Page 1 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER FOR CONNECTICUT CHILDRENS MEDICAL CENTER VOL. 9/ISSUE 2 New Physicians Join PCC, ED, Hem/Onc, And Cardiology Connecticut Childrens Medical Center is pleased to announced four physicians who have joined the medical center staff. Christine Briccetti, MD, of Farmington, has joined the Primary Care Center. Dr. Briccetti comes to Connecticut Childrens from the Charleston Air Force Base Clinic in South Carolina where she served as the chief of pediatrics. She received her bachelors degree in microbiology from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and her medical degree from Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Briccetti is board- certified in pediatrics and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has several years of experience in military and non-military pediatric settings around the world. Dr. Briccetti served as a member of the United States Air Force Pediatric Mobility Module, the only mobile pediatric care center prepared for rapid deployment worldwide in order to care for humanitarian or civilian casualties. Sharon R. Smith, MD, of Canton, has joined Connecticut Childrens as an attending physician in the Emergency Department where she also will serve as the ED research director. Dr. Smith comes to Connecticut Childrens from St. Louis Childrens Hospital, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, where she worked for the past 10 years. She also served as assistant program director of the Emergency Medicine Residency Program. Dr. Smith received her bachelors degree in biology continued on page 4 PICU Nurse Awarded Hamilton Fellowship Diane Krieger, RN, a nurse in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Connecticut Childrens Medical Center has received the T. Stewart Hamilton, MD, Fellowship in Healthcare Management. The awarded is given by the Capital Area Health Consortium. Krieger will apply the $2,000 scholarship toward acquiring her masters degree in academic pediatric nursing. The fellowship is available to individuals engaged in post- graduate study in the field of health care such as management, medicine, nursing and public health. Awards ranged from $1,000 to $2,000. Such honors are not new to Krieger. Last year she and fellow PICU nurse Tara Wesoloskie received a Circle of Excellence award from the American Association of Critical Care Nurses. Kreiger and Wesoloskie were only two of eight nurses in the country to receive the award. By Michelle King Public Relations Intern Youd better watch out, Steve Balcanoff said to me, Its good snowball weather and Im known to the kids to throw snowballs. Balcanoff also attracts a lot of snowballs on the slopes of Mount Southington during January and February. As a former recreational therapist, Balcanoff, manager of non-medical community programs for Connecticut Childrens Medical Center, has been involved and coordinating the Skiers Unlimited program since the very beginning. It was not until 1984 that Dennis Tyburski, an engineer in the Center for Motion Analysis, joined the all- volunteer staff. Skiers Unlimited began 23 years ago on the slopes of Mount Southington to create a new compliment to physical therapy for kids. There is a set three-year Theres No Business Like Snow Business Skiers Unlimited Celebrates Another Successful Year on The Slopes limit so new kids can come in and participate in the program, said Balcanoff who added that the two winter months give the volunteers enough time to work progressively with the children. One of our goals is to get the kids to be at a point where they can ski on school trips or with their family. Weve had more inquiries of participation this year than we ever have. A capacity of 18 children has been set for the program this year to make sure each child continued on page 3 Christine Briccetti, MD Sharon R. Smith, MD Diane Krieger, RN
Transcript
Page 1 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005
EMPLOYEE NEWSLETTER FOR CONNECTICUT CHILDREN�S MEDICAL CENTER VOL. 9/ISSUE 2
New Physicians Join PCC, ED,Hem/Onc, And CardiologyConnecticut Children�sMedical Center is pleased toannounced four physicians whohave joined the medical centerstaff.
Christine Briccetti, MD,of Farmington, has joined thePrimary Care Center.
Dr. Briccetti comes toConnecticut Children�s fromthe Charleston Air Force BaseClinic in South Carolina whereshe served as the chief ofpediatrics. She received herbachelor�s degree inmicrobiology from theUniversity of Massachusetts,Amherst, and her medicaldegree from GeorgetownUniversitySchool ofMedicine.
Dr.Briccetti isboard-certified inpediatricsand is amember ofthe American Academy ofPediatrics. She has several yearsof experience in military andnon-military pediatric settingsaround the world. Dr. Briccettiserved as a member of theUnited States Air ForcePediatric Mobility Module, theonly mobile pediatric carecenter prepared for rapiddeployment worldwide in orderto care for humanitarian orcivilian casualties.
