The Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric (DBP) Long Term Trainees Annual Leadership Meeting
April 17, 2012
|
Developmental-Behavioral Pediatric Longterm Trainees Annual Leadership Meeting
Reported by Gisela Porras, MD
Brown Leadership Education in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) Faculty
The Annual Spring MCHB Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Fellowship Training Meeting was held in Providence, Rhode Island this year. A total of 85 DBP faculty and fellows from the 10 HRSA/MCHB sponsored DBP Programs attended the meeting convened at the Hotel Providence from March 28 through March 30, 2012. Dr. Jill Fussell from the University of Arkansas and Dr. Pam High from Brown led faculty and fellows from their respective Leadership Education in DBP Programs in applying their creative and organizational talents to co-hosting this highly anticipated event. On the first day, 25 fellows presented their research projects in progress and received formative feedback aimed at helping them shape their work from fellows and faculty from across the US in the 10 HRSA/MCHB sponsored DBP training programs. Later that afternoon, faculty met to get an update on programmatic information from Project Officer Captain Nanette Pepper Callahan and to plan next year's meeting. Concurrently, DBP fellows met with Dr. Jamie Perry from AUCD to learn about educational and advocacy opportunities and to network with fellows from across the country. The evening ended with an interactive communication workshop lead by actors from Rhode Island's Improv Jones.
Both Day 2 and 3 started with a yoga session for early birds lead by Dr. Heidi Feldman from Stanford, the first focusing on taking care of ourselves and the second on caring for our patients. On Day 2 this was followed by 13 fellow's presentations of their completed research projects. A list of those diverse and innovative projects is appended to the end of this article.** Again formative feedback from faculty and fellow participants was provided and then each fellow received individual mentoring around their research project by a faculty member from another program. During lunch, faculty led small group discussions with fellows on a variety of topics chosen by fellows including: "How to find your first DBP job", "Balancing your professional life and your personal life", "How to get your first research grant", and "The DBPNet Research Network". That afternoon presentations from Brown faculty included Amy Salisbury RN, PhD describing her work on "The effects of in utero Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (anti-depressant) exposure on fetal and infant behavior and development", Sean Deoni PhD on reviewing his study, "MRI of neuromyelinazation in typical healthy infants, toddlers and preschoolers" and Steve Buka ScD outlining his description of "A new paradigm for defining learning disabilities based on data from the New England Perinatal Project: a 40 year long cohort study."
The last day of the meeting included a Symposium on Life Course Trajectory and Advocacy featuring Dr. Jack Shonkoff, Director of the Center for the Developing Child at Harvard and former MCHB DBP Program Director, who described Toxic Stress, its impact on young children and implications for advocacy for DBPs. He charged the group to become innovators in the development of interventions and for change in policies and programs aimed at improving the life course of disadvantaged children and families. Rhode Island's Title V Director, Ana Novais, MA then reviewed the development and implementation of RI's state plan engaging community members and state agencies as partners to improve health outcomes for children and their families. Elizabeth Burke Bryant, JD, Executive Director of RI Kids Count described Kids Count's local and national work on the development and dissemination of indicators of child and family health, education and well-being. She discussed multiple local and national opportunities for data informed advocacy supporting evidence based interventions aimed at improving life course trajectories. These three inspirational speakers then formed a panel and a rich discussion involving trainees and faculty ensued. The meeting concluded with a group workshop on electronic medical records, computer software/applications and Internet based resources that can support clinical care, dissemination of information, research and advocacy in the field of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics. Overall, evaluations were very positive and participants also offered multiple suggestions to improve next year's annual meeting.
**Completed research projects presented by DBP fellows at the 2012 Annual meeting:
Wilhelmina Hernandez; Boston University: Two languages and two cultures: A curriculum promoting early literacy in Hispanic families
Yamini Howe; Brown: Gender Differences in Social, Emotional, and Adaptive Functioning in Higher Functioning Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Manuel Jiminez; CHOP: Barriers to Evaluation for Early Intervention Services
Irene Koolwijk; Boston Children's: "Complex" ADHD, more norm than exception? Referral questions, Diagnoses and Co-morbidities in a Developmental Clinic.
Elisa Muniz; Einstein: Are Family Routines Associated with Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Social-Emotional Health of Young Children?
Jenny Radesky; Boston University: Unsoothable infant crying and maternal postpartum depression
Marianne San Antonio; Yale: Do the Conditions of Administration Affect the Reliability of Developmental Screening
Barbara Saunders; Arkansas: The Additional Impact of Intellectual Disability on Families of Children with Autism
Katherine Steingass; Case Western: Periodic limb movements of sleep, serum ferritin levels, and sleep fragmentation on polysomnogram in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Kimberlly Stringer; CHOP: Obesity and Academic Performance: Understanding the Relationship
Adrienne Tedeschi; Case Western: Hearing Loss in Neonates with Down Syndrome
Jennifer Walton; CHOP: Behavioral Health in Urban Primary Care: Factors Predicting Treatment Engagement
Julie Youssef; Boston Children's : Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep, Serum Ferritin Levels, and Sleep Fragmentation on Polysomnogram in Autism Spectrum Disorders
