Program Director’s Welcome

We are happy that you are exploring a fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at UNC.

Our fellows are hard-working individuals who are deeply committed to providing excellent care to the neonates and families in our NICU. They are also committed to improving the care of neonates by advancing the field of neonatology. We train academic neonatologists who learn and apply advanced quality improvement methodology to improve care at UNC and throughout the state. We also train clinical investigators who use research methodologies to advance neonatal care. Our trainees also learn to apply public health principles to determine the best ways to provide care for individual neonates and generate public health initiatives that improve care locally and globally. We meet with each fellow regularly to help them identify career goals and then craft an individualized educational experience that will provide them with the tools they need to meet those goals.

We are fortunate to work in a free-standing Children’s Hospital, embedded within a specialized hospital system.  As a result, within our NICU, we care for babies born in the adjoining NC Women’s Hospital, as well as referring hospitals across the state.  We have an active prenatal care program that cares for mother’s with complex prenatal findings and coordinates care even after delivery. We also enjoy close collaborations with multiple pediatric sub-specialists who practice at UNC.  This clinical environment provides fellows with a broad range of diagnoses and prepares them for practice in diverse settings upon graduation.

There are several unique aspects of our program.  We have a strong history of training fellows in clinical research techniques, and 19 fellows in the past 20 years have also earned a Master’s of Public Health degree concurrent with their fellowship.  We support clinical research through our involvement with the Neonatal Research Network, the ECHO-ELGAN research cohort and the Pediatric Trials Network.  Our fellowship program reserves one spot for a fellow interested in the Quality Improvement Track, which is ideal for training academic neonatologists or future medical directors in quality improvement methodology and skills.  We also have faculty within our division with expertise and current research in global health, including neonatologists leading a research site within the NICHD Global Network for Women’s and Children’s Health Research. In addition, our Division Chief, Misty Good, is a nationally known laboratory researcher funded with multiple NIH RO1 grants. These resources enhance our trainees’ scholarly projects and provide a platform for independent research.

Additionally, Chapel Hill is a wonderful place to live.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Wayne