Sharon R. Smith, MD,of Canton, has joinedConnecticut Children�s as anattending physician in theEmergency Department where
she also will serve as the EDresearch director.
Dr. Smith comes toConnecticutChildren�sfrom St.LouisChildren�sHospital, WashingtonUniversitySchool ofMedicine,
St. Louis, where she worked forthe past 10 years. She alsoserved as assistant programdirector of the EmergencyMedicine Residency Program.
Dr. Smith received herbachelor�s degree in biology
continued on page 4
PICU Nurse AwardedHamilton FellowshipDiane Krieger,RN, a nurse inthe PediatricIntensive CareUnit atConnecticutChildren�sMedical Centerhas receivedthe T. StewartHamilton, MD,Fellowship inHealthcare Management. Theawarded is given by theCapital Area HealthConsortium.
Krieger will apply the$2,000 scholarship towardacquiring her master�s degreein academic pediatric nursing.The fellowship is available to
individualsengaged in post-graduate study inthe field of healthcare such asmanagement,medicine, nursingand public health.Awards rangedfrom $1,000 to$2,000.
Such honorsare not new to Krieger. Last yearshe and fellow PICU nurse TaraWesoloskie received a Circle ofExcellence award from theAmerican Association of CriticalCare Nurses. Kreiger andWesoloskie were only two ofeight nurses in the country toreceive the award.
By Michelle KingPublic RelationsIntern�You�d better watch out,�Steve Balcanoff said tome, �It�s good snowballweather and I�m knownto the kids to throwsnowballs.�
Balcanoff alsoattracts a lot of snowballson the slopes of MountSouthington during January andFebruary. As a formerrecreational therapist, Balcanoff,manager of non-medicalcommunity programs forConnecticut Children�s MedicalCenter, has been involved andcoordinating the SkiersUnlimited program since thevery beginning. It was not until
1984 that Dennis Tyburski,an engineer in the Center forMotion Analysis, joined the all-volunteer staff.
Skiers Unlimited began 23years ago on the slopes of MountSouthington to create a newcompliment to physical therapyfor kids.
�There is a set three-year
There�s No Business Like Snow BusinessSkiers Unlimited Celebrates Another Successful Year on The Slopes
limit so new kids cancome in and participatein the program,� saidBalcanoff who addedthat the two wintermonths give thevolunteers enough timeto work progressivelywith the children.�One of our goals is toget the kids to be at apoint where they can
ski on school trips or with theirfamily. We�ve had moreinquiries of participation thisyear than we ever have.�
A capacity of 18 childrenhas been set for the program thisyear to make sure each child
continued on page 3
Christine Briccetti,MD
Sharon R. Smith,MD Diane Krieger, RN
Page 2 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005
CLASSIFIEDSFOR SALE : 2001 Honda Accord LX,4dr,dark green, AT, PS, CD player, wellmaintained, 78,000 miles. $ 9200. 545-9352.
SSSSSmmmmmaaaaallllll l l l l TTTTTaaaaalllllkkkkkA bi-weekly newsletter
for employees of
Connecticut Children�sMedical Center
published by Public Relations.
Chris Boyle, Editor; Tom Hanley and
Nancy Roncaioli.
E-mail or fax Chris Boyle with your
classifieds and story ideas. Deadline:
5 p.m., the Thursday, two weeks before the
next publish date.
By Sandra D. Van Horn, MSThe 2003-2004 Fiscal Year was a very goodone for the CCMC Foundation GrantsDepartment. Thirty proposals were fundedfor a total of $1,104,376.97. This edition ofSmall Talk provides an overview of the last10 awards received during FY 2004.Congratulations to each deserving program!
Craniofacial TeamThe Craniofacial Team is delighted to
receive a $5,000 grant from a newFoundation called The Smile Train, Inc.This foundation aims to �change the worldone smile at a time,� and their gift is doingjust that, at Connecticut Children�s MedicalCenter. A special purpose fund wasestablished, allowing our team access to thisgenerous gift for individual patient needs.The staff has elected to use the funds for ayoung boy in need of palatal expansion andorthodontic work so that he may thenreceive a bone graft procedure. One youngboy, his family, and our staff all send a hugesmile and thank you to The Smile Train!
