Nationwide Children's News Room

Kroger Campaign “Kids Come First” Launches, Benefits Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Tue, 21 May 2013 16:00:00 -0400

The Kroger “Kids Come First” campaign runs now through June 22, 2013. Customers at all central Ohio and Ohio Valley Kroger grocery check-outs will have the opportunity to purchase a paper bear for $1 (or donate more) with every dollar raised benefitting Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

In partnership with the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance, at participating local Kroger stores, customers may also purchase “Bunker,” the 2013 limited edition plush bear, for $10. Customers may either take home or donate Bunker to a patient at Nationwide Children’s. Proceeds from the sale of the plush bears will also benefit the hospital.

Kroger’s Kids Come First campaign not only supports Nationwide Children’s, but also focuses on childhood safety awareness. As part of the campaign, summer safety tip flyers for parents are available, and kids 12 and under may participate in a coloring contest for the opportunity to win prizes.

In 2012, through the Kids Come First campaign and other fundraising events, Kroger customers donated more than $400,000 for Nationwide Children’s.

Kroger has been a long-time supporter and community partner of Nationwide Children’s. In October 2012, a family lounge located in the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit at Nationwide Children’s was dedicated and named in honor of Kroger to recognize the grocer’s continued support of the hospital. The family lounge provides patient families respite and comfort during stressful times as their children recover from cardiothoracic surgery in nearby patient rooms.

Nationwide Children's Part of Multi-Million Dollar Research Center to Solve the Mystery of Premature Birth

Tue, 21 May 2013 10:30:00 -0400

Three major Ohio universities and four hospitals have joined with the March of Dimes Foundation to establish a new collaborative research program aimed exclusively at finding the unknown causes of premature birth. The March of Dimes intends to invest $10 million in the program over five years.

“The March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center -- Ohio Collaborative is a unique research enterprise,” says Dr. Jennifer L. Howse, President of the March of Dimes. “This new transdisciplinary, team-based research model will leverage the expertise of leading scientists here in Ohio to discover breakthroughs in our understanding of premature birth. Extraordinary research requires extraordinary funding, and we are very grateful to the leadership of the GE Foundation for awarding the program’s first grant for $200,000.”

Partners in the research collaborative include:

University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center;
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus;
Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals MacDonald Women’s Hospital and Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and MetroHealth System, Cleveland.

“This new research approach has assembled creative, accomplished and dedicated scientists to work together to generate innovative strategies to transform our understanding of causes of prematurity and use this knowledge to enhance obstetrical care and infant outcomes for Ohio and its residents,” says Louis Muglia, MD, PhD, Co-Director, Perinatal Institute, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, and the Coordinating Principal Investigator for the new collaborative. “Too many babies, here in Ohio and throughout the United States, are born too soon, and this program will help prevent that.”

“As a high-risk obstetrician for 40 years, I have seen first-hand the need and the benefits of creating such an important research collaborative,” says Steven G. Gabbe, MD, Chief Executive Officer of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Our Ohio universities have some of the top maternal-fetal specialists in the nation, with impressive accomplishments in the study of preterm birth. By collaborating, we will discover innovative ways to reduce preterm births, thereby improving the lives of babies across our nation. This Ohio research team will develop ways to give every mother the ability to have a healthy, full-term baby.”

“The strength of the collaboration is that it brings together talented researchers with diverse expertise who share a common commitment to unraveling the causes of preterm birth,” says Sam Mesiano, PhD, an Associate Professor of Reproductive Biology at Case Western Reserve University, Co-Director of the Research Division at UH MacDonald Women’s Hospital and Site Director for the Case Western Reserve University, University Hospitals, and MetroHealth component of the collaborative. “The transdisciplinary approach will increase dramatically the rate of progress in understanding why some babies are born too soon. Ultimately our goal is to use this knowledge to develop effective therapies to prevent preterm birth and enable all pregnancies to proceed to full term. The promise of this work, and the people involved, are truly inspiring.”

Also participating in the program are investigators from Vanderbilt University, Tennessee; Dartmouth College, New Hampshire; University of Iowa; and Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

To create the research collaborative, investigators from many disciplines will share information and create hypotheses to identify the many underlying causes of preterm birth, and translate new knowledge into new approaches to the prevention of premature birth.

Initially, the Ohio Collaborative will focus on five investigatory aims:

Evolution of Human Pregnancy
Genetics of Unique Human Populations
The Molecular Developmental Biology of Pregnancy
Progesterone Signaling in Pregnancy Maintenance and Preterm Birth
Sociobiology of Racial Disparities in Preterm Birth

Preterm birth is the most common, costly, and a serious newborn health problem in the United States, affecting nearly half a million babies each year. One out of every eight babies in Ohio, more than 15,000 a year, is born preterm. Preterm birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who survive an early birth often face the risk of lifetime health challenges, such as vision and breathing problems, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities. Even babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants.

In 2013, the March of Dimes celebrates its 75th Anniversary and its ongoing work to help babies get a healthy start in life. Early research led to the Salk and Sabin polio vaccines that all babies still receive. Other breakthroughs include new treatments for premature infants and children with birth defects. About 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, and all have benefitted the March of Dimes life saving research and education.

The March of Dimes is the leading nonprofit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies®, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For the latest resources and information, visit marchofdimes.com or nacersano.org. Find us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

Click here to view research video from the hospital partners involved in the March of Dimes Prematurity Research Center -- Ohio Collaborative, and babies in newborn intensive care units.

March of Dimes Media Contacts
Elizabeth Lynch, (914) 997-4286, elynch@marchofdimes.com
Todd Dezen, (914) 997-4608, tdezen@marchofdimes.com
Suzanne Weller, Ohio chapter, (567) 298-4818, sweller@marchofdimes.com

American Academy of Pediatrics Appoints Dr. Ihuoma Eneli to Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight Steering Committee

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Ihuoma Eneli, MD, MS, medical director for the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, was recently named as a member of the Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight Steering Committee by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She will serve on the committee for at least two years.

Dr. Eneli’s research, clinical work and collaboration at the local, regional and state levels, in addition to the programs she has initiated at Nationwide Children’s, made her the ideal candidate for the steering committee.

“I am honored to serve the Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight and look forward to the ways we can continue to help translate pediatric obesity prevention, assessment, management and treatment to affect positive policy and research from theory into practice,” said Dr. Eneli. “I’m excited to join my colleagues from the American Academy of Pediatrics in this initiative to help children and families lead healthier lives.”

The Institute for Healthy Childhood Weight is dedicated to addressing obesity prevention, assessment and treatment at the point of care, in communities and with families. In her role, Dr. Eneli will be crucial in helping to translate the strategic priorities of the institute into fruition through programs and initiatives to help pediatricians and patients.

As medical director at the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s, she oversees the assessment clinics and medical weight management programs. Dr. Eneli also serves as an associate professor of clinical pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Her clinical interest and research focus is medical interventions for overweight children, particularly from the health care providers’ perspective.

About Nationwide Children’s Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition

The Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is engaged in wide-ranging childhood obesity initiatives including participation in the national Children’s Hospital Association obesity focus group, the Ohio Healthy Weight Outcomes Coalition and the “Collaborate for Healthy Weight” nationwide initiative led by the National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). The Center offers a comprehensive approach to weight management with programs for prevention and treatment of overweight children, ranging from community-based intervention and physician private practices to intensive multidisciplinary lifestyle programs, medical assessment clinics and bariatric surgery. In addition, Nationwide Children’s has collaborated with Columbus Public Health on an “ACHIEVE” grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to enhance local communities’ abilities to develop and implement policy, systems and environment change strategies to prevent or manage health-risk factors focusing on pregnancy through birth to five years. The hospital was also one of the first businesses in the state to be awarded the Healthy Ohio Breastfeeding Friendly Employer Award by the Ohio Department of Health.

NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Dr. Eneli resides in Dublin, Ohio (43017).

Ihuoma U. Eneli, MD, medical director for the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Click here to download a hi-res photo of Dr. Eneli.

Circle of Friends 10th Annual “Run for the Rainbow” June 14

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Circle of Friends, a volunteer organization supporting Nationwide Children’s Hospital, will host its 10th Annual Run for the Rainbow 5K Run/Walk and Kids Fun Run Friday, June 14, 2013 at New Albany Market Square, 180 Market St., New Albany, Ohio. Proceeds benefit pediatric cancer research in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s. Since its inception 17 years ago, Circle of Friends has raised nearly $1.5 million for the fight against pediatric cancer.

The event this year features the addition of a butterfly dedication prior to the race and many other pre- and post-race family fun activities. Registration opens at 5:30 p.m. with races beginning at 7 p.m. (Kids Fun Run) and 7:15 p.m. (5K Competitive Run/Walk). Registration fees are $20 for the Kids Fun Run and $35 for the 5K Run/Walk. Awards will be given to the top finishers in each race.

Run for the Rainbow also has activities the whole family can enjoy including food and beverages, booths and activities, mascots and more.

To register for Run for the Rainbow and for more information, visit nationwidechildrens.org/runfortherainbow or call Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0888.

About Circle of Friends
Circle of Friends was founded in 1994 by three families whose lives had been touched by cancer. Through hard work and dedication, their grassroots fundraising has grown to include thousands in the community. To date, Circle of Friends has raised nearly $1.5 million for cancer research. Together, with Nationwide Children’s and community support, Circle of Friends is determined to help find the cure. For more information, visit nationwidechildrens.org/circleoffriends.

Dr. Prashant Solanki Malhotra Appointed in Otolaryngology, Director of the Hearing Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Thu, 16 May 2013 06:00:00 -0400

Prashant Solanki Malhotra, MD, FAAP, recently was appointed a physician in Otolaryngology and director of the Hearing Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Dr. Malhotra, board-certified in Otolaryngology, comes to Nationwide Children’s from the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio where he was an associate physician staff member of the Head and Neck Institute and the Pediatric Institute. In addition to his appointment at Nationwide Children’s, Dr. Malhotra will serve as an assistant professor in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at the Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Malhotra to Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Charles Elmaraghy, MD, interim chief of Otolaryngology at Nationwide Children’s, and a professor in Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery and Clinical Otolaryngology at OSU College of Medicine. “His expertise will be invaluable to our patients and to our team, and will help continue to advance our strides as a national leader in the treatment of pediatric hearing loss.”

While at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Malhotra was a pediatric surgeon in the Hearing Implant Program and a provider for the Vascular Malformations Clinic, Cleft-Craniofacial Clinic and Pediatric Hearing Management Clinic, as well as an instructor of ENT and pediatric resident trainees and medical students.

Dr. Malhotra received his medical degree from Case Western Reserve University (Cleveland) in 2004. He completed an internship in General Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Penn., and completed his residency in Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware. He spent an additional year as a fellow and clinical instructor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif.

Dr. Malhotra’s clinical and research interests primarily focus on problems relating to pediatric hearing loss and cochlear implantation, pediatric head and neck masses including malignancies, and all other aspects of pediatric otolaryngology and facial reconstructive surgery.

About the Hearing Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital
The Hearing Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital offers a comprehensive approach to helping children with a diagnosis of hearing loss. The progam offers a multidisciplinary clinic that allows families to see many specialists in one visit including an otolaryngologist, pediatric audiologist, speech-language pathologist, registered nurse, social worker and the Hearing Program coordinator (an advanced practice nurse). Together, the team assesses each patient and makes medical recommendations including further diagnostic testing, appropriate assistive listening devices and surgical interventions. The program also includes comprehensive pediatric audiologic services from newborn screening to advanced diagnostics, specialized speech and language therapy services for children with hearing loss, cochlear implant evaluation and surgery, and multiple opportunities for family engagement, support and sense of community.

NOTE TO EDITOR: Dr. Malhotra is a resident of Upper Arlington, OH 43220.

Prashant Solanki Malhotra, MD, FAAP, physician in Otolaryngology and director of the Hearing Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Study Shows Preschoolers Affected by Medication-Related Poisonings at Alarming Rate

Wed, 15 May 2013 07:00:00 -0400

Poisonings in young children have increased over the past decade, mainly due to medications in the home. A new study led by the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, found that medication-related poisonings in children younger than 6 increased by 33 percent during the 11 year study period.

According to the study, released in the May print issue of the journal, Pediatric Emergency Care, the overall total number of poisonings in young children in the 5 states where the data was collected, increased by 12 percent, largely due to medications. The effects of these pharmaceutical poisonings were often life-threatening. Compared to the 10 percent increase in the number of serious medical outcomes related to non-medication poisonings in children, there was a 98 percent increase in serious medical outcomes related to medications.

“Parents may forget that supplements and nonprescription pills can be just as dangerous as prescription pills, especially if their child ingests many of them,” said Henry Spiller, lead author of the study and director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s. “I suspect the increase of pharmaceutical-related poisonings is due to the increase of medications like dietary supplements, antipsychotics, cardiovascular drugs and other medications in the home.”

The only medication which did not have an increase during the 10 year period was cough and cold pharmaceuticals. Before 2006, there was a consistent, annual increase in the number of children with cough/cold-related poisoning exposures, but in 2009, the Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory against use of these types of medication in children under the age of 2. This caused a steady decline in the number of children harmed by cough and cold medications.

“This suggests that public health policy changes can have a positive effect on helping determine what young children are and are not exposed to,” said Spiller. “As we continue using many types of medications, poison prevention education efforts should include a focus on the availability of these products to young children. Keep them locked up and out of site, where children cannot access them.”

IGS Energy Evening with Don Felder and Toad the Wet Sprocket presented by City of Dublin

Thu, 09 May 2013 17:30:00 -0400

WHEN:
Friday, May 10, 2013
6 p.m. (EDT) VIP Doors Open
7:45 p.m. performance by Toad the Wet Sprocket
9:15 p.m. performance by Don Felder

WHERE:
The LC – Lifestyle Communities Pavilion
405 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43215

WHO:
Don Felder is renowned as the former lead guitarist of The Eagles, one of the most popular and influential rock groups of our time. A member of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 1998, Felder served as a key member of The Eagles for 27 years, putting his mark on numerous Eagles milestones. Felder originated and co-wrote The Eagles' biggest hit - the iconic, Grammy-studded smash, "Hotel California" and became immediately celebrated for his lyrical, signature guitar work on legendary songs like "Life in the Fast Lane," "One of These Nights," "New Kid In Town," and others.

After leaving the group in 2001, Felder became a New York Times bestselling author when his riveting confessional memoir, Heaven and Hell: My Life in The Eagles, proved a major commercial triumph upon publication in 2008.

