March 2011

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Connections - our quarterly newsletter for community physicians and their practices, provides online tools and news for our partners who provide pediatric care.

For questions on Connections, contact Physician Services.  You may also unsubscribe at any time.

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Look who’s new on staff

	Melanie Makhija, MD, joined the Division of Allergy in December, 2010. Dr. Makhija completed her fellowship in pediatric allergy and her residency in pediatrics at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Makhija is board certified in allergy and pediatrics. Her special interests include food allergy, primary immune deficiencies, and allergic rhinitis. Dr. Makhija sees patients at our outpatient centers in Lincoln Park and Arlington Heights.
	Rebecca O'Donnell, MD, joined the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in November 2010. She is an Instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. O'Donnell recently completed her fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Children's Memorial. Prior to that she finished her general psychiatry residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. Dr. O'Donnell is board certified in general psychiatry. Her special interests include early childhood mental health. She sees patients in Lincoln Park.
Jennifer Kurth, DO, joined the Division of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry in July 2010. She is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Kurth completed her fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Children's Memorial. Prior to that she finished her psychiatry residency at the University of California, Irvine Medical Center. She is board certified in child and adolescent psychiatry. Her special interests include autism and ADHD. She sees patients in Lincoln Park and Westchester.

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Look what’s new at Children’s Memorial

Children’s Memorial opens new Medical Observation Unit
On November 15, 2010, the Medical Observation Unit (MOU) officially opened for patient care. The MOU is designed to improve patient access and communication with community-based physicians, decrease denials and increase the clinical efficiency of patients requiring short-stay medical admissions. It provides an alternative to admitting 23 hour observation patients to inpatient beds. The MOU’s primary function is to treat patients with single, acute conditions that require brief hospital-based care for diagnosis and initiation of therapy that will predominately be completed at home. For more information, contact David Harris, Manager of Patient Care Operations, at 773.880.3467.

New and Innovative Abdominal Pain Program
The Comprehensive Abdominal Pain Program is a one of a kind program for children with chronic, severe abdominal pain. A multi-disciplinary team including pediatric gastroenterologists, psychologists, social workers, nurses, dieticians and complex pain and sleep specialists work collaboratively to create a plan of care for each patient in the program using both traditional and complementary medicine. This program is located at the Children’s Memorial Outpatient Center in Lake Forest. For more information or to make a referral, please call 773.880.4496. Read more »

New Bone Health Program
The Divisions of Orthopaedics and Kidney Diseases have joined together to develop the Bone Health Program. As co-directors of the program, Joseph Janicki, MD and Craig Langman, MD hope to meet the needs of the growing concern regarding low bone density in pediatrics. The Bone Health Program will provide comprehensive assessments and treatment plans to halt and at times reverse bone loss in affected patients. Assessments will include clinical evaluation, laboratory testing, DXA bone density scans, nutritional evaluation and counseling and medical management and follow up. The Bone Health Program clinics will begin in February 2011. Read more »

Innovative treatment and comprehensive care for brain tumor patients is close to home
Local access to proton beam therapy is now a significant benefit to Chicago area children with brain tumors.

The CDH Proton Center, A ProCure Center's Warrenville location gives patients of Children's Memorial, the region's long-time leading provider for children with brain tumors, close-to-home access to an innovative treatment option. Children’s Memorial pediatric anesthesiologists provide onsite services for younger children undergoing proton beam procedures. In addition, Children’s Memorial’s multidisciplinary Brain Tumor Board plays an integral role in the clinical review of all pediatric brain and central nervous system tumor patients referred to the center. Read more »

The CDH Proton Center is located next to the CDH Cancer Center, where Children's Memorial pediatric neuro-oncologists now see patients. Families can receive brain tumor consultation and care at this western suburban Chicago location. Patients may also participate in clinical research conducted by Children's Memorial. Pediatric infusion services at the Warrenville Cancer Center will be available soon.