AudiologyThanks to a $500
general support gift forthe AudiologyDepartment from theJohn R. LindbergFund, our audiologistswill be able to upgradetheir hearing aid lab bypurchasing equipmentto repair and servicehearing aids. This giftwas made in honor ofDillon Lindberg.Unrestricted grants, such as this one, arecritical to our Medical Center�s mission andare used to help pay for the many serviceswe provide that are not reimbursable viaMedicaid or private insurance.
The Pediatric and Youth HIV ProgramThis department has recently received
two foundation grants. The Carla andStephen Schwartz Family Foundation hasawarded $5,000 to help support the part-timeregistered dietician salary and fringe and topurchase nutritional supplements.
Nutritional interventions can spare moreinvasive procedures like nasogastric tubefeeds or g-tubeplacement.
The SwindellsCharitable Foundationhas granted $5,000 tohelp support the salaryand fringe for the teenpopulation master�s levelsocial worker. The teensreceive much-neededinspiration and support asthey learn to face theirdiagnosis while dealingwith the expectedadolescent challenges ofestablishing a sense ofidentity and autonomy.
A special thanks to each of thesefoundations for understanding theimportance of nutritional and social supportfor our HIV-positive patients.
Reach Out and ReadFive foundations recently provided
funds for the books andrelated supplies neededfor our Primary CareCenter Reach Out andRead program. Thesefoundations allunderstand the needfor early literacy to helpinstill a love of learningand future schoolsuccess. Thank you!Ahearn FamilyFoundation: $1,000Ellis A. Gimbel
Trust: $10,000Keeney Foundation, Inc.: $300The William and Alice MortensenFoundation: $1,500 Scholastic, Inc.: $500
SCAN Did you know that in 2002 (the most
recent year examined) 45,627 ofConnecticut�s children were reported asabused or neglected? The RadioShackCorporation has granted our SuspectedChild Abuse and Neglect program $500 to
purchase patient education and supportmaterials to enhance public awareness
efforts. These materialswill be used withapproximately 200families, monthly, whenseen in primary care forroutine medical care.Thank you, RadioShack!
If your program is inneed of additionalfunding, please completeand submit theFoundation FundingRequest Form. This formis located on the G drive(CCMCDOC,Foundation Forms,
Foundation Funding Request). Once thecompleted form is received, the Foundationteam will determine if they can raise moneyfor your request via a special project, grant,gift from an individual donor, corporateinvolvement, etc. The appropriateFoundation team member will then be intouch to discuss next steps. We lookforward to helping you meet the needs ofthe children and families who rely onConnecticut Children�s Medical Center forthe very best of care.
May you, your patients, and all of ourwonderful donors have a happy and healthy2005!
2003-2004 CCMC Foundation GrantsDepartment Total More Than $1 Million
Page 3 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005
can get the attention that they need. As hecomes speeding down the hill, TylerBrobette, has a snowball in one hand andgrasps the top of his walker with the other.The walker is attached to skis aiding 10-year-old Tyler, born premature with slightcerebral palsy, while he stands on his ownskis. There are three volunteerssurrounding him, two with tethers on eachside of the walker and one skiingbackwards in front of Tyler, to guide him.Tyler is in his last year of Skiers Unlimited.
When asked how he feels about skiingTyler excitedly said, �I think it�s a blast. Ilike going down the hill, skiing with people,going on the ski lift and throwing snowballs,especially at Steve.�
The program runs solely on volunteerassistance and coordinates with volunteersfrom New Britain Hospital for Special Care,Quinnipiac University, and a variety ofother places. Volunteers participate in afour-hour slope training course taught byTyburski.
�We teach volunteers that the numberone priority is to get the kids to smile.Everything else is a plus,� Tyburski said.
Tom Lovell has been volunteeringsince 1987 with the Skiers Unlimitedprogram and said: �I began because one ofmy friends was a volunteer and I thought Iwould like helping kids. Besides it�s good formy karma.�
�It�s a combination of things,�Balcanoff said. �You can�t really point tothe ski program and say this is the onlything helping them. I think 95 percent ofkids seem to benefit from the program andare enthused about it. It is just one thingthat shows the kids that they really can dothings they thought they couldn�t.�
The Skiers Unlimited program wouldlike to thank Mount Southington, andDusty and Ed�s Alpine Haus for theirextreme generosity given to the program allthe years.