Putting all the tumult and glory he'd experienced into perspective gave new urgency to the creation of Road to Forever, only Felder's second solo effort in a storied, four-decade-plus sojourn through rock history. Road to Forever, released October 2012, represents the culmination of a personal journey of introspection that Felder began over ten years ago. The critically-acclaimed album debuted on Billboard’s “Heatseekers” chart at No. 27. Felder joined forces with Styx singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw for the second single, “Wash Away”, which hit radio airwaves on March 19.

When Monty Python’s Eric Idle created the fictional band “Toad the Wet Sprocket” for the program “Rutland Weekend Television” in 1975, he never dreamed that anyone would actually use such a silly name. Fast forward to 1986, when four California teens desperately needed to come up with a name to call their band for an upcoming gig at a Goleta, Calif., watering hole called The Shack.

Since that day, “Toad the Wet Sprocket” has been the name of the four piece California rock band consisting of lead singer Glen Phillips, guitarist Todd Nichols, bassist Dean Dinning, and drummer Randy Guss. From 1989-1998, they made five studio albums which combined sold over four million copies, had five major radio hits, and won over audiences across North America and Europe.

After breaking up in 1998, Toad would get together sporadically to play shows on a casual basis, but their hard core fans never gave up hope for a new album. After successful tours in 2006-2010, the band finally decided to put the last piece of the puzzle in place, and committed to working together on new music. They also decided to update their classic catalog, and created a new Greatest Hits album “All You Want,” which came out in 2011.

Toad the Wet Sprocket is currently in the studio with producer Mikal Blue, and fans can look forward to a new release and extensive tour in 2013.

Official Websites:
www.donfelder.com
www.toadthewetsprocket.com

WHY:
To support and provide opportunity to advance the incredible care given in the Memorial Tournament Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Since it began in 2007, the annual benefit concert has raised more than $525,000 for the Memorial Tournament NICU through the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital alliance.

The charitable alliance was announced in June of 2010 among the Memorial Tournament, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation. The partnership has established Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation as a lead charity of the Memorial Tournament and supporter of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The relationship enables the Memorial to increase its long-standing support and promotion of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the Memorial Tournament NICU, while combining the strengths of three very powerful organizations, all for the benefit of central Ohio pediatric care.

Advancing pediatric care in the Memorial Tournament NICU is evident with its family-centered environment that provides the finest medical care for premature and sick infants. The NICU is one of the largest neonatal networks in the country and was ranked by U.S. News and World Report as one of “America’s Best” in Neonatal Care and Services. Rigorously trained neonatologists, advanced practice nurses and therapists utilize an interdisciplinary care approach to diagnose and treat patients suffering from complex birth defects, respiratory distress and metabolic diseases. This combined expertise makes the Memorial Tournament NICU one of the finest in the nation.

HOW:
Patron admission for the benefit concert is $175 per person or $350 per couple. All proceeds benefit the Memorial Tournament NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital through the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital alliance. Since it began in 2007, the annual benefit concert has raised more than $525,000. For more information please visit www.mtbenefitconcert.com or call (614) 355-0822.

INTERVIEW/PHOTO/VIDEO/OPPORTUNITIES:
All media requests to attend the concert must be sent directly to Tom Sprouse at 614-889-6791 (office), 614-519-1873 (mobile) or tsprouse@thememorialtournament.com

Central Ohio Walmart Locations Launch Fundraising Campaign

Wed, 08 May 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Now through June 21, 2013, Walmart stores throughout central Ohio are raising needed charitable funds for Nationwide Children’s Hospital, a member of Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Walmart customers and Sam’s Club members can quickly add a “Miracle Balloon” donation of $1 or more during their checkout, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to Nationwide Children’s.

Since 1987, Walmart stores and Sam’s Club warehouses have raised funds for 170 children’s hospitals in communities throughout the U.S. and Canada, with more than $64 million raised for all CMN Hospitals and $550,000 raised for Nationwide Children’s in 2012 alone.

About
Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals raises funds for 170 children’s hospitals across the United States and Canada, which, in turn, use the money where it’s needed the most. When a donation is given it stays in the community, helping local kids. Since 1983, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals has raised more than $4.7 billion, most of it $1 at a time. These donations have gone to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care, all in support of the mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible. Learn more at www.CMNHospitals.org

Family Foundations Fund Critical Study Necessary For Clinical Trials And Enter Into Agreement With Nationwide Children’s Hospital To Ensure Data Access For Lysosomal Storage Disease MPS III

Tue, 07 May 2013 17:15:00 -0400

Nearly 50 years to the day since Dr. Sylvester Sanfilippo first characterized the disease Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) III in a presentation to the American Pediatric Society, three parent-run foundations have awarded investigators at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, OH with a $550,000 grant to support a natural history study (NHS) of Sanfilippo Syndrome Types A & B. This is a crucial step, led by Dr. Kevin Flanigan, Center for Gene Therapy, and co-investigator Dr. Kim McBride, Center for Human & Molecular Genetics, towards bringing the gene therapy research of Drs. Haiyan Fu and Douglas McCarty, Center for Gene Therapy, to human clinical trials targeted for 2014.

Natural history studies are an important tool for understanding the untreated course and progression of the disorder, determining clinical outcome measures and identifying potential participants for clinical trials. Data collected from these types of studies are not typically shared between researchers other than through published papers, which often lag the studies by months or years. Since rare diseases like Sanfilippo Syndrome have small patient populations, participating in multiple studies places a burden on affected children and their families. That is why the Sanfilippo Research Foundation (Ben’s Dream), The Children’s Medical Research Foundation, Inc. (A Cure for Kirby) and The Sanfilippo Children’s Research Foundation (A Life for Elisa) worked closely with Nationwide Children’s to ensure that data collected from this study would be available to other qualified institutions.

“We traveled with our daughter Blair from Florida to Minnesota to participate in a study sponsored by industry and while I am very excited by the progress of research, the idea of traveling and putting her through those tests again is daunting. I am so pleased that Nationwide Children's has agreed to share the data collected in their study. I think this will ease the burden on families, and quicken the pace of research worldwide,” said Susan Chapin, Orlando, Florida.

Sanfilippo Syndrome, is a group of four devastating lysosomal storage diseases, each caused by a deficiency in an essential enzyme. Children with Sanfilippo Syndrome appear normal at birth, but develop severe progressive developmental delays and neurological disorders. Sanfilippo Syndrome is a fatal disease and there is currently no treatment available. Drs. Fu and McCarty have developed novel, non-invasive gene therapy approaches that involve delivery of the corrected gene with a simple intravenous injection.

“Although neurological impact is the major problem, Sanfilippo Syndrome affects the entire body,” said Dr. Fu. “Therefore we need to treat the entire nervous system and as many organs as possible in order to have the best outcome. Our gene therapy technique is minimally invasive and shows widespread expression throughout the whole body. Without the funding from these organizations we wouldn’t be on the edge of clinical trials—more is still needed to do all the work necessary to ensure we’re successful in treating the disease.”

In addition to the grant for the NHS, the three foundations have collaborated since 2010 to provide over $610,000 in funding to advance the gene therapy research at Nationwide Children’s for Sanfilippo Syndrome. This support enabled the Nationwide Children’s team to garner two additional NIH grants totaling $3.75M to advance their gene therapy work to the point of submission for an Investigational New Drug (IND) application to the FDA for clinical trials for which a NHS is required.

About the Sanfilippo Research Foundation, Inc.
The Sanfilippo Research Foundation, Inc. was formed by Jennifer and Stuart Siedman in honor of their son Benjamin’s fifth birthday. Ben’s Dream has raised over $1.2 million dollars for research and has been supporting the work of Dr. Haiyan Fu at Nationwide Children’s since 2004. The Sanfilippo Research Foundation commits 96 cents of every dollar raised to research.

For more information: www.bensdream.org
Stuart Siedman, stuart@bensdream.org or 617-899-4158

About The Children’s Medical Research Foundation, Inc.
The Children’s Medical Research Foundation, Inc. was formed in 1995, shortly after Kirby, the daughter of founders, Sue and Brad Wilson, was diagnosed with Sanfilippo Syndrome. To date, this non-profit foundation has awarded $3.7 million dollars to research at seven universities, with more than 95% of all receipts appropriated to funding research.

For more information: www.curekirby.org
Sue Wilson, curekirby@sbcglobal.net or 708-784-0631

About The Sanfilippo Children’s Research Foundation
Formed in 1998, The Sanfilippo Children's Research Foundation, located in Canada is a volunteer organization which has raised and committed over $4 million dollars towards Sanfilippo research; funding 30 research projects in five different countries. Nineteen year old, Elisa Linton, daughter of founders, Elizabeth and Randall Linton suffers from Sanfilippo Syndrome.

For more information: www.alifeforelisa.org
Elizabeth Linton, scrf@alifeforelisa.org or 416-223-1911

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Plans to Extend Healthcare to More Children in Central Ohio Area through a Pilot with HealthSpot

Tue, 07 May 2013 00:00:00 -0400

HealthSpot™, a pioneer in telehealth technology, has teamed up with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, one of the largest and most respected children’s hospitals in the nation, to expand access to affordable healthcare to more children via four HealthSpot Station units in and around Columbus, Ohio.

The HealthSpot Station is an 8- by 5-foot private, walk-in medical kiosk that features high-definition videoconferencing and interactive digital medical devices. Each is furnished with a desktop touchscreen, audio system, two-way video screen, and is spacious enough to accommodate parent(s) and their kids during a true-to-life “virtual visit” that brings patients face-to-face with medical professionals from Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

"HealthSpot’s solution shows how technology can be used to make care affordable, convenient and effective," said HealthSpot CEO and founder Steve Cashman. "It is truly rewarding for us to partner with Nationwide Children’s to extend that care to the children that need it most right here in our own hometown.”

Cashman noted that the Nationwide Children’s partnership is a “critical step” for HealthSpot’s ongoing effort to build a national network of HealthSpot Stations in retail and community locations, with provider services from the nation’s top health systems. The 6-month Nationwide Children’s HealthSpot pilot will provide the hospital an opportunity to develop infrastructure and test the kiosk technology with the pediatric population. It will expand access to pediatric health care providers in an efficient manner.

“The HealthSpot kiosk technology will enable us to provide access to our pediatric experts in an efficient manner,” said Gil Peri, Nationwide Children’s vice president for Regional Development. “The HealthSpot kiosk provides a high-definition video interaction along with medical device attachments all in a private setting. We are looking forward to piloting the technology over the next six months. If the initial pilot is successful, we will expand the technology to South and Central Ohio rural communities.”

About HealthSpot™
HealthSpot is pioneering patient and provider healthcare technology with a comprehensive, telehealth system called the HealthSpot Station, a private, walk-in medical kiosk that reinvents a visit to the doctor. Patients interact with board certified healthcare providers using high definition video conferencing and a suite of connected medical devices that stream biomedical information in real time. HealthSpot leverages technology to produce the highest quality, lowest cost healthcare appointment on the market today.

About Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Ranked 7th of only 12 children's hospitals on U.S.News & World Report’s 2012-13 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare networks providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children, and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. Nationwide Children’s, also ranked among the Top 10 on Parents magazine’s 2013 “Best Children’s Hospitals” list, completed the largest pediatric expansion construction project in United States history in June 2012, adding 2.1 million square feet of clinical, research and support facilities to total 5.3 million square feet on its main campus. A medical staff of 1,100, and 8,300 employees provide state-of-the-art pediatric care for one million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. Nationwide Children’s remains true to the original mission since its founding in 1892 of providing care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

HealthSpot™ Contact:
Caster Communications, Inc. 401-792-7080
Kimberly Lancaster klancaster@castercomm.com
Kelly Ahern kahern@castercomm.com

For downloadable images go to: www.CasterComm.com/HealthSpot

New Study Says Summer Brings Increase in Gasoline and Other Chemical-Related Injuries in Young Children

Mon, 06 May 2013 06:00:00 -0400

Hydrocarbons, a chemical compound commonly found in household items from cleaning products to gasoline, are among the top 10 causes of pediatric poisoning deaths in the United States. A new study by researchers at the Central Ohio Poison Center and the Center for Injury Research and Policy, both at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, found these injuries are most likely to occur during months when the weather is warm and are associated with activities such as mowing lawns, use of Tiki torches and use of lighter fluid for outdoor cooking.

According to the study, published online May 6, 2013 and in the June 2013 print issue of Pediatrics, 31 percent of hydrocarbon exposure incidents were reported during the summer with 17 to 19 percent being reported during winter months.

During the 10-year study period , 66,000 calls were made to regional poison centers and more than 40,000 emergency department visits were reported regarding exposure to hydrocarbons in children under the age of 5. The study also found that these incidents most frequently occurred in boys, and in children between one and two years of age. Gasoline was the product most commonly associated with ED visits and calls to poison centers and exposures occurred during the refueling of a vehicle.

“The good news is that the number of injuries has declined significantly between 2000 and 2009 because of changes in packaging laws and public awareness,” said study co-author Heath Jolliff, DO, associate medical director for the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children’s. “Unfortunately, more children are poisoned from hydrocarbons because of incidents at home, demonstrating a greater need for preventive education for parents.”

Hydrocarbons are chemicals such as gasoline, kerosene, lighter fluid, lamp oil, mineral oil, and some cleaning solvents. They are most dangerous when children swallow and choke on the chemical, breathing it into their lungs, leading to pulmonary injury.

“Inquisitive children mistakenly identify hydrocarbons as a food or beverage and attempt to ingest the poison, which is the most common way children are exposed to the chemical,” explained study co-author Lara McKenzie, PhD, MA, principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s. “The changing seasons should remind parents to ensure proper storage of hydrocarbons in their original containers.”

When parents made phone calls to their regional poison centers, their cases were mostly managed at home without the need to be treated in the emergency department. This trend has been reported in other studies and further demonstrated the potential cost savings of regional poison centers.

Both Jolliff and McKenzie are also faculty members at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Their safety tips for parents include:

Store products properly and high up where children can’t see or reach them.
Keep products in their original, child-resistant package containers.
Supervise children when these products are being used in and around the home.
Keep cabinets with products containing hydrocarbons locked.
Keep children safely in the vehicle during fuel fill ups at gas stations.
To report a poisoning or get poison prevention information, call your local poison center toll-free: (800) 222-1222.

Watch the experts from Nationwide Children's discuss what hydrocarbons are in the home and how to use them safely.

More than 100,000 injuries were reported in children under 5 due to hydrocarbons between 2000-2009.

View and download this high resolution photo of hydrocarbons.

