Academic title: Associate professor of pediatrics
Joined the USA College of Medicine faculty: May 2002
What does your position in the USA COM/USA Health entail?
I am the medical director of the Pediatric Critical Care Unit at Children’s & Women’s Hospital. This is a medical surgical unit that serves the children of the Gulf Coast. We take care of critically ill children from birth to 18 years of age. This includes children with cancer, trauma, burns and medical illnesses such as sepsis and respiratory failure.
I am also the medical director for the Pediatric Sedation Service. This is a unique service that provides deep sedation for many types of procedures such as MRI and other radiologic interventions, burns and wound care, and placement of special lines, to name a few.
I am very interested in quality improvement projects and am involved in various initiatives as team leader or member. This includes Pediatric VTE, Pediatric Discharge process improvement in Cerner, Alarm Fatigue in the PICU, development of a nitric weaning pathway in the PICU, and implementation of a delirium screening in the PICU.
Our PICU also has several midlevel providers, and we have developed a comprehensive training program as their in-service (onboarding) to the PICU.
We also have a simulation program for the residents that includes partial task training activities for the interns, and simulation scenarios for the residents. I have written 39 scenarios which have been used by the residents and nursing staff.
I am involved in multiple hospital and university committees.
What is your favorite or most rewarding part of your position?
Working with patients and their families. Making a difference in their lives. We meet families at the worst possible moment in their lives, when their child is critically ill and sometimes a child dies. It continues to amaze me how strong these families are and with what graciousness they interact with us. I love working with our nurses that give so much of themselves to these families and with all my medical colleagues that work to provide the best care.
I enjoy the teaching component of my job, which is why I have always worked in academics. It is a good thing to teach residents. It keeps one current and there are always challenges to keep things interesting for them. Hopefully I can make a positive impact for their future and help them become better doctors.
What research initiatives are you involved in?
QI projects have some research linked with them, most of which are in conjunction with the residents. I’m involved in several retrospective projects.
What is your advice for medical students?
If you love what you do, the time goes by very quickly. Find the specialty that makes you happy and keeps you excited and interested. Medicine is a difficult but very rewarding field if you put the patient first. Remember, a human life is potentially in your hands, and that is a special and unique position to be in.