Thank You To Our Volunteers! Skiers Unlimitedcontinued from page 1
Page 4 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005 Small Talk February 10, 2005
Doctorscontinued from page 1
from Appalachian State University inBoone, NC. She received her medicaldegree from Bowman Gray School ofMedicine in Winston-Salem, NC, andcompleted her pediatric residency at DukeUniversity Medical Center. Dr. Smithcompleted her fellowship in pediatricemergency medicine at St. Louis Children�sHospital, Washington University School ofMedicine.
Additionally, she is a National Institutesof Health�funded investigator. Herprimary area of research is evaluating waysto link underserved children with asthmawho come to the ED with their primary careproviders. Dr. Smith�s duties includedeveloping and implementing clinicalresearch projects within the Division ofPediatric Emergency Medicine.
She is an assistant professor of pediatrics
with the University of Connecticut Schoolof Medicine, and is board-certified inPediatrics and Pediatric EmergencyMedicine. Dr. Smith is a member of theSociety for Academic Emergency Medicine,the Ambulatory Pediatric Association, andthe American Academy of Pediatrics.
Nehal Parikh, MD, of Glastonbury,has joined the Division of Hematology/
Oncology.Dr. Parikh comes to
Connecticut Children�sfrom CincinnatiChildren�s HospitalMedical Center wherehe completed hisfellowship inhematology/oncology.
He received his bachelor�s degree in biologyand psychology from Rutgers University. Dr.Parikh earned his medical degree from RossUniversity School of Medicine in Dominica,
West Indies, and completed hispediatric residency at StateUniversity of New York.
Dr. Parikh is board-certified in pediatrics andpediatric hematology/oncology.He also is an assistant professor ofpediatrics at the University ofConnecticut School of Medicine.Dr. Parikh is a member ofnumerous professionalorganizations including theAmerican Academy ofPediatrics, the American Societyof Pediatric Hematology andOncology, and the AmericanSociety of Clinical Oncology. Hisresearch in development of noveltherapies for the treatment ofneuroblastomas, a pediatriccancer, have garnered himWilliam Kennedy ResearchFellow Award from the NationalChildhood Cancer Foundation -Children�s Oncology Group, andthe American Cancer SocietyFellowship Award. He has beeninvited speaker to several
national and international conferences. Hisresearch has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Currently, his research atUniversity of Connecticut focuses ondeveloping markers for early identificationof pediatric cancers.
Richard A. Berning, MD, FAAP,FACC, of Sandy Hook, has joined PediatricCardiology Associates at ConnecticutChildren�s Medical Center.
Dr. Berning will split his time betweenConnecticut Children�s and Pediatric HeartSpecialists LLC, a private practice inNewtown. Dr. Berning comes toConnecticut Children�s from BridgeportHospital where he was an attendingphysician in pediatric cardiology. Hereceived his bachelor�s degree from XavierUniversity in Cincinnati and his medicaldegree from the University of CincinnatiCollege of Medicine. Dr. Berning completedhis pediatric residency at StanfordUniversity Hospitals, and his fellowship in
pediatric cardiology atthe CardiovascularResearch Institute,University of Californiaat San Francisco. He isan assistant clinicalprofessor of pediatricswith the University ofConnecticut School of
Medicine.Dr. Berning is board-certified in
pediatrics and pediatric cardiology. He is amember of numerous professionalorganizations including the AmericanCollege of Cardiology, the American HeartAssociation Council on CardiovascularDiseases in the Young, the ConnecticutState Medical Association, and the FairfieldCounty Medical Association. He also is afellow of the American College ofCardiology and the American Academy ofPediatrics. His special interests includepreventive pediatric cardiology, pediatricexercise testing and pediatricechocardiography.
Nehal Parikh, MD
Richard A. Berning,MD, FAAP, FACC
WALTER CAMP PLAYERS A HIT: Fresh from his workoutsfor NFL scouts in California, former University of Connecticutquarterback Dan Orlovsky visited Connecticut Children�sMedical Center this week as part of the annual visit from theWalter Camp All American Football Team. Orlovsky signedautographs and posed for photos for patients and familiesincluding Greg Thomas and his mom Susan.