New Study Finds 20 Children a Day During the Summer are Treated in U.S. Emergency Departments for Amusement Ride-Related Injuries

Wed, 01 May 2013 09:00:00 -0400

A new study by researchers in the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined injuries to children related to amusement rides, which included rides at amusement parks (fixed-site rides), rides at fairs and festivals (mobile rides) and rides found at local malls, stores, restaurants or arcades (mall rides).
Researchers found that from 1990 to 2010, 92,885 children under the age of 18 years were treated in United States emergency departments for amusement ride-related injuries for an average of 4,423 injuries each year. More than 70 percent of the injuries occurred during the warm summer months of May through September – equating to more than 20 injuries a day during these months.

The study, available online May 1, 2013 and in the May print issue of Clinical Pediatrics, found that the head and neck region was the most frequently injured (28 percent), followed by the arms (24 percent), face (18 percent) and legs (17 percent). Soft tissue injuries (29 percent) were the most common injury type followed by strains and sprains (21 percent), cuts (20 percent) and broken bones (10 percent). The overall percentage of injuries requiring hospitalization or observation was low, suggesting that serious injuries are relatively rare. However, during the summer months, May – September, there is an amusement ride-related injury that is serious enough to require hospitalization once every three days on average.

Injuries were most likely to be sustained as the result of a fall (32 percent), or by either hitting a part of a body on a ride or being hit by something while riding (18 percent). Nearly one-third (33 percent) of injuries occurred on a fixed-site ride, followed by mobile rides (29 percent) and “mall” rides (12 percent).

“Although the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has jurisdiction over mobile rides, regulation of fixed-site rides is currently left to state or local governments leading to a fragmented system,” said the study’s senior author Gary Smith, MD, DrPH, director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “A coordinated national system would help us prevent amusement ride-related injuries through better injury surveillance and more consistent enforcement of standards.”

The study also found that injuries associated with “mall rides” differed from fixed-site and mobile rides. They were more likely to be head/neck or face injuries, concussions/closed head injuries or cuts than were injuries associated with fixed site or mobile rides. Almost three-fourths of the “mall ride” injuries occurred when a child fell in, on, off or against the ride. These types of rides may be placed over hard surfaces and may not have child restraints, which contributes to the injury risk.

“Injuries from smaller amusement rides located in malls, stores, restaurants and arcades are typically given less attention by legal and public health professionals than injuries from larger amusement park rides, yet our study showed that in the U.S. a child is treated in an emergency department, on average, every day for an injury from an amusement ride located in a mall, store, restaurant or arcade,” said Dr. Smith, who is also a professor of pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “We need to raise awareness of this issue and determine the best way to prevent injuries from these types of rides.”

Some tips for keeping safe on amusement rides include:

Always follow all posted height, age, weight and health restrictions.
Make sure to follow any special seating order and/or loading instructions.
Always use safety equipment such as seat belts and safety bars.
Keep your hands and feet inside the ride at all times.
Know your child. If you don’t think he/she will be able to follow the rules, keep him/her off the ride.
Trust your instincts. If you are worried about the safety of the ride, choose a different activity.
Avoid “mall rides” if they are over a hard, unpadded surface or if they don’t have a child restraint such as a seat belt.

This is the first study to describe national rates of pediatric injury involving amusement rides treated in U.S. emergency departments. Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.

The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric deaths and disabilities. With innovative research at its core, CIRP works to continually improve the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, policy, and advances in clinical care. For related injury prevention materials or to learn more about CIRP, visit http://www.injurycenter.org.

Watch experts from Nationwide Children's talk about amusement ride-related injuries and how parents can avoid them.

View an infographic about amusement ride-related injuries and learn more about the study's findings.

Amusement rides send 20 kids a day during the summer to emergency rooms.

View and download a high resolution photo of amusement rides.

Media Advisory: Auntie Anne’s Raises Dough for Nationwide Children's Hospital

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

EVENT DETAILS

Auntie Anne's Eastland Mall location is celebrating National Pretzel Day by donating 100 percent of its pretzel and drink sales for the second year in a row to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Pretzels are available in a variety of shapes and flavors, including the newest offering, the honey whole grain pretzel. The pretzel franchise is known for its mouth-watering, hand-rolled and freshly-baked soft pretzels.

National Pretzel Day is an annual holiday. It was introduced to Congress in 1983 to celebrate the art of making pretzels – a treat that dates to 610 AD – and to recognize the evolution of the pretzel industry.

WHEN

Friday, April 26, 2013
10 a.m. – 9 p.m.

WHERE

Auntie Anne’s
Eastland Mall – Near Macy’s & the Food Court
4256 FC Eastland Mall
Columbus, OH 43232

ABOUT AUNTIE ANNE’S

Headquartered in Lancaster, Penn., Auntie Anne’s celebrated its 25th Anniversary this year with more than 1,330 locations in 46 states and 25 countries. Combined, Auntie Anne’s stores hand roll and bake more than 100 million pretzels per year (using enough dough in the process to wrap end-to-end around the earth three times). Auntie Anne’s is committed to pretzel perfection by guaranteeing customers will love its pretzels or they will replace it with one that you do. For more information, visit www.auntieannes.com.

CONTACT

Timothy Chafins
Auntie Anne’s Eastland Mall
Franchise Partner
614-577-0200
pretzelmen@aol.com

Shannon Zimmerman
Auntie Anne’s, Inc.
717-435-1612
shannonz@auntieannesinc.com

Legends Luncheon Presented by Nationwide Insurance Continues to Highlight Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Alliance

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 16:30:00 -0400

The Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance hosted today the third annual Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide Insurance, a unique, award-winning fundraiser to central Ohio that brings to life the alliance between the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital. All proceeds of the Legends Luncheon directly benefit the young patients treated and cared for each day at Nationwide Children’s.

The goal of the Luncheon is to increase awareness of and further advance the incredible care given in the most needed areas of Nationwide Children’s. To that end, this year’s Luncheon raised a record $550,000 for the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital alliance. The 2013 amount equals more than the event raised in its first two years combined and brings the Luncheon’s three year total to $1.1 million.

True to the heart of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide Insurance includes as one of its primary objectives a genuine, philanthropic vision. Embodied in the Memorial’s longstanding partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital and enhanced by the recent alliance with Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation, pediatric care is at the center of each campaign and event these entities jointly execute.

Third-year Tournament sponsor, Nationwide Insurance, shares a similar tradition of support for Nationwide Children’s. Nationwide is committed to broadening the impact of its presenting sponsorship of the Memorial Tournament to bring greater awareness and increased funding to Nationwide Children’s and to those who benefit the most – families and children in need of care.

Hosts of The Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide Insurance were Jack and Barbara Nicklaus, together with Nationwide CEO Steve Rasmussen and his wife, Cindy, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital CEO, Steve Allen, MD, and his wife, Jamie. Luncheon guests experienced a charity event that is unique to Columbus, Ohio. Held at the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University, guests enjoyed a special conversation with Memorial Tournament Host and Founder Jack Nicklaus and 2002 Memorial Tournament winner and 2003 U.S. Open champion Jim Furyk. NBC and Golf Channel Host and 13-time Emmy Award winner Jimmy Roberts moderated this special discussion.

As a culmination of the Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide Insurance, an annual recognition award was presented in the name of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. The “Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award” is to be given annually to a young citizen who in some way has demonstrated a strong, driving spirit in overcoming obstacles, an unwavering optimistic outlook, and a strong conviction for their connection to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Whether it is by leadership in their community or simply personification of a strong spirit, a patient of Nationwide Children’s Hospital can inspire not only their family and loved ones, but also the community that surrounds them. The Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award will honor the courage within that inspires volunteerism and community outreach and has a positive influence on others.

The conclusion of the Legends Luncheon was the moving presentation by Jack and Barbara Nicklaus of the Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award to Nationwide Children’s Hospital patient Addie McGarry, 6, from Athens, Ohio.

In December of 2006 Addie was born at only 28 weeks. She weighed just two pounds, 10 ½ ounces and was 14 inches long. She spent the first 49 days of her life in the Memorial Tournament NICU at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. She endured a feeding tube, a c-pap machine to provide oxygen to her tiny lungs, and dozens of IV medications. With a fiery spirit, the loving support of her family and the expert care of the dedicated staff at Nationwide Children’s, Addie overcame all of the complications that can occur with prematurity. She is now a happy and healthy 6-year-old that loves dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist when she grows up.

Women’s Auxiliary Council Hosts Event for Prospective Members on May 7

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

The Women’s Auxiliary Council of Nationwide Children’s Hospital is hosting an informational dessert and coffee event for prospective members at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at Brookside Golf and Country Club, 2770 West Dublin-Granville Road, Columbus, OH 43235. The event is open to the public and geared for women who are interested in learning about and involvement in the four auxiliaries of Nationwide Children’s – TWIG, Kinder Key, Pleasure Guild and the Women’s Board. All auxiliaries work throughout the year to promote, fundraise and support the hospital.

Members from each auxiliary will be present to give a brief overview of their organization and to answer any questions that potential members may have. Dessert and coffee will be served.

Women’s Auxiliaries have been at the forefront of helping Nationwide Children’s achieve its mission since the hospital began more than 120 years ago in 1892. Each year, more than 1,000 women throughout central Ohio actively participate in auxiliary events and raise millions of dollars over the years for the hospital.

Some of the major events organized by the auxiliaries each year include:

Professionally directed family play (2014 Shrek) – Pleasure Guild
Denim & Diamonds – Kinder Key
Junior Golf Classic – Women’s Board
BIA Parade of Homes – TWIG
Caroling for a Cause – Kinder Key
Pumpkinpalooza – TWIG
TWIG Holiday Bazaar – TWIG
The Memorial Tournament Women’s Division – All Auxiliaries

Kinder Key is dedicated to bringing new hope to young hearts through its support of The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Pleasure Guild supports children for whom a cure is beyond reach during a time of great need with their support of the Hospice and Palliative Care Program. The monies raised by the Women’s Board and TWIG are used wherever the need is greatest.

RSVPs are requested for the event on May 7. To RSVP, or for more information, contact Brittany Keegan in Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0854 or brittany.keegan@nationwidechildrens.org.

Media Advisory: Third Annual Legends Luncheon Presented by Nationwide Insurance

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 14:30:00 -0400

WHAT
The third annual Legends Luncheon presented by Nationwide Insurance
A unique, award-winning philanthropic event in central Ohio

WHO
Jack and Barbara Nicklaus
Nationwide CEO, Steve Rasmussen and his wife Cindy
Nationwide Children’s Hospital CEO, Steve Allen, MD, and his wife Jamie

Special guests
Jim Furyk, 2002 Memorial Tournament winner and 2003 U.S. Open winner
Jimmy Roberts, NBC and Golf Channel Host and 13-time Emmy Award winner

WHY
Celebrating the alliance between the Nicklaus Children’s Health Care Foundation and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the Memorial Tournament and Nationwide Insurance are proud to host the third annual Legends Luncheon. With this aligned vision, all proceeds of the Luncheon will directly benefit the young patients served each day by Nationwide Children’s. The goal is to not only support but also provide opportunity to advance the incredible care given in the most needed areas of Nationwide Children’s.

A recognition award presented in the name of Jack and Barbara Nicklaus. The Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award is given to a young citizen who in some way has demonstrated a strong, driving spirit in overcoming obstacles, an unwavering optimistic outlook, and a strong conviction for their connection to Nationwide Children’s.

WHEN / WHERE
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Ohio Union, Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom
11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

*The Ohio Union is located at the corner of 12th Avenue and High Street on The Ohio State University main campus

PARKING
Parking is complimentary. Valet will be offered off West 12th Avenue or media can access the Ohio Union South Parking Garage from both High Street and College Avenue.

SPECIAL INVITATION
Media are invited to attend as guests for the catered luncheon. Space is limited. Please RSVP to Tom Sprouse (tsprouse@thememorialtournament.com) with your intentions.

INTERVIEW/PHOTO/VIDEO OPPORTUNITIES
Jack Nicklaus, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Roberts, Steve Rasmussen, Dr. Steve Allen, Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award winner

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

10:30 a.m.
On-site Media Center open
Traditions Room, Second Floor

11:30 a.m.
Guest Arrival and Event Registration
Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom, Second Floor

11:45 a.m.
Guest Seating
Archie Griffin Grand Ballroom, Second Floor

12:00 p.m.
Opening Remarks

12:15 p.m.
Lunch Served

12:20 p.m.
Conversation with golfing legend Jack Nicklaus and 2002 Memorial Tournament winner and 2003 U.S. Open winner Jim Furyk, moderated by NBC and Golf Channel Host and 13-time Emmy Award winner, Jimmy Roberts

1:00 p.m.
Introduction and Presentation of the Nicklaus Youth Spirit Award

1:10 p.m.
Closing Remarks

1:20 p.m.
Post media interviews in on-site Media Center (Traditions Room, Second floor)

Dr. Brian Kaspar First Recipient of Grant Morrow, III, MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

During a recent ceremony, Brian Kaspar, PhD, was named the first recipient of the Grant Morrow, III, MD, Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. This endowed chair is supported by Arthur E. Shepard and Dorothy D. Shepard, who chose to fund the chair to honor the tire¬less service and long commitment of Grant Morrow, III, MD, to research at Nationwide Children’s. For clinicians and researchers working in academic-medical institutions like Nationwide Children’s, endowed chairs represent the most prestigious and significant recognition of their work.

Dr. Kaspar, is a principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s and an associate professor in the departments of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He is a recognized national expert in the discovery of new therapies for spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

He completed postdoctoral studies at University of California San Diego specializing in molecular pathology and at The Salk Institute for Biological Studies in La Jolla, Calif., in the laboratory of Dr. Fred H. Gage, where he pioneered various methodologies in viral gene transfer for neurological disorders.

In 2004, he moved to Nationwide Children’s to start a laboratory focused on understanding and developing treatments for severe neuromuscular disorders. In 2009, Dr. Kaspar’s group identified the first viral vector capable of traversing the blood brain barrier and utilized these findings to treat various neurological disorders, including spinal muscular atrophy. Clinical trials for this therapy are slated to begin later this year.

A muscle-enhancing gene therapy, developed by Dr. Kaspar and colleagues in the center, is currently being tested in patients for Becker muscular dystrophy and inclusion body myositis patients, with the potential to increase muscle mass and size in these debilitating disorders.

The endowed chair’s namesake, Grant Morrow, III, MD, is a member of the Molecular and Human Genetics Section at Nationwide Children’s and a professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He has served a number of national organization leadership assignments, including chairman of the Pediatric Residence Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; member of the Executive Committee of the American Board of Medical Subspecialists; and chairman of the American Board of Pediatrics, among others.

Dr. Morrow’s major commitment to research is perhaps most visible through the legacy he leaves for pediatric research on the Nationwide Children’s campus: the Wexner Institute for Pediatric Research, constructed during his tenure as medical director and pediatric department chairman. He also serves as vice chair of the Nationwide Children’s Institutional Review Board.

