A Message from Shelly Voet, MD
Hello to my fellow pediatric providers! Lots to share again this month.
Meet and Greets - Thanks to medical staff who joined us for our PCP/resident virtual meet and greet. This event reminded me of how fortunate I have been to practice in this community for 22 years. It was fun to share with residents interested in primary care what a great community of pediatricians we have. Please consider joining us for our next virtual Meet and Greet with Hospital Medicine faculty on Nov 9. The event will include small group discussions with the hospital medicine team and a presentation on the Update to the Evidence-Based Approach to Infants with Fever of Unknown Source guidelines. Register for the event HERE.
Critical Care Building (CCB) - In this issue of Synapse we are sharing practical information about the new CCB (Location G) which is opening on November 6. Resources about this building include: A virtual tour, map to the new ED location, parking details for families, and a reminder of the changes in after-hours radiology services. Patients who you refer to the Burnet ED will be directed to the new entrance beginning on 11/6. A video tour of the building for physicians and providers can be found HERE.
COVID-19 – As with most months during this pandemic, there is some hope mixed in with continued challenging realities. On a positive note, cases and hospitalizations for COVID-19 have been slowly decreasing this month after a September surge, and we are very close to having vaccine available for kids 5-11. However, adult hospitals in our region are still operating at critical levels for med-surg and ICU beds due to high acuity and volumes which are not just due to COVID-19. Staffing challenges and supply chain issues are also continuing for hospitals. The bottom line is we need to stay the course with mitigation efforts, support each other, and continue to use our voices as trusted healthcare providers to share accurate information. Regarding vaccines, on the community PCP hub (link in article), we are continuing to share state and national resources about vaccinations for children 5-11 years. Pfizer data was published at the FDA meeting this week showing the 10 mcg dose two dose series was safe and effective for patients 5-11 (VE 90% in preventing infection). Additionally, just last week a study in the October 19 MMWR (including data from CCHMC) demonstrated real world vaccine effectiveness. Full vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine was 93% effective in preventing hospitalization for teens ages 12-18. Read more about the study HERE. CCHMC will begin to offer vaccinations for those 5-11 years if CDC/ACIP approval is granted next week. Many pediatric offices also plan to provide vaccinations.
Finally, this month we share transitions in our pediatric community. This month we mourn the loss of two local pediatric physicians, anesthesiologist Dr. Ted Stryker and pediatrician Dr. Ellen Norby. They both had long careers dedicated to improving children’s lives. This is also a time of transition of leadership at CCHMC, as Michael Fisher passes the CEO position to Dr. Steve Davis effective November 22. I am particularly grateful to both of them for the support they have provided throughout this pandemic to us through External Medical Affairs. Their support allowed us to provide communication, resources, information, and accessible testing for our patients. And of course, as I shared with the residents, I continue to be grateful in the leadership at CCHMC for access to the highest level of care for my patients right here.
Shelly Voet MD
Pediatric Associates PSC
CCHMC Executive Community Physician Leader