A Message from Executive Community Physician Shelly Voet
October 23, 2023
Hello to my fellow PCPs,
I hope everyone is having a good October, and some of you are at the AAP NCE this weekend too! Check out the alumni event photos in this issue.
Beyfortus has been top of mind for all of us this month. If you have not already heard, the general approach at CCHMC staffed NICUs has been to continue to pursue Synagis for patients who qualify in this first season of Beyfortus availability. CCHMC NICU Follow-Up clinic is offering Beyfortus for outpatients who qualify but do not qualify for Synagis. As of the time of this writing, GSH NICU clinic is not offering Beyfortus, but their patients can schedule it with CCHMC NICU Follow-Up clinic. CCHMC NICU clinic began administering Beyfortus October 10 and follow-up letters should reflect that it was given. At the time of this letter, birth hospitals have not been able to offer Beyfortus to healthy non-NICU newborns yet but continue to evaluate this. Some practices have begun to receive their orders and are developing protocols. Based on current limits on supply (especially for the >5 kg 100 mg dose), some outpatient providers are discussing a risk-based strategy for initial supply. All national and CCHMC resources for this immunization can be found on the Provider Hub
Speaking of our provider hub, I wanted to personally thank our “behind the scenes hero” Ellen Georgilis, from Cincinnati Children’s Physician Outreach. Many of you have met Ellen at national events like AAP. For those of you who have never had the privilege, Ellen is a dynamo who is retiring in November from Cincinnati Children’s after a long career serving the physician audience. She worked with enthusiasm, professionalism, and thoughtfulness with our team (Therese Martin’s team and CPAC) on our online COVID resources, our live COVID updates, the CCHMC vaccine resources, the concept of Synapse, and was the brains behind the format of Community Practice Support Tools. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to know her and wish her the best in retirement.
Additional topics covered in this issue include an update on the transition from Healthbridge to Clinisync (including the Cincinnati Children’s process), updates on Partial Hospitalization at Cincinnati Children’s, and an update from the ADHD Center on evaluations for younger children. Regarding the transition to Clinisync at Cincinnati Children’s, please let your team know that Cincinnati Children’s will provide faxed labs and notes effective at the end of the year if the practice has not fully onboarded with Clinisync. Practice teams should be prepared for this possibility during the transition period.
CPAC has met with DDBP this month and will be meeting with Psychology and PIRC in December. Please reach out if there are divisions you would like us to meet with to discuss any issues including access, communication, or coordinating care. Currently we are still in the process of securing a replacement for Dr. Betsy Lazaron from our central region. Please reach out to your POE rep or myself if you are in this region or not sure who is representing you currently.
For those of you on the Medical Staff at Cincinnati Children’s, please keep in mind that divisional renewals are now at 3 years. The division of General and Community Pediatrics will be re-credentialling in March of 2024. More information will be forthcoming from Med Staff Services so keep an eye on your emails.
I am also including a message from a health service researcher in radiology at Cincinnati Children’s in case any PCPs would be willing to support this work regarding VCUGs:
I am conducting a mixed methods study entitled, “Toward Patient-Centered Clinical Practice Guidelines: Characterizing Imaging Utilization Variability and Patient Values”. One of my grant aims is to identify key attributes clinicians use in making imaging decisions relating to vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) .I am conducting qualitative interviews with clinicians who order imaging for children with suspected VUR.All interviews are held via Zoom. They last about 30 to 45 mins and I am compensating participants with a $100 gift card. Interested clinicians can contact me at Shireen.hayatghaibi@cchmc.org.
Finally, it is with great sorrow that I share with you the unexpected sudden loss of one of our colleagues, Dr. Elisabeth “Lisa” Kelly, a pediatrician with the Cincinnati Children’s Batesville office. We are sharing memories from her partner Dr. Gretchen Hartz in this issue. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kelly family, the Batesville office, and the patients and families she served so well.
Thanks,
Shelly
Shelly F. Voet MD
Pediatric Associates PSC, CCHMC Executive Community Physician Leader
Shelly.voet@cchmc.org