Mr. and Mrs. Shepard, lifelong residents of Columbus, are long-time donors to Nationwide Children’s and have been generous supporters for research. In 1989, they established the Arthur & Dorothy Shepard Research Endowment. Mr. Shepard is 101 years old and Mrs. Shepard passed away in November at the age of 98.

NOTE TO EDITOR: Dr. Kaspar is a resident of area code 43054.

Brian Kaspar, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s

Tee Jaye’s Country Place Restaurants Supports the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

In light of Autism Awareness Month and throughout the entire month of April, central Ohio Tee Jaye’s Country Place Restaurants will be asking customers to round up their bill to support the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“Tee Jaye’s is proud to support the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and bring awareness to autism spectrum disorders,” said Dayna Sokol, president of Tee Jaye’s Country Place Restaurants. “Too many children go undiagnosed and many could be assisted sooner if more people were aware of the early signs of autism.”

Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of neurologically based developmental conditions that are characterized by delays in three areas including language and communication, socialization and repetitive and ritualistic behaviors. ASDs include autism, Asperger’s and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). These are spectrum disorders and for each child the severity of symptoms in each area can range from mild to severe. Structured, comprehensive interventions can significantly improve a child’s quality of life.

For more information about the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, visit nationwidechildrens.org/autism.

10th Annual “a d’vine affair” Slated for April 19

Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

The 10th annual “a d’vine affair” will be held 6:30 – 11 p.m. Friday, April 19, 2013 at The Boat House at Confluence Park. Proceeds from this wine tasting event benefit Lavender Ribbons Inc., a non-profit organization raising funds for Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

This event will feature premium domestic and international wines, microbrews and an array of appetizers, and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $85 in advance, $150 for a couple or $95 per person at the door. Attire for the event is business casual.

Proceeds from “a d’vine affair” will maintain the Cancer Coping Kits program for newly diagnosed pediatric cancer patients at Nationwide Children’s. Each kit is customized for a specific age range.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, contact Helen Krouse, event chairperson and president of Lavender Ribbons, at (614) 895-5648 or lavenderribons@wowway.com.

Lavender Ribbons Inc, is an all-volunteer organization dedicated to raising funds for cancer support services in central Ohio. Since its inception 10 years ago, the event has raised more than $130,000 for area cancer support services.

Denim & Diamonds Gala Slated for April 20

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 08:00:00 -0400

The eighth-annual Denim & Diamonds Gala, benefiting The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, will be held 7 – 11 p.m. Saturday, April 20, 2013 at the Brookside Golf and Country Club located at 2770 West Dublin Granville Road, Columbus, OH 43235.

Hosted by Kinder Key, a volunteer organization of Nationwide Children’s, guests are invited to mix their jeans and jewels and enjoy an elegant evening. The Denim & Diamonds Gala features heavy hors d’oeuvres, delicious cocktails and an evening of dancing and entertainment with this year’s emcees, WBNS-10TV’s Karina Nova and Columbus’ own Dimitrious Stanley.

The gala will feature stunning jewels from the event’s 2013 premier jeweler Leo Alfred Jewelers, amazing Chinese and silent auction items, a fabulous “Diamond” and ring raffles and a chance to bid on breathtaking trips in the live auction.

Tickets are $100 per person. Additional corporate sponsorship opportunities are also available.

For more information and to purchase tickets, contact Cindy Laux, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, at (614) 355-0819 or Cynthia.Laux@NationwideChildrens.org.

About Kinder Key
Kinder Key serves as an auxiliary of Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is dedicated to supporting the lifesaving work of The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s. This group, founded in 1954, has demonstrated its commitment by raising more than $3 million for Nationwide Children’s to provide the highest quality health care to all children. Today, active members are working to continue the Kinder Key legacy of providing “new hope for young hearts” through a variety of fundraising efforts such as the holiday caroling drive, the sale of holiday angels, Candles for a Cause, the Women’s Division of The Memorial Tournament and the Denim & Diamonds Gala.

TWIG Hosts “Meet & Greet” for Prospective Members April 16

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400

TWIG, an auxiliary of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, will host an informational “Meet & Greet” for prospective members 6 – 8 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at The Wine Bistro in Upper Arlington (1750 W. Lane Ave. Suite 100). The meeting will include complimentary hors d’oeuvres while attendees can learn more about membership in the women’s auxilian organization.

TWIG is an acronym for “Together With Important Goals” and consists of groups of women throughout central Ohio who dedicate their time, energy and talent in support of Nationwide Children’s. In central Ohio, there are more than 800 volunteers which make up more than 70 individual TWIG groups.

TWIG groups operate independently as well as participate in larger events as a whole organization including the annual TWIG Bazaar during the holidays and Pumpkinpalooza. While working to make a difference in the lives of children, TWIG members experience fulfillment in their own lives. Members meet new people with whom they share common interests and have the chance to network. Many groups form a TWIG in their neighborhood, place of employment or with a group of friends.

RSVPs are requested for the Meet & Greet on April 16. To RSVP or for more information, contact Cindy Laux in Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0819 or cynthia.laux@nationwidechildrens.org.

About TWIG of Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Since their inception in 1916, TWIG has raised more than $26 million to support patient care, education and research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. The women of TWIG believe in the mission of providing the highest quality of care to all children and families regardless of their ability to pay.

Media Alert: Nationwide Children’s to Receive Stuffed Bunny Donations from Local H&R Block Thursday

Thu, 28 Mar 2013 06:00:00 -0400

PHOTO OPP:

For Further Information Contact:

Lisa Patterson, 816-305-4421, lisa.patterson@hrblock.com

WHAT:

Associates and clients will celebrate Easter a few days early when they make a donation of nearly 500 stuffed bunnies to Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

WHEN:

3 p.m. Thursday, March 28, 2013

WHERE:

630 Children’s Drive – entrance located at the new main hospital lobby

WHY:

The H&R Block offices in Columbus have been collecting stuffed animal donations to help patients at Nationwide Children’s celebrate Easter this weekend. Just as taxpayers should consider their tax situation throughout the year, H&R Block’s associates also recognize charitable organizations need support all year long.

“We not only work in this community, but we live and shop here as well,” said, Mitch Hilderbrand, district manager. “H&R Block is proud to be able to help Nationwide Children’s Hospital with a fuzzy gift for patients this weekend.”

About H&R Block
H&R Block, Inc. (NYSE: HRB) is the world's largest tax services provider, having prepared more than 600 million tax returns worldwide since 1955. In fiscal 2012, H&R Block had annual revenues of $2.9 billion and prepared 25.6 million tax returns worldwide. Tax return preparation services are provided in company-owned and franchise retail tax offices by nearly 100,000 professional tax preparers, and through H&R Block At Home™ digital products. H&R Block Bank provides affordable banking products and services. For more information, visit the H&R Block Online Press Center.

Blanchard Valley Health System Partners with Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 13:00:00 -0400

Blanchard Valley Health System (BVHS) and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have joined hands in a collaborative partnership. This partnership allows pediatric and neonatal patients at Blanchard Valley Hospital to receive the expertise and resources offered by Nationwide Children's in Findlay, Ohio.

The collaboration offers increased access for area residents to Nationwide Children's pediatric specialists and extends state-of-the-art pediatric research and clinical trials to Northwest Ohio. In addition, BVHS physicians receive advanced education and training as well as direct consultation with specialists at Nationwide Children’s in Columbus.

“By combining the resources and expertise of Nationwide Children’s Hospital with the BVHS pediatricians and pediatric hospitalists, we can build upon the outstanding care we currently provide,” said Dr. Martin Hanawalt, BVHS pediatric hospitalist. “This will allow BVHS’ skilled medical staff to offer an even higher level of care in Findlay.”

“Nationwide Children's looks forward to leveraging our neonatal and pediatric expertise to enhance the exceptional care already in place at Blanchard Valley Health System,” said Gil Peri, vice president for regional development at Nationwide Children’s. “We will partner to meet the needs of the community physicians and their patients/families. Our physician and nursing teams will collaborate on protocol development, education initiatives, neonatal nursery telemedicine support and clinic development. We value this partnership tremendously and commend Blanchard Valley Health System for their proactive approach to optimizing neonatal and pediatric care for the children and families in Findlay.”

Blanchard Valley Health System provides a total continuum of care to more than 100,000 households in an eight-county area.

The 10th Annual “Evening of Hope” Benefitting The Center for Family Safety and Healing Slated for April 20

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

The 10th Annual “Evening of Hope,” which benefits The Center for Family Safety and Healing, will be held on Saturday, April 20, 2013, at 8 p.m. at Bon Vie Bistro located at Easton Town Center.

The event is hosted by Abigail and Leslie Wexner and the Bravo | Brio Restaurant Group, with generous support from premier sponsor the Easton Community Foundation. Thanks to the generosity of sponsors, 100 percent of the proceeds from Evening of Hope will benefit The Center for Family Safety and Healing.

Reservations for Evening of Hope are $150 per person. Guests may upgrade their reservations to include the “VIP Mix & Mingle” for $250 per person which includes a cocktail hour with a group of community leaders who are taking a stance against family violence one hour before the doors open. All reservations must be made in advance.

Please join special VIP guests in hopes of changing the conversation on family violence. People are beginning to discuss one of our community’s most troubling and devastating issues – family violence. But that conversation needs to grow.

“Traditionally, however, the conversations were amongst mostly women,” said Karen Days, President of The Center for Family Safety and Healing. “We have reached a critical juncture in our effort to change the conversation, as men must be included and take the lead. Our hope for the event is for the public’s voice to be counted among this group of men who are willing to speak out against family violence:”

Steve Allen, MD
David Aronowitz
Eric Brown
Tony Brown
Kevin Cogan
Steven Fields
Michael Fiorile
Alex Fischer
Alan Hinson
Chad Jester
Doug Kridler
John Neil Lindsey
Clark Lloyd
Steve Lyons
Jeffrey Lyttle
Jim Malz
Honorable Algenon L. Marbley
Rick Miller
Commissioner John O’Grady
Brendan G. O’Neill
Stan Partlow
Fire Chief Gregory A. Paxton
Tim Robinson
Jerry Saunders
Sheriff Zach Scott
Dave Shouvlin
Gene Smith
Jonathan D. Thackeray, MD
Brian Tuckerman
Charles Turney
Ben Tyson
Les Wexner
Doug Williams
John F. Wolfe

For additional information, sponsorship opportunities or to make reservations, visit nationwidechildrens.org/eveningofhope or contact Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0888.

The Center for Family Safety and Healing assures families that they are not alone. The Center’s mission is to transform the way our community responds to family violence. The Center accomplishes this work through a multi-disciplinary team of professionals that provide assessment, long term treatment and support, research, prevention and advocacy. Housed in a facility on the campus of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, The Center is the first of its kind in the nation to fully integrate services for child abuse and family violence under one roof. For more information, visit familysafetyandhealing.org.

Easton Town Center was co-developed by The Georgetown Company and Steiner + Associates. Opened in June 1999, Easton is a $225 million, 1.5 million square-foot ‘New Urban Retail’ center that features pedestrian-friendly streetscapes, open-air gathering spaces, fountains and parks for children, in addition to over 160 best-of-class retail, entertainment and dining tenants. The International Council of Shopping Centers honored Easton with an Innovative Design Award in 2000. The development draws more than 30 million visits annually. For more information, visit eastontowncenter.com.

Bravo | Brio Restaurant Group owners of BRAVO! Cucina Italiana, BRIO Tuscan Grille and Bon Vie Bistro, operates 105 restaurants in multiple states. All three concepts are open seven days a week for lunch and dinner and are positioned as “upscale-affordable”. The concepts appeal to a broad base of Guests from business people and young professionals to families and empty nesters. For more information, visit BBRG.com.

Study: Research Reveals Protective Properties of Influenza Vaccines

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Collaborating scientists from Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Baylor Institute for Immunology Research, and Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified an important mechanism for stimulating protective immune responses following seasonal influenza vaccinations. The study was published in Science Translational Medicine, a journal of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

While seasonal influenza vaccines protect 60 to 90 percent of healthy adults from “the flu,” the mechanisms providing that protection are still not well understood.

The study led by Octavio Ramilo, MD, chief of Infectious Diseases and an investigator in the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine, and Hideki Ueno, MD, PhD, an investigator at the Baylor Institute for Immunology Research at Baylor University, demonstrates how certain T cells in the blood are stimulated to provide protective antibody responses with seasonal flu vaccines.

Antibodies are produced by specific white blood cells or B cells, which serve as an immune defense against foreign bodies such as the influenza virus. Helper T cells, another type of white cell, are essential for the generation of B cells.

Blood samples before and after influenza vaccination from three groups of healthy study participants were analyzed for antibody responses. The groups included two sets of adults, one receiving flu vaccines during the 2009-2010 winter and the other receiving vaccination during the 2011-2012 winter. The third group included children receiving the flu vaccine during the 2010-2011 winter.

Analyses show that a temporary increase in a unique subset of helper T cells expressing the co-stimulator molecule ICOS adds to the immune response by helping B cells produce influenza-specific antibodies.

Results indicated that at day seven following the administration of a flu vaccine in all groups, stimulated T cells were evident, contributing to the development of the immune response.

The T cells positively correlated with increased antibodies against each flu virus strain examined, with the exception in the children’s group against the swine-origin H1N1 virus.

“Given that seasonal influenza vaccines induce antibody responses mainly through boosting the recall response of the immune system, this lack of correlation might reflect the lack of H1N1 specific immunity in some children,” explains study co-author Emilio Flano, PhD, a principal investigator in the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at Nationwide Children’s and an associate professor of Pediatrics at OSU College of Medicine.

“This is consistent with the fact that these children had not been vaccinated or naturally exposed to the H1N1 virus prior to being vaccinated during the 2010-2011 winter,” said study co-author Santiago Lopez, MD, a postdoctoral research fellow in the Center for Vaccines and Immunity and a resident at Nationwide Children’s.

Further experiments demonstrated that this unique subset of helper T cells can boost production of existing antibodies that fight flu by stimulating memory B cells, but do not help production of new antibodies by naïve B cells.

“We’re gratified that our study provides evidence of one of the essential events associated with the immune response following seasonal influenza vaccination,” says Dr. Ramilo. “Understanding these processes is a key step toward developing more effective vaccines.”

Asuncion Mejias, MD, PhD, a principal investigator in the Center for Vaccines and Immunity at Nationwide Children’s and an assistant professor of Pediatrics in Infectious Diseases at OSU College of Medicine also contributed to this study which was funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).

