the partnership between the organizations. Kody Kinsley, North Carolina’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, spoke at the conference where participants refocused on the common goals of advanced clinical research, academic development, and clinical services. The clinical care partnership has been focused on children’s specialty care. We’ve been transforming access and availability of children specially care so that families who need some special consultation for their kids don’t have to drive to the triangle to get that. UNC Children’s and Novant are now able to offer that such specialty care locally now and with short-term appointment times, less than 2 or 3 weeks for new appointments.

Analyses led by Corinne Keet, MD, PhD, at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, of two longitudinal studies reveal how an increased level of an antibody called immunoglobin (IgE) to cow’s milk is associated to cardiovascular-related death.

David Peden, MD, MS, has been named chief research officer of the UNC School of Medicine Clinical Research Alliance. He will begin his work in the role immediately. He also serves as interim director of the CRA.

Dr. Chop joined the Department of Pediatrics as faculty in October, 2023. Dr. Chop received her BS from the University of Maryland in 2011, completed her medical degree at Saint James School of Medicine, Anguilla in 2016, and earned a master’s in public health at Walden University, Minnesota in 2017. She was a Pediatric Resident at the Vidant Medical Center at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC from 2017 to 2020. She completed subspecialty training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital/The Ohio State University in 2023. Welcome Yvette!

Yamini Virkud, MD, MPH was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Virkud has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2021. Dr. Virkud received her medical degree from Washington University in 2008. Dr. Virkud completed her pediatric residency at St. Louis Children’s Hospital in 2011 and clinical and research fellowships were completed at Duke University in 2014. Before joining us at UNC Children’s, Dr. Virkud was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School and at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children.

Allison Burbank, MD was promoted to Associate Professor of Pediatrics effective November 1, 2023. Dr. Burbank has been a faculty member in Pediatrics since 2017. Dr. Burbank received her medical degree from the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in May 2010 and remained in Little Rock, AR to complete her Pediatric Residency in June 2014. She completed her Allergy-Immunology Fellowship Postdoctoral Training at with us at UNC Chapel Hill.

Dr. Matthew Pizzuto, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics has been appointed Physician Service Leader of the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) in the North Carolina Children’s Hospital. He has served as interim PCICU service leader since 2021. We look forward to Dr. Pizzuto’s continued leadership in his new role.

Children’s hospital care is now concentrated in fewer locations, and this has important implications for hospital planning and readiness, according to a new study led Michael Steiner, MD, MPH, of UNC Health.

The Department of Pediatrics and Collaborative for Maternal and Infant Health, along with Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere, the University of California San Francisco’s (UCSF) School of Nursing and subject matter collaborative partners, have received a $4 million Cooperative Agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to Advance Best Practices to Improve Postpartum Care In and Beyond the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (“Care for NICU Families”).

The American Pediatric Society (APS) council members have formally elected Kori Flower, MD, to Active membership with the society. Active member nominations are accepted for individuals who reside in the United States or Canada who have distinguished themselves as child health leaders, teachers, scholars, policymakers, and/or clinicians and whose important contributions are recognized nationally and/or internationally, as determined by the Council, and who have well-established credentials as teachers, scholars, policymakers, and/or clinicians and whose contributions have advanced child health.