Inside Pediatrics Winter 2018

A nother year is almost behind us, of Alabama and pediatric enterprise. September saw the grand opening of Children’s at Lakeshore, a partnership among Children’s, the UAB Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine and the Birmingham-based Lakeshore Foundation, the internationally known organization that promotes physical activity among disabled individuals. What began as a remote idea among colleagues has evolved into a brick-and- mortar building on the Lakeshore campus staffed by UAB physicians and Children’s physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology staff. This unique collaboration is designed to help each child achieve his/her highest level of independence, and Children’s is proud to be part of this opportunity to provide seamless care to patients. June marked a significant milestone for Children’s with our first-ever patient to be weaned from a pediatric ventricular assist device (VAD) without the need for a heart transplant. Our Pediatric Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Team was among the first in the nation to use VADs in children with complex congenital heart disease, and this initial success was published in a landmark study in the New England Journal of Medicine. With continued use and study of VADs, our hope is to safely bridge children to and the passing months speak of a time of growth for both Children’s

transplantation or, in our recent patient’s case, to long-term recovery without transplant. Also this year, Children’s joined a handful of pediatric hospitals nationwide

to offer CAR T-cell therapy to children diagnosed with a difficult-to-treat blood cancer. The UAB Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology and the Alabama Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s study a range of antibody immunotherapies like CAR T-cell to activate the immune system to attack cancer cells, and the early results have been promising. Last but not least, Children’s continues to expand its global footprint through the establishment of the Cystic Fibrosis Training Network for Latin America, with Children’s and UAB colleagues traveling to Chile to lay the foundation for a center network to improve patient care. Yes, 2018 will go down as a year of growth and advancement at Children’s of Alabama, and we resolve to continue our efforts to provide excellent patient care and education in the year ahead.

On the Cover: Four-year-old Kelsey Beasley plays in a rehabilitation room at Children’s at Lakeshore during its grand opening ceremony on September 6, 2018. Read more about the latest collaboration among Children’s of Alabama, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and the Lakeshore Foundation on page 10.

Enjoy,

Children’s of Alabama 1600 7th Avenue South Birmingham, Alabama 35233

(205) 638-9100 childrensal.org

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