“Round-Up” for Nationwide Children’s Friday, March 22 at Central Ohio Speedway Locations

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Score big for Nationwide Children’s Hospital on Friday, March 22, 2013! On Friday, all central Ohio Speedway locations will be asking customer’s to “Round-Up” their purchases and donate to Nationwide Children’s. In addition to their “Round-Up”, customers will have an opportunity to donate $1.00 by purchasing a March Madness basketball icon which symbolizes support for patients seen at the hospital.

Speedway LLC. has been a longtime supporter of Nationwide Children’s and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. During the past 15 years, Speedway has raised and donated more than $250,000 for Nationwide Children’s.

Speedway LLC. is one of the largest chains of company-owned and operated convenience store marketers serving more than 2 million customers a day throughout the Midwest. It is committed to making a positive difference. This caring philosophy is the reason Speedway has adopted Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals as its charitable partner. A dedicated sponsor since 1991, Speedway LLC. has raised more than $40 million for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals though a variety of grassroots fundraising campaigns in addition to corporate-sponsored activities. Speedway LLC. is a consistent top fundraiser among convenience store retailers.

Local Speedway Contact:
Todd Russell
Region Sales Coordinator, District #281
(614) 935-5439

Public Service Announcements: National Poison Prevention Week March 17-23, 2013

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:00:00 -0400

15-second

Every day, four people die in Ohio due to misuse and abuse of prescription medications. Take a pledge during Poison Prevention Week to keep your family safe! For more information visit the Central Ohio Poison Center’s Facebook Page or call the toll free Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

30-second

Every day, four people die in Ohio due to medication misuse and abuse. Take a pledge during Poison Prevention Week to keep your family safe! Lock up your medications and clean out your medicine cabinets to get rid of old and un-used medications. The Central Ohio Poison Center helps educate about the dangers of poisonings because anything can be poisonous if used the wrong way. Visit the Central Ohio Poison Center Facebook page for news and safety tips during Poison Prevention Week. If you think someone is poisoned, or if you have questions regarding poisons, call the toll-free Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222.

Registration Open for Junior Golf Classic Slated for July 8 at The Ohio State University Golf Club

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Registration is open for the 21st Annual Junior Golf Classic slated for Monday, July 8, 2013 at The Ohio State University Golf Club – Gray Course. The event is organized by the Women’s Board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital with proceeds benefitting the hospital.

“Well kids helping sick kids” has been the motto for this annual junior golf event since its inception. The tournament provides an opportunity for youth ages 9-18 to play the game they love and give back to their community by helping raise funds for the areas of greatest need at Nationwide Children’s.

Entries are open to male and female golfers who will not have reached their 19th birthday by July 8, 2013. The field will be limited to the first 140 junior golfers. An entry fee and advance registration is required and can be obtained at nationwidechildrens.org/juniorgolf.

The “Tag-A-Bag” program is back this year. This campaign provides each junior golfer with a personalized bag tag which is donated by a contributor to the program. The contributor is recognized in the event program and the donation is tax deductible. To become a contributor, visit nationwidechildrens.org/juniorgolf.

Last year, the Junior Golf Classic welcomed a field of 136 golfers and raised more than $14,000 for Nationwide Children’s. The event is free to the public as spectators.

For more information, contact Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0819 or cynthia.laux@nationwidechildrens.org.

About The Women’s Board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital
The Women’s Board of Nationwide Children's Hospital is an auxiliary of women that dedicate their time and talent in support of the hospital. The Women’s Board believes in the mission of providing the highest quality care to all children and families regardless of their ability to pay.

OSU Alum, ESPN Analyst Joey Galloway Named Honorary Chair of Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Legendary Ohio State football coach Woody Hayes taught those he coached to “pay forward.” Joey Galloway, former wide receiver on the 1991-94 Ohio State football team, is doing just that by accepting the honorary chairmanship of the 37th Annual Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic slated for Monday, June 10, 2013 at the New Albany Country Club.

Organized by the Development Board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the golf outing will raise funds to further pediatric research in central Ohio. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities in the United States, supporting basic, clinical, translational and health services research activities at the hospital.

Galloway, a native of Bellaire, OH, played football, basketball and ran track in high school. He was named an All-Ohio in basketball and won the State title in both the 100 and 200 meter dash in track. Galloway was recruited to play college football at Ohio State where he earned many honors and finished in the top 5 all-time in many of Ohio State’s receiving records. During his junior year, he caught 47 passes for 946 yards and tied Cris Carter with a school record of 11 touchdowns. He earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors as a junior. During his senior year, he made 44 receptions for 669 yards and seven touchdowns, and earned Second-Team All-Big Ten Conference. Galloway finished his college career fourth in both career receptions with 108 and receiving yards with 1,894, and second in touchdown receptions behind Carter with 19.

Galloway was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks eighth overall in the 1995 NFL Draft, and during his 16 seasons in the NFL played for the Seahawks, Cowboys, Buccaneers, Patriots, Steelers and Redskins. Over his 16-year career he played in 198 games, had 701 receptions, 10,950 yards receiving and 77 touchdowns.

Galloway is currently in his second year as an ESPN College Football commentator and lives in Columbus, OH with his wife and two kids.

The 2013 Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic offers many ways to participate. The two most popular are Scarlet Teams – $3,000 team registration for four players; and Gray Teams – $1,500 team registration for two players. Both teams are paired with a local media or sports celebrity. Additional sponsorship opportunities are available beginning at the $4,000 level.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. June 10 at the New Albany Country Club. The driving range also opens at this time for practice swings, with the shot-gun start beginning promptly at 10 a.m. All golfers receive lunch, dinner, drinks, a gift package and two tickets to the event’s kick-off party. The Pay It Forward Party will be held Saturday, June 8, 2013 at The Ivory Room and includes cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, dinner, live music and a silent and live auction.

To reserve a spot in the 2013 Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic, contact Cynthia Laux, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation, at (614) 355-0819 or Cynthia.Laux@NationwideChildrens.org.

The Development Board of Nationwide Children’s Hospital is a group of corporate volunteers dedicated to raising money to support the hospital’s mission. The Development Board raised more than $550,000 in 2009 through fundraising events including the Woody Hayes Celebrity Classic, Rock ‘N Bowl and Slice of Columbus. Since its inception in 1971, the Development Board has raised more than $4 million for Nationwide Children’s.

Families of SMA and Nationwide Children’s Hospital Announce Multi-Million Dollar Award from NINDS to Advance CNS-Directed Gene Therapy for Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 14:00:00 -0400

Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (Elk Grove Village, IL) announce the award of a multi-million dollar cooperative agreement from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to advance a gene therapy development program for Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA).

This three-year multi-million dollar cooperative agreement to Brian Kaspar, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the amount of $3,752,462, funds pre-clinical drug development up to the filing of an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). This agreement represents an innovative collaboration between Government, Advocacy and Academic groups to advance a promising new therapy for SMA.

In May 2012, Families of SMA (FSMA) announced the award of up to $750,000 to Dr. Kaspar. This ongoing award supports the preclinical development of a Central Nervous System (CNS)-delivered gene therapy for SMA. Direct CNS delivery likely allows for less virus to be used, which significantly increases the likelihood that older and larger SMA patients can be treated with gene therapy. With the funding from FSMA, Dr. Kaspar’s team initiated studies to jumpstart the research prior to obtaining government and later commercial involvement. This cooperative award from the NINDS will now support advancing the program to the point of human clinical trials. The program will be evaluated using quantitative go/no-go milestones, determined by Nationwide Children’s and NINDS.

SMA is an often-fatal genetic disorder resulting from the loss of both copies of the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN1) gene. This causes a chronic deficiency in the production of the SMN protein, which is essential to the proper functioning of the motor neurons in the spinal cord to the control of muscles in the limbs, neck and chest. SMA is typically marked by the deterioration of the muscles that control crawling, walking, swallowing or breathing. There are no approved therapies for the treatment of SMA. Approximately 1 in 6,000 babies born is affected. One in 40 people, or approximately 8 million in the United States, are genetic carriers of the disease.

Gene therapy is an approach to treating diseases by replacing faulty genes. In the case of SMA, the most direct approach for a gene therapy is to replace the mutated SMN1 gene. In the past, the challenge with gene therapy for SMA has been to find a way to deliver the genetic material efficiently to motor neurons. In recent years, Dr. Kaspar’s group was the first to demonstrate Adeno-Associated Virus 9 (AAV9) targeted motor neurons effectively. Administration of AAV9-SMN into one day-old SMA mice resulted in increased SMN protein levels in motor neurons, correction of synaptic function, and a significant extension of life span.

"At Families of SMA we are extremely pleased that our initial investment at an early stage of this program has provided the preliminary data to leverage larger funding from the NIH. We feel this grant award is positive validation of the Families of SMA research funding and partnering strategy, as well as for this approach for gene therapy in SMA,” said Jill Jarecki PhD, Research Director at Families of SMA. “The Families of SMA funding strategy for preclinical drug development is to invest seed funds to begin early-stage programs for SMA. As programs advance, we look for funding to transition from non-profit to government and commercial sources.”

“My research team at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is excited to advance this promising cerebrospinal fluid delivery approach of AAV9-SMN to the clinic for SMA patients and we are extremely grateful to FSMA and NINDS for the support of this important work,” said Dr. Kaspar, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “We stand committed to bring SMA experimental therapeutics to the clinic in the most rapid and safe manner.

“Development of therapies requires collaboration of academics, advocacy, industry, and government—no single party has the resources to do this alone. The collaboration between Dr. Brian Kaspar, Families of SMA, and the NIH is an exciting model in leveraging resources and expertise in the hope of accelerating therapy development for SMA,” said Dr. John Porter, PhD, Program Director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

About Families of SMA
Families of SMA is the world’s leader focused on funding SMA research to develop a treatment and cure for the disease. The successful results and progress that the organization has delivered, from basic research to drug discovery to clinical trials, provide real hope for families and patients impacted by the disease. The charity has invested over $55 million in research and has been involved in funding half of all the ongoing novel drug programs for SMA. Families of SMA is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization, with 31 Chapters and 90,000 members and supporters throughout the United States. The organization’s work has produced major discoveries, including identification of the underlying cause and a back-up gene for the disease, which provides a clearly defined target for disease altering therapies. The organization is also dedicated to supporting SMA families through networking, information and services and to improving care for all SMA patients

www.curesma.org

Study: Evidence Supports Blocking Immune Response to Enhance Viral Therapy against Solid Tumors

Wed, 13 Mar 2013 08:00:00 -0400

Following several years of study, investigators have found more evidence that viral therapy to treat solid tumors can be enhanced by blocking the body’s natural immune response.

Oncolytic viruses have shown promise as anticancer agents, with variations of the herpes simplex virus (HSV) among the most commonly used. However, many studies have shown that the effectiveness of viral therapy to eradicate tumors has not been as successful with patients as it has been in the lab. These results have led researchers to examine the body’s immune system response to determine what effect it may have toward decreasing the effectiveness of viral therapy.

A new study, published in the March 12, 2013 issue of Molecular Therapy and led by Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD, division chief of Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, is shedding additional light on how viral therapy combined with a suppressed immune response could be more effective against solid tumors.

Dr. Cripe and a team of investigators studied the effects of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a substance commonly released during an immune, or pro-inflammatory, response to a viral infection. VEGF is responsible for angiogenesis, new blood vessel growth near an injured or infected site.

VEGF is also important for tumor growth, raising the possibility that its response to virus infection might get in the way of viral therapy.

“We sought to determine if a pro-angiogenic response occurs during viral therapy for cancer, to what extent it may limit antitumor effectiveness, and if it could be counteracted by antiangiogenic therapy,” explains Dr. Cripe, who is also a professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Their research demonstrates that an anti-VEGF antibody markedly enhances the anti-tumor effect of an oncolytic virus (oHSV) injected into a tumor. They also discovered that the anti-tumor effect was due to both enhanced antiangiogenesis and the modulation of the tumor’s immune response. However the effect was not due to the virus replicating within the tumor.

“One of the most important outcomes of this study is the strong rationale for developing a clinical trial combining the use of oHSV and the FDA-approved anti-VEGF product, bevacizumab,” said Dr. Cripe. “Virus therapy or anti-VEGF therapy alone each independently prolonged survival of mouse models implanted with Ewing sarcoma, but all of those mice eventually succumbed to their cancer. In contrast, the combination of virus and anti-VEGF therapies cured 90 percent of the mice. Virus therapy is a very promising area of cancer treatment, and studies such as these will bring us even closer to success.”

Future studies will be developed to determine if immune responses vary among tumor types and if targeted therapy for specific aspects of the immune response will be more effective than completely suppressing the immune system.

This work was funded by the National Institutes of Health and supported by The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center Division of Hematology/Oncology, The Limb Preservation Foundation, teeoffagainstcancer.org, the Katie Linz Foundation, TeamConnor.org, Cancer Free Kids and the American Cancer Society.

Watch Dr. Cripe explain how his team's research looks at viruses to kill cancer cells.

Nationwide Children's Hospital to Collaborate in Healthy New Albany Center

Tue, 05 Mar 2013 09:00:00 -0500

Nationwide Children’s Hospital will be providing services in the Healthy New Albany Center when the building opens in 2014. The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center has already committed to bringing services to the Healthy New Albany program.

“In keeping with our long-standing relationship with both the New Albany community and the Wexner Medical Center, we will be collaborating to provide pediatric sports medicine services,” said Steve Allen, MD, Nationwide Children’s CEO. “We are continually seeking ways to bring programs and services to children and their families right in the communities in which they work, live and play, and the Healthy New Albany Center provides a perfect opportunity.”

In addition to Sports Medicine, Nationwide Children’s will also provide:

-Pediatric orthopedics
-Sports physical therapy -- a rehabilitation program specifically for young athletes and children who have suffered bone and/or muscle injuries
-Therapeutic massage -- to relieve muscle tension/stiffness in joints, relieve acute or chronic pain and increase blood circulation
-Radiology and laboratory services
-Health education programs
-Pediatric sub-specialty clinics yet to be identified

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine has provided sports medicine services, (including a certified athletic trainer and athletic training services) and health and wellness education to New Albany High School student-athletes since 2005. Ashley Minnick, AT, ATC, is part of a team providing a wide range of pediatric and adolescent expertise to the New Albany High School athletes, coaches and staff. She is on the sidelines at practices and games and available to meet each student athlete’s sports medicine needs. This sports medicine service includes initial injury management and rehabilitation, training optimization, injury prevention, concussion management and coordination of care with the Sports Medicine and Orthopedics specialists of Nationwide Children’s. The entire team of experts works with New Albany High School’s staff to deliver state-of-the-art and comprehensive Sports Medicine services to all of the student athletes. The hospital plans to build on these outstanding services in support of the Healthy New Albany program, to focus on the well-being of children in the community.

MacDonald Appointed Associate Editor of The Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine

Mon, 04 Mar 2013 18:00:00 -0500

James MacDonald, MD, has been appointed an associate editor of the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, effective immediately. MacDonald is a physician with Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Family Medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine is the official journal of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, the American Osteopathic Academy of Sports Medicine, the Australasian College of Sports Physicians and the Canadian Academy of Sport & Exercise Medicine. The journal is an international peer-reviewed journal published for clinicians with a primary interest in sports medicine practice and publishes original research and reviews covering diagnostics, therapeutics, and rehabilitation in healthy and physically challenged individuals of all ages and levels of sport and exercise participation. MacDonald will be primarily responsible for the journal’s online content, including some peer-reviewed content only available online.

MacDonald is fellowship trained and board certified in Sports Medicine. He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians. MacDonald attended medical school at Harvard Medical School before completing a Family Practice Residency at Maine-Dartmouth in Augusta, ME and a Sports Medicine Fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital in Boston, MA. He is a member of the USA Swimming Medical Task Force and an Expert Reviewer for the Medical Board of California.

NOTE TO EDITOR: Dr. MacDonald is a resident of Bexley, OH

James MacDonald, MD, physician in Sports Medicine at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Dr. Kan Hor Appointed Pediatric Cardiologist, Director of Cardiac MRI in The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0500

Kan N. Hor, MD, recently was appointed as a pediatric cardiologist in The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and as The Heart Center’s Director of Cardiac MRI. Dr. Hor, board-certified in both pediatrics and pediatric cardiology, comes to Nationwide Children’s from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. In addition to his appointment at Nationwide Children’s, Dr. Hor will serve as an associate professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine.

“We are very pleased to welcome Dr. Hor to Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Timothy Feltes, MD, chief of Cardiology and co-director of The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s, also a professor of Pediatrics at OSU College of Medicine. “His expertise will be invaluable to our patients and to our team. In addition, he will expand our research in the area of non-invasive imaging in conditions such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy.”

Dr. Hor completed fellowships in both pediatric cardiology (2006) and advance cardiac imaging (2007) at Cincinnati Children’s. He completed his pediatric training at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2003. Dr. Hor earned his doctor of medicine from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine (2000), and his bachelor of arts and science in both microbiology and chemistry from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1996).

Dr. Hor’s clinical interests include cardiac MRI, cardiac CT angiography, echocardiography (TTE and TEE) and congenital heart disease. His academic research interest includes cardiac MRI and echocardiography and its application for analysis of cardiac strain and synchrony in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, heart failure and congenital heart disease. Dr. Hor has published a number of peer-reviewed manuscripts, and has been involved with several community events and organizations while in Cincinnati and Wisconsin.

The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital ranked 5th in the specialty ranking of Cardiology & Heart Surgery in U.S.News & World Report’s 2012-13 Best Children’s Hospitals list, and 9th in Cardiology/Cardiothoracic services on Parents magazine’s 10 Best Children’s Hospitals list this year. The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s offers expertise, compassion and the most-advanced technologies providing both pediatric and adult patients with all forms of congenital heart disease and acquired cardiomyopathy access to world-class diagnostic, treatment and research facilities. Referring physicians also have access to key specialists and services.

NOTE TO EDITOR: Dr. Hor is a resident of Powell, OH 43065.

Kan N. Hor, MD, pediatric cardiologist and Director of Cardiac MRI in The Heart Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Download a high resolution photo of Dr. Hor

Media Advisory: Exclusive Performance of “Peter Pan” for Patients of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sunday

Fri, 22 Feb 2013 06:00:00 -0500

M E D I A A D V I S O R Y

WHAT:
Exclusive Performance of “Peter Pan” for Patients of Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sunday
Cast members of the play, presented by Pleasure Guild, an auxiliary of Nationwide Children’s, will take patients on a journey to “Neverland”

WHEN:
Sunday, February 24, 2013
1:30 p.m.
*Performance begins at 1:30pm; please allow time to park and be escorted to the performance area

WHERE:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Downtown campus; new main hospital lobby entrance
630 Children’s Dr.
Columbus, OH 43205
*Please park in the new underground parking garage accessible off of Parsons Avenue; take the elevators from the garage up to the first floor lobby to meet a representative for escort to the performance area; it is strongly encouraged that you call ahead of time to be assured an escort

WHO:
All of the fairytale’s favorites including Peter Pan, Wendy, John, Michael, Captain Hook and his sidekick Smee, Tiger Lily, the Lost Boys, Nana the pet dog and, of course, the crocodile; Pleasure Guild members

ADDITIONAL INFO:
Pleasure Guild, an auxiliary women’s volunteer group of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, is proud to give hospital patients an exclusive, complimentary preview performance of the play, “Peter Pan,” on Sunday, February 24 at the hospital. The performance is set to last approximately 40 minutes.

Pleasure Guild fundraises specifically on behalf of the hospital’s hospice and palliative care program and produces an annual theater production as its primary benefit. The production of “Peter Pan” is scheduled for March 8, 9 and 10, 2013, at the Palace Theatre in Columbus. Ticket-sale proceeds will benefit Nationwide Children’s and can be purchased at the CAPA Ticket Office located at 39 East State Street or by calling (614) 469-0939.Tickets are also available on Ticketmaster.

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CONTACT:
Mary Ellen Peacock
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Cell: (614) 937-7316

2013 Technology Showcase Presented by The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Mon, 18 Feb 2013 08:00:00 -0500

The Office of Technology Commercialization in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital will present the “2013 Technology Showcase” Thursday, March 14, 2013 from 1 to 4 p.m. at Research Building III, 575 Children’s Crossroad (just west of Nationwide Children’s on the corner of Livingston and Parsons avenues).

The event is open to the public and the program will feature networking opportunities as well as the actual Technology Showcase, during which researchers and inventors from Nationwide Children’s will present research and technology that has high commercialization potential through both existing companies and new startups. Researchers and licensing associates will be available to answer questions and provide licensing and commercialization details.

The keynote speaker for the event will be David Scholl, Ph.D., partner, Athenian Venture Partners (AVP), presenting “Lessons Learned and Development Strategies for Researchers and Life Science Companies.” AVP is a venture capital firm that makes investments in private, high growth potential, technology based companies in the Information Technology and Biomedical Sciences sphere. Scholl serves on the boards of the Ohio Third Frontier Commission, BioOhio, Ohio University’s Edison Biotechnology Institute and Manasseh Cutler Scholars Program. He is also a trustee of Ohio University and the Ohio University Foundation and has nearly 30 years of life sciences experience in research and development, executive management and venture capital.

Technologies presented at the event will include gene therapy strategies, novel compositions and methods for removal of biofilms, a comprehensive analysis pipeline for discovery of human genetic variation, diagnostic biomarkers for diseases of the urinary tract and medical device innovations.

The 2013 Technology Showcase is sponsored by BioOhio and TechColumbus. Additional information is available by calling (614) 355-2818 or visiting http://www.nationwidechildrens.org/2013-technology-showcase.

BuckeyeThon Raises More Than $608,000 for Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 18:00:00 -0500

BuckeyeThon, the annual dance marathon, which took place Friday and Saturday in the Ohio Union on the campus of The Ohio State University, raised $608,623 for Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital — an increase of nearly 34 percent from last year’s donation of more than $450,000.

“On behalf of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, our entire staff and our patient families, I want to thank the students of Ohio State who participated in BuckeyeThon,” said Timothy Cripe, MD, PhD, division chief of Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children’s. “For these students to dedicate their time to support our patient families, speaks volumes. With their support, our pediatric cancer team here at Nationwide Children’s is able to continue providing the highest quality of care to the patients and families we serve.”

BuckeyeThon had more than 3,600 registered dancers this year which was double the amount of participants from 2012 and marked one of the largest dance marathons in the history of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals – an organization serving nearly 170 children’s hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.

Throughout the year, BuckeyeThon strives to raise money to support the patients and families treated in Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children’s. Committee members, dancers and volunteers participate in events throughout the year culminating in a dance marathon to both monetarily support the patients and make them feel extra special.

During the last decade, BuckeyeThon has grown to become the premier philanthropic organization and a signature event at Ohio State. Since its inception, BuckeyeThon has raised nearly $2 million for Nationwide Children’s.

Hematology/Oncology/Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT) at Nationwide Children’s Hospital consists of a staff of physicians, surgeons, physician/clinician scientists and nurses who provide a comprehensive approach to treatment. The team offers diagnosis, treatment and ongoing management to neonates through age 30 and older. The goal is to create an environment where patients can achieve optimal health while being treated for acute and chronic blood disorders and cancer.

Hematology/Oncology/BMT at Nationwide Children’s is a member institution of the Children’s Oncology Group and the Therapeutic Advances for Childhood Leukemia consortium. The program partners with The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, which includes the National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center designation. The BMT program is accredited by the Foundation for the Accreditation of Cellular Therapy.

Nationwide Children's Hospital Announces New ‘Mobile Car Seat App’

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 13:00:00 -0500

Car seats save lives and choosing the correct car seat, accompanied by correct installation, are two of the most important things adults can do to keep the children in their lives safe.

Thanks to funding from Kohl’s Department Stores through a Kohl’s Cares® safety education grant, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is introducing a new mobile web application to assist adults in selecting the right car seat for children and determine when children are ready to use a regular seat belt.

The mobile application can be accessed by going to NationwideChildrens.org/KISS and clicking on the new “Car Seat Chooser” app. The app is designed for easy use in English, Spanish, Somali, Russian and Japanese and can be used on computers, phones or any other device that connects to the web. Adults are encouraged to forward the link to others who could benefit from using it.

In addition to the new app, the K.I.S.S. Your Kids (Kohl’s Is Sold on Safety) web page NationwideChildrens.org/KISS contains free fun, useful tips and activities. Features include a “Play it Safe!” video game, a “Safety for All Seasons” activity book, injury prevention and treatment charts, helpful links and information regarding car seat safety check and installation locations.

New Study Finds Increase in Dance-Related Injuries Among Children and Adolescents in the U.S.

Mon, 11 Feb 2013 14:30:00 -0500

Dance is a beautiful form of expression, but it could be physically taxing and strenuous on the human body, particularly for children and adolescents. A new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined dance-related injuries among children and adolescents 3 to 19 years of age from 1991 to 2007. During the 17-year study period, an estimated 113,000 children and adolescents were treated in U.S. emergency departments for dance-related injuries.

According to the study, which is being published in the February 2013 print issue of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health, the annual number of dance-related injuries increased 37 percent, climbing from 6,175 injuries in 1991 to 8,477 injuries in 2007. Sprains and/or strains (52 percent) were found to be the most common types of dance-related injuries, with falls (45 percent) being the most common causes of injuries.

The study also found that 4 out of 10 injured dancers were between 15 and 19 years of age.

“We believe this could be due to adolescent dancers getting more advanced in their skills, becoming more progressed in their careers and spending more time training and practicing,” said Kristin Roberts MS, MPH, lead author of the study and senior research associate at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “We encourage children to keep dancing and exercising. But it is important that dancers and their instructors take precautions to avoid sustaining injuries.”

“Safety precautions such as staying well-hydrated, properly warming up and cooling down, concentrating on the proper technique and getting plenty of rest can help prevent dance-related injuries,” said the study’s senior author Lara McKenzie, PhD, principal investigator at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s and also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

The Sports Medicine experts at Nationwide Children’s treat the types of injuries seen in performing arts and dance athletes. Due to the increase in the number of dance-related injuries seen during the last few years, they have designed a number of services to address the needs of the young dancer.

“Adolescents are still growing into their bodies and as such often develop imbalances that can lead to injury,” said Eric Leighton, ATC, an athletic trainer in Sports Medicine at Nationwide Children’s. “It’s critical that intervention and injury prevention be made available to them to address balance, strength and functional body control deficits as they grow. From pointe readiness screens to injury prevention programming, our team has a comprehensive approach to address the needs of these athletes.”

This is the first study to use a nationally representative sample to examine dance-related injuries that were treated in U.S. emergency departments. Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.

The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric death and disabilities. With innovative research at its core, CIRP works to continually improve the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, policy, and advances in clinical care. For related injury prevention materials, or to learn more about CIRP, visit www.injurycenter.org.

Watch experts at Nationwide Children's explain how dance-related injuries are on the rise and how to prevent these injuries.

View and download a dance-related injuries infographic highlighting findings in the study.

An estimated 113,000 children and adolescents were treated in U.S. emergency departments for dance-related injuries.

View and download high resolution photo.

The Sports Medicine team has created a comprehensive injury prevention program to address the needs of young dancers. It’s important that intervention and injury prevention be made available to these dancers to address balance, strength and functional body control deficits as they grow.

View and download high resolution photo.

The Westy Open Paddle Tennis Tournament and Post Party Slated for March 9

Tue, 05 Feb 2013 11:15:00 -0500

TWIG III of Nationwide Children’s Hospital invites the public to their 12th annual Westy Open Paddle Tennis Tournament and Post Party event on Saturday, March 9, 2013. All proceeds from the event will benefit the pediatric cancer program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Beginning in the morning, guests will have the opportunity to compete in an all-day, co-ed paddle tournament held at multiple locations throughout Columbus. Depending on skill-level, players will be assigned to play at Columbus Country Club, New Albany Country Club, Rocky Fork Hunt Club, Scioto Country Club and Worthington Hills Country Club. All skill-levels are welcome. New this year is a Beginner’s Clinic which is being offered at the Elysium Tennis Club in Plain City.

The Westy Open Post Party will be held 6 – 9 p.m. March 9 at The Jeffrey Mansion, 165 North Parkview, Bexley, OH 43209. The post party will be a fun, casual evening with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a raffle.

Ticket information for both the tournament and the post party is available at NationwideChildrens.org/thewestyopen.

For more information and to register, contact Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0888 or Niki.Shafer@nationwidechildrens.org.

About TWIG
TWIG of Nationwide Children’s Hospital are groups of women throughout central Ohio who dedicate their time and talent in support of the hospital. Since their inception in 1916, TWIG has raised more than $27 million to support patient care, education and research at Nationwide Children’s. The women of TWIG believe in the mission of providing the highest quality care to all children and families regardless of their ability to pay.

Today, more than 1,000 active members are working to continue the TWIG legacy through a variety of fundraising efforts such as the annual TWIG Bazaar, the sale of holiday cards and greetings program, BIA Parade of Homes, the Women’s Division of The Memorial Tournament and the many projects and events coordinated by more than 60 individual TWIG groups throughout central Ohio.

New Study Finds Water Tubing-Related Injuries Up 250 Percent

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 13:00:00 -0500

Water tubing, a recreational activity in which participants ride an inner tube which is pulled behind a boat by a tow rope, has grown in popularity in recent years. Unfortunately, the number of injuries related to this activity has also increased.

According to a new study by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, the annual number of water tubing-related injuries increased 250 percent over the 19-year study period, rising from 2,068 injuries in 1991 to 7,216 injuries in 2009. Given that more than 83 percent of the injuries occurred during the summer months, this equates to more than 65 water tubing-related injuries being treated in U.S. emergency departments each day during the summer.

“Water-tubing can be a fun and exciting activity,” said study co-author Lara McKenzie, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “However, the increasing number of injuries is concerning and result from a participant’s position on the water tube, lack of directional control and velocity and the number of riders per water tube.”

The study, available online and appearing in the February 2013 print issue of the Journal of Physical Activity & Health, found that the most frequently injured body parts were the head (27 percent) and the upper extremities (24 percent). The most common types of injuries were sprains and strains (27 percent) followed by soft tissue injuries (20 percent). Impact with the water (49 percent) and contact with another water-tubing participant (16 percent) were the most common mechanisms of injury.

The pattern of water tubing-related injuries did, however, vary by age group. Children and adolescents under 20 years of age were more likely to sustain head injuries and to be injured as the result of contact with another person. Adults, on the other hand, were more likely to injure their knees, sustain sprains or strains, and to be injured as a result of contact with the water. Researchers speculated that the higher number of head and collision injuries among children and adolescents may be the result of this age group trying to fit multiple riders on a single tube.

“Following basic safety guidelines such as sticking to the manufacture’s recommendations for the number of riders per water tube, being responsible while riding the water tube and while operating the boat and always wearing a personal flotation device can help prevent water tubing-related injuries,” said Dr. McKenzie, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine.

Analyzing factors such as the design of water tubes, the injury patterns and safety of some of the newer tubes, the design and effectiveness of helmets designed specifically for water-tubing, and the impact of the boat- and water tube-speed can help researchers further understand water tubing-related injuries.

Data for this study were obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS), which is operated by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The NEISS provides information on consumer product-related and sports and recreation-related injuries treated in hospital emergency departments across the country.

The Center for Injury Research and Policy (CIRP) of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital works globally to reduce injury-related pediatric death and disabilities. With innovative research at its core, CIRP works to continually improve the scientific understanding of the epidemiology, biomechanics, prevention, acute treatment and rehabilitation of injuries. CIRP serves as a pioneer by translating cutting edge injury research into education, policy, and advances in clinical care. For related injury prevention materials or to learn more about CIRP, visit www.injurycenter.org.

SOMC Partnering with Nationwide Children’s Hospital for Pediatrics, Neonatal Care

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 11:00:00 -0500

Southern Ohio Medical Center has announced it will be partnering with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to bring additional resources and care to pediatric and neonatal patients.

“We consider it our responsibility to make sure our community has access to the best care possible, and this new affiliation will help us do just that,” Randy Arnett, president and CEO of SOMC, said. “By combining the resources and expertise of Nationwide Children’s Hospital with that of our current pediatricians, we can bring our patients a higher level of pediatric care and service.”

As part of the affiliation, SOMC will be able to directly consult with specialists at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. SOMC’s medical staff will also benefit from training and mentoring programs as well as state-of-the-art pediatric research and clinical trials.

“Together, SOMC and Nationwide Children’s Hospital will build upon the tremendous care already provided by our current pediatricians,” Arnett said. “They will be able to provide even greater care by taking advantage of Nationwide Children’s telemedicine services and pediatric and neonatology expertise.

“Our hospitals will also be able to work together to place graduating residents from Nationwide Children’s Hospital right here in southern Ohio, which will directly impact the quality of care available at SOMC.”

“We are looking forward to our formal collaboration with Southern Ohio Medical Center,” said Gil Peri, vice president of Regional Development at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “We will bring our pediatric expertise to the community working closely with local pediatricians to enhance care in the Portsmouth and surrounding communities. Together we can improve the health of the neonatal and pediatric community we serve.”

Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Ranked 7th of only 12 children's hospitals on U.S.News & World Report’s 2012-13 “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit freestanding pediatric healthcare networks providing wellness, preventive, diagnostic, treatment and rehabilitative care for infants, children, and adolescents, as well as adult patients with congenital disease. In June 2012, the hospital celebrated completion of the largest pediatric expansion construction project in United States history, adding 2.1 million square feet of clinical, research and support facilities to total 5.3 million square feet on its main campus. A medical staff of 1,100 and 8,300 employees provide state-of-the-art pediatric care for nearly one million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s Hospital physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded freestanding pediatric research facilities. Nationwide Children’s remains true to the original mission since its founding in 1892 of providing care regardless of a family’s ability to pay. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital Ranks on Parents Magazine’s 10 Best Children’s Hospitals List

Mon, 04 Feb 2013 10:00:00 -0500

Parents magazine announced today its exclusive list of the 10 Best Children’s Hospitals, and Nationwide Children’s Hospital ranked 9th overall on the 2013 list. The list provides a comprehensive family-focused, data-driven comparison of pediatric facilities. In compiling the list, Parents focused on key areas including treatment success, groundbreaking research and family-friendly facilities.

In addition to ranking children’s hospitals based on their overall quality, Parents also judged hospitals based on six pediatric subspecialty areas. In subspecialty areas, Nationwide Children’s Emergency (5th) services was ranked in the Top 5 in the nation, and Hematology/Oncology (6th), Neonatology (6th), Pulmonary (6th) and Cardiology/Cardiothoracic (9th) services were ranked among the Top 10 in their respective areas.

“While rankings are certainly not the reason for our work, they are an external validation of our commitment to delivering outstanding care and quality,” said Steve Allen, MD chief executive officer of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Parents magazine rankings are significant in their visibility to parents and consumers and speak not only to our clinical excellence, but also our dedication to the patient experience.”

The hospitals on the list were ranked by Parents editors with input from a team of medical advisors based on their responses to detailed questions in the following areas – survival rates for childhood cancer, pediatric heart disease, and other critical conditions; experience in performing certain complex procedures; depth of the research program; safeguards to prevent medical errors; staffing ratios and quality; community outreach; and services that address the emotional needs of families of patients. All surveyed hospitals are members of the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions.

“Making an informed decision about your child’s health care can be overwhelming, especially in the face of a serious illness,” says Dana Points, editor in chief of Parents. “We created this guide with the hope of making it easier to find a great hospital when you need one most.”

The 10 Best Children’s Hospitals list will appear in the March 2013 issue of Parents magazine on newsstands nationwide February 12, 2013.

About Parents
Parents was founded in 1926 and, along with American Baby, FamilyFun and Ser Padres, makes up The Meredith Parents Network portfolio of parenthood brands. Parents is the leading voice for a community of more than 15 million moms who are engaged and inspired by the brand’s trusted content. In turn, these moms enlighten and inspire others by joining ongoing conversations about parenthood via Parents.com as well through Parents’ robust presence on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr. Parents is dedicated to engaging and inspiring moms with the information they need, wherever they go.

About Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation is the leading media and marketing company serving American women. Meredith features multiple well-known national brands – including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Allrecipes.com, Family Circle, Ladies' Home Journal, Fitness, More, American Baby, FamilyFun and EveryDay with Rachael Ray – along with local television brands in fast-growing markets. Meredith is the industry leader in creating content in key consumer interest areas such as home, family, health and wellness and self-development. Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms – including print, television, online, mobile, tablets, and video – to give consumers content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners.

Additionally, Meredith uses its many assets to create powerful custom marketing solutions for many of the nation's top brands and companies. Meredith Xcelerated Marketing has significantly added to its capabilities in recent years through the acquisition of cutting-edge companies in digital, mobile, social, healthcare, database, and international marketing. Most recently, Meredith made a strategic investment in London-based Iris Worldwide, a leader in experiential marketing.

A hallmark of Meredith's business model and financial profile is its ability to consistently generate substantial free cash flow by leveraging the strength of its multi-platform portfolio. Meredith is committed to increasing Total Shareholder Return through dividend payments, share repurchases and strategic business investments. Meredith has paid a dividend for 64 straight years and increased its dividend for 18 consecutive years.

Sophia’s Cure Foundation Donates $650,000 in 2012 to Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Thu, 31 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Brian Kaspar, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Gene Therapy at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, along with a team of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) researchers and clinicians, received $650,000 in grants in 2012 from Sophia’s Cure Foundation for SMA research and Phase 1 clinical trial development which is set to launch in 2013. Working together with Nationwide Children’s, Sophia’s Cure Foundation has raised more than $2.3 million dollars for Dr. Kaspar’s program during the last three years alone.

“Grant dollars from Sophia’s Cure Foundation are being used to support the pivotal studies required to submit an Investigational New Drug application to initiate human clinical trials in SMA patients which we hope to do in 2013,” said Dr. Kaspar, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “SMA research and therapeutic development stands to gain from this generous investment as we all look forward to translating our research to advance human clinical trials. Sophia’s Cure Foundation has been the lead funder of this program and their incredible investment in this lab has accelerated our program by many years. We are honored and extremely appreciative for this significant support.”

Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a group of inherited debilitating neurological diseases that cause progressive muscle degeneration and weakness throughout the body. There is no treatment for the progressive weakness which is caused by the disease. It is estimated that SMA occurs between one-in-6,000 and one-in-20,000 births. One-in-40 to one-in-80 “normal” men and women carry the gene for SMA, and if both a man and woman carry the gene, there is a 25 percent chance that any of their children will manifest SMA.

Sophia’s Cure Foundation is a non-profit public charity which was formed by the Gaynor family in New York City shortly after their daughter, Sophia, was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy in 2009. The foundation was created to assist in funding for clinical research towards finding a cure for SMA and to offer support to families affected by this disease by providing advocacy, awareness, education and support. The foundation was formed three years ago by Vincent Gaynor, a One World Trade Center construction worker, and Catherine Gaynor, who left her job to care for Sophia when they learned she was sick. With their leadership and 100 percent volunteer involvement the foundation has raised more than $3 million for SMA research to date.

“We run our foundation from the heart, because when you lead with your heart good things will always happen,” said Vincent Gaynor, co-founder of Sophia’s Cure Foundation. “People gravitate toward that. They believe in us and Sophia and know we will get the funds into the right hands to find a cure. Our partnership with Dr. Kaspar and Nationwide Children’s Hospital will yield great results for Spinal Muscular Atrophy research.”

Media Advisory: Nationwide Children’s Hospital Dedicates New Helicopter

Wed, 30 Jan 2013 08:00:00 -0500

WHAT:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital Dedicates New Helicopter
Helicopter dedicated to neonatal and pediatric transports receives official blessing; up-close look at new aircraft

WHEN:
Wednesday, January 30
*10:15 a.m. best media opportunity
**Weather depending, the helicopter should land around 10 a.m.

WHERE:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
630 Children’s Drive
Columbus, OH 43205
*Ceremony will take place inside the new main hospital; the helicopter will be located in the former KFC lot on the Southeast corner of Parson’s and Livingston Avenues; media rep will escort you over to the aircraft to allow for close-up video/photo
** Parking for media representatives is available in the parking lot on the west side of Parsons Avenue, between the Orthopedic Center at 479 Parsons Avenue and the new Research Building III. Turn west onto Children's Crossroads from Parsons Avenue and then turn right into the parking lot. Park in the spots closest to Parson's Avenue. From there, walk across Parsons Avenue to the main entrance of the new hospital where a media rep will meet you at the Welcome Desk and provide you with a token to exit the parking lot.

WHO:
Dr. Steve Allen, CEO, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Dr. Edward Shepherd, section chief of Neonatology
Rev. Susan Kyser, director of Pastoral Care

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Nationwide Children’s Hospital is expanding its critical care transport services by establishing a fully dedicated helicopter for neonatal and pediatric transports. The state-of-the-art EC145 helicopter, named Monarch 1, features the best in size, performance and technology allowing for the safe transportation of critically ill patients. With approximately 30 percent of all neonatal admissions to Nationwide Children’s requiring a drive of more than an hour, the addition of this aircraft allows the hospital’s dedicated neonatal and pediatric transport team to initiate specialized critical care services more quickly. The helicopter will primarily transport neonates, but will also be available for hospital transports of pediatric patients.

On Wednesday, January 30, Rev. Susan Kyser, director of Pastoral Care, will officially dedicate Monarch 1 to bless both the helicopter and the hands of the transport team who will be working with it. This is also an opportunity for staff to have an up-close look at the new aircraft before it goes into service and meet the staff who will be operating the aircraft.

The Transport Program at Nationwide Children’s Hospital provides 24 hour neonatal and pediatric critical care transport services via mobile ICU, helicopter and jet aircraft to more than 1,800 patients each year, with more than half of those being newborns. The award-winning team is one of the few in the country capable of transporting neonates on nitric oxide therapy and high-frequency oscillation at the same time. The team is comprised of 68 RN’s, respiratory therapists and transport technicians (all EMT-P certified), and EMT-drivers with an average of 14 years of critical care experience. The Transport Program was recently awarded the 2011 National Award of Excellence from the Association of Air Medical Services (AAMS) and is one of two children’s hospitals in Ohio to receive the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems (CAMTS) Accreditation. Our teams work closely with our medical directors and medical control physicians, and all medical care is driven by a combination of medical director approved protocols and guidelines, and on-line medical control via telephone during the transport process. The transport program provides critical care inter-facility transportation, 24-hours a day 7-days a week. The team provides transportation combined with a high level of care to critically ill patients from referring hospitals to Nationwide Children’s Hospital to receive specialty care. On occasion the team provides “reverse” transportation to referring hospitals after receiving care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

CONTACT PRIOR TO EVENT AND DAY-OF:
Erin Pope
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Marketing and Public Relations
(614) 562-1382

Dr. Daniel B. Herz Named Director of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 09:00:00 -0500

Daniel B. Herz, MD, a pediatric urological surgeon, has joined the Section of Urology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital as director of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery. This new program launched in January 2013 with the installation of a state-of-the-art da Vinci^® surgical system from Intuitive Surgical, and will enhance the current minimally-invasive surgery capabilities at Nationwide Children’s. The initial focus of the program will be Urology, eventually expanding to encompass additional surgical specialties.

Dr. Herz has an extensive background in complex urological procedures and unique expertise with robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery. He comes to Nationwide Children’s from the Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth where he was director of the Section of Pediatric Urology, associate professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at Dartmouth Medical School, and director of the Pediatric Urology Residency.

Certified by the American Board of Urology in both urology and pediatric urology, Dr. Herz has published extensively in the field of pediatric urology. He received his medical degree from SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn (Downstate Medical Center), and completed his urological residency at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He completed a two-year clinical and research fellowship in pediatric urology at the Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto.

Dr. Herz is trained in all aspects of pediatric urological surgery; however, his expertise and focus is in robotic assisted laparoscopic minimally invasive urological surgery. His primary research interests are in robotic surgery simulation and outcomes/evidence-based urological surgery.

NOTE TO EDITOR: Dr. Herz is a resident of Grandview Heights, Ohio, 43212.

Dr. Daniel Herz, director of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery

View and download high resolution photo

Stimulator Device Offers Treatment Option for Children with Incontinence

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

Incontinence is typically a condition associated with adults; however, many children also struggle with incontinence – bladder, bowel or both. In order to help these children, doctors at Nationwide Children’s Hospital have turned to a device, typically used in adult patients, to help manage children with chronic incontinence.

The sacral nerve stimulator is a surgically implanted device that helps regulate the bowel muscles and/or urethral (bladder) sphincter to control fecal and urine flow. The implantation of the device and ongoing medical management address the communication problem between the brain and the nerves that control bowel and bladder function; if the nerves are not communicating properly, the muscles may not function properly which leads to control problems. The technique of sacral neuromodulation is based on mild electrical pulses sent through a small wire (attached to an electrical device) to the pelvic nerves which should stimulate the muscles that are not functioning properly.

Sacral nerve stimulation is a promising new therapeutic modality for children with incontinence. The two-stage procedure involves a test phase followed by permanent implantation of the electrical stimulator if the patient shows significant improvement in fecal and/or urinary incontinence during test simulation. The device is used as a last resort if the patient has tried other treatments such as medications and behavioral therapy. In addition to the surgical implantation, Nationwide Children’s provides medical management from an integrated team of specialists, including pediatric urologists pediatric gastroenterologists and pediatric surgeons with unique expertise with complex motility disorders. While a few other children’s hospitals in the United States offer sacral neuromodulation based on subjective criteria and clinical symptoms, Nationwide Children’s is one of the first institutions to structure this therapy by evaluating objective bladder and bowel function studies before and after the procedure to assess treatment response.

Steven Teich, MD, surgeon at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, is leading the surgical efforts for the sacral nerve stimulator at Nationwide Children’s and is also an expert in the field of surgical neurostimulator therapies. “The stimulator is surgically implanted under the skin and is connected to two electrodes placed near the tailbone,” said Teich, also an associate professor of Clinical Surgery at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “This device tells the muscles when to contract, ultimately helping control the ability to urinate or have a bowel movement.”

Dr. Teich is working closely on this endeavor with his colleagues in the Division of Pediatric Urology at Nationwide Children’s, including Seth Alpert, MD, attending pediatric urologist and clinical assistant professor of Urology at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “We see and treat many children with urinary incontinence, but most will respond to medication and/or behavioral modification,” said Dr. Alpert. “However, a small number of children with incontinence who are refractory to these standard modalities may benefit from sacral neuromodulation and we are pleased to be able to offer help with these challenging and difficult cases.”

Pacemakers, or stimulators, have been used for years in adults with incontinence problems. While this is a new procedure in children and adolescents, doctors at Nationwide Children’s say the early results are promising having implanted four devices to date.

“We are excited to offer this technology and advanced therapy option to children who are suffering from chronic incontinence,” said Carlo Di Lorenzo, MD, chief of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “This therapy is a promising treatment option for children who have not had success with medications and behavioral therapy.”

New Appointments Strengthen Perinatal Programs at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and The Ohio State University

Tue, 22 Jan 2013 12:30:00 -0500

Catalin S. Buhimschi, MD, has been appointed Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University and Irina A. Buhimschi, MD, has been named Director of the Center for Perinatal Research in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

“These new appointments will catalyze an already highly productive alliance between The Ohio State University and Nationwide Children’s Hospital in the fight against prematurity and preterm birth,” states John Barnard, MD, president of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. “These distinguished physician-scientists will bring nationally renowned expertise to Columbus, making us a premier location for maternal-fetal medicine and prematurity research in the US.”

“Focusing on the continuum from mother and father to infant strengthens our ability to study preterm birth from all angles to meet our shared goal of measurably reducing prematurity-associated morbidity and mortality,” explains Mark Landon, MD, chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University. “It’s a remarkable collaboration. Our physicians and scientists have worked together for years to administer top notch care for mothers, infants, and families with preterm infants. Drs. Catalin and Irina Buhimschi will be outstanding new faculty members to support this partnership.”

Both physician-scientists will begin their respective appointments in April, coming to Columbus after serving in leadership roles at Yale University.

Dr. Catalin Buhimschi most recently served as Section Chief of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Division, Director of the Obstetrical Services at Yale-New-Haven-Hospital (YNHH), Director of the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship Program and Director of Perinatal Research in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University. During his tenure as Chief of Maternal-Fetal Medicine at Yale, he continued the tradition of his predecessors and mentors. Since 2011 the obstetrical services at YNHH registered a significant increase in patient volume and financial revenue.

Dr. Buhimschi completed his graduate student education at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. After completion of a Master in Medical Sciences, he finished his residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Subsequently, he joined the Maternal-Fetal Medicine fellowship program at Yale University where he accomplished his sub-specialty training.

He has published over 120 peer-review manuscripts and has written over 25 chapters and review articles. He is co-editor of the “Drugs for Pregnant and Lactating Women” textbook. As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Catalin Buhimschi has concentrated his research activity on the roles of inflammation and infection in preterm birth, angiogenic factors in preeclampsia, myometrial contractility, biology of uterine healing, electromyography of the uterus, amniocentesis and the translation of proteomics biomarkers into the clinical arena.

For over a decade he received National Institutes of Health (NIH) extramural funds and is currently co-principal investigator on an RO1 grant aimed at understanding fetal injury and brain damage. Furthermore he was co-investigator on Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and March of Dimes grants. Dr. Buhimschi is associate editor of the American Journal of Perinatology, and serves on the editorial board of numerous scientific journals. He serves as a member of NIH and March of Dimes Foundation study sections. As a testimony to his research activities he was elected the 2013-2014 President of The Perinatal Research Society.

“Catalin has consistently been recognized as one of the premier physician-scientists in the fields of obstetrics and perinatal medicine,” explains Dr. Landon.

He was awarded the Society for Gynecologic Investigation (SGI) Wyeth-Ayerst President’s Presenter’s Award and the NIH Young Investigator prize by the Perinatal Research Society. For his work in preterm birth, he received the “March of Dimes Award for Best Research in Prematurity.” During the last 15 years, he has made significant contributions to the scientific program of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. These presentations have received numerous Research Excellence Awards.

Dr. Catalin Buhimschi is a dedicated teacher and mentor to fellows and junior faculty and has been named to the “America’s Top Obstetricians and Gynecologists” Best Doctors list.

Dr. Irina A. Buhimschi is currently an associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at Yale University School of Medicine. Her research interests span the broad area of understanding the molecular and pathophysiologic mechanisms of preterm labor and preeclampsia that together account for the large majority of preterm births.

A central focus of her investigation is related to the discovery of proteomic biomarkers and developing mathematical algorithms to overcome the current syndromic classification of preterm birth. She has discovered several biomarkers that can aid physicians in early diagnosing of preterm birth and preeclampsia to improve neonatal outcome. Other areas of research involve regulation of uterine contractility and cervical ripening, biology of nitric oxide, mechanisms of uterine healing and immunobiology of the amniotic fluid, and placental fetal membranes.

Dr. Irina Buhimschi is currently the co-principal investigator of an RO1 NIH-funded grant aimed toward understanding the role of Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) in fetal damage and in-utero injury. For the last 15 years she has been awarded grant support by the NIH, March of Dimes, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and other funding agencies. She has published more than 130 peer-reviewed publications, and has extensive service on editorial boards, including as associate editor for Pediatric Research.

She is a highly sought mentor for undergraduate students, medical students, residents, clinical fellows and junior faculty. Under her mentorship many trainees have received awards of research excellence at national and international meetings.

Throughout her career Dr. Irina Buhimschi has served on multiple grant review committees including NIH’s Pregnancy and Neonatology, Bioengineering Research, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Preeclampsia Foundation and the Thrasher Foundation. Currently she serves as a permanent member of the March of Dimes study section and as a council member of the Board for the Perinatal Research Society.

Dr. Irina Buhimschi completed her medical training at The Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy in Romania and postgraduate and postdoctoral training at The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Following her post-graduate training she was appointed to the faculty at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. In 2003 she joined the Yale University faculty, where in 2007 she was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor.

“Irina’s talent and commitment to research excellence will be influential in continuing to strengthen the perinatal research program at Nationwide Children’s, and the research alliances with the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State. We look forward to the future of our research initiatives to end prematurity and preterm birth,” states Dr. Barnard.

Catalin S. Buhimschi, MD, Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Ohio State University

View and download high resolution photo of Dr. Catalin Buhimschi

Irina A. Buhimschi, MD, Director of the Center for Perinatal Research in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital

View and download high resolution photo of Dr. Irina Buhimschi

Study: Bariatric Surgery in Extremely Obese Adolescents

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 06:00:00 -0500

This time of year many people make resolutions to live a healthier lifestyle, exercise more, lose weight and eat better. For the adolescents who are extremely obese in this country, diet and exercise alone often are not enough to get their weight down. Some of those teens will require weight loss surgery to improve their overall health. According to a recent study published in the January print issue of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery, bariatric surgery in extremely obese adolescents also was shown to be beneficial in helping to reverse previously undiagnosed cardiovascular abnormalities believed to be linked to severe obesity.

The study included a retrospective analysis of 10 adolescent patients (nine female) from Nationwide Children’s Hospital who underwent weight loss surgery between August and December 2008. High fidelity imaging using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) was performed on these patients in the months leading up to bariatric surgery and revealed heart abnormalities (such as increased left ventricular mass, left ventricular dilation, hypertension) in all patients.

“What we found was that the cardiac structure and function in these extremely obese adolescents scheduled for bariatric surgery, was much more impaired than one might have thought,” said study co-author John Bauer, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Perinatal Research at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “In addition, more than half of the patients we looked at had significant cardiac abnormalities that would be on par with a middle-aged person with real cardiovascular disease risk in the short term.”

Within the first post-operative year (mean range of 7-13 months), patients were re-evaluated using CMR. Results showed that their previously recorded cardiovascular abnormalities were reversed.

“Many of the abnormalities that we documented during the initial baseline study showed significant improvement after the weight loss had been obtained,” said the study’s co-author Marc Michalsky, MD, surgical director of the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “This is a small, preliminary study that shows the significance of cardiovascular abnormalities in morbidly obese teens and that additional, more robust investigations are needed to understand how weight loss surgery can help this patient population.”

In the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s, patients first go through several months of evaluation to see if they are even candidates for weight loss surgery. This includes an introductory information session attended by the adolescent and parent and assessments of the potential candidate by a number of staff in the Center including dieticians, bariatric nurse practitioners, psychologists, physical therapists and surgeons. Candidates for weight loss surgery are those that have gone through several failed attempts at diet and exercise regiments. These teenagers have significant organ damage and their quality of life is poor, Dr. Michalsky said.

“Bariatric surgery in adolescents is never a cosmetic procedure,” explained Dr. Michalsky who is also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. “These teens are very sick, they are suffering and they can truly benefit in overall health from weight loss surgery.”

Nationwide Children’s is one of a few centers in the country involved in long-term clinical research of adolescent bariatric surgery, looking not only at what happens in the short-term post-surgery, but long-term as well.

Watch Dr. Marc Michalsky and Dr. John Bauer explain why bariatric surgery is helping reverse previously undiagnosed risks of cardiovascular disease.

Many of the abnormalities that were documented during the initial baseline study showed significant improvement after the weight loss had been obtained

First-Year Partnership Yields Nearly $1 Million For Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 14:00:00 -0500

Ohio’s largest marathon will celebrate the first year of its new charitable partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital with a 50-percent hike in financial support from the Columbus Marathon’s board to the hospital.

In announcing last January that Nationwide Children’s Hospital would become the title beneficiary of the Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon, the Columbus Marathon’s board of directors pledged a donation of up to $100,000 to match support from participants and sponsors.

In closing the 2012 books for the non-profit event, the board increased its donation to a total of $150,000, boosting the total support raised for Nationwide Children’s from participants, company sponsors and the Marathon board to $925,000.

“While we budgeted for our original challenge of $100,000, from the very beginning our Board wanted to do more to help this great community asset,” said Board Chairman Bill Burns. “Through careful spending and additional savings due to new in-kind sponsorships that resulted from our partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital, we were able to increase our support to make the first year of this partnership even more successful.”

Burns said for 2013, the board’s desire is to again match at least $100,000 in donations from event supporters. Although encouraged, no event participants are required to donate or fundraise to take part in the Marathon or ½ Marathon, and no registration fees are earmarked for the hospital.

“The Columbus Marathon is one of the premier racing events in the country and we are so grateful to Bill Burns and the marathon board for their partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital,” said Steve Allen, MD, chief executive officer of Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “The support we received from the marathon, its partners and participants in our first year as the title beneficiary was incredible and helped raise awareness and critical funds for our work serving the children of central Ohio and beyond. This additional gift tops off a fantastic year for both of our organizations and we look forward to what we can do together to make 2013 even better.”

Sponsors for 2013 already include Nationwide Insurance, Cardinal Health, Dennis Hyundai, The Dispatch Printing Company, The Kroger Co., Rocky 4EurSole and Walmart.

Each mile of the race was represented by a patient from Nationwide Children’s. These “Miracle Mile Patient Champions” and their families cheered for the athletes and inspired them to reach beyond their personal mission. Nationwide Children’s is currently taking nominations for the 2013 Miracle Mile Patient Champions to serve as hospital representatives at the marathon. Nominations will be open until February 28, 2013. To nominate a patient, please visit www.NationwideChildrens.org/Childrens-Patient-Champions.

Registration opens January 20 for the 34th annual Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon and ½ Marathon. The 2013 race will be held Sunday, Oct. 20, 2013. The event has sold out for six straight years. Entry levels are capped at 7,000 runners and walkers in the Marathon, and 11,000 runners and walkers in the ½ Marathon.

With nearly 5,500 finishers in 2012, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon is Ohio’s largest 26.2-mile footrace and the 16th largest U.S. marathon. The ½ Marathon had nearly 10,000 finishers, and is among the largest races of this distance in the country as well. For more information on the event, visit www.columbusmarathon.com.

For more information, contact:
Sarah Irvin 614-296-4057