Archive Posts

Upstate pediatrician Ann Botash, MD, who has been journaling for years, will read a portion of her short story “Whistling Willy’s Love Song” that recently won a Bruce Dearing Writing Award, presented by Upstate’s Center for Bioethics and Humanities (CBH). Botash, who is joined by the CBH’s Deirdre Neilen, PhD, will share what writing does for the health care professional, and why physicians sometimes turn to creative writing as an outlet.  All submissions to the contest also receive consideration for publication in CBH’s journal, The Healing Muse.

Richard Cantor, MD, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Upstate, rolls out a new segment on HealthLink On Air called ‘Peds to Parents’.  We will talk with pediatric professionals from the Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital on topics of interest to parents and caregivers.  This segment focuses on how to keep children safe and out of the emergency department as the weather warms, including the usual hazards such as lawn mowers, chemicals and pesticides, bikes, skateboards, and pools.  Read Peds to Parents, a blog from pediatricians at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital to parents.  Safe Kids Upstate NY

In celebration of Child Life Awareness Month, we are joined by Margaret Nellis, manager of the Child Life Program at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital.  She reveals an exciting new ‘virtual indoor playground’ that allows children a distraction from being in the hospital, called ‘Eye Play’ – a floor projection system with motion-activated games like hockey, soccer, ball pit, bubbles and playing the piano for single or multiple players.  The Child Life Program helps young patients cope with their fears and anxieties by offering pre-operative sessions and therapeutic activities that are tailored to meet their social, emotional, and developmental needs.

In response to a recent study that links increased consumption of sugar with higher diabetes rates independent of rates of obesity, Dr. Richard O’Neill delves into the psychology behind the problem – how to go about changing what you eat, changing your kids’ diet, school lunch offerings and more. 
Read the study: The Relationship of Sugar to Population-Level Diabetes Prevalence: An Econometric Analysis of Repeated Cross-Sectional Data
Read the New York Times summary article: It’s the Sugar, Folks

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Rosemary Rochford PhD is widely known for her research on Burkitt’s Lymphoma, the most common childhood cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.  She will talk about the cancer challenges in developing countries, how the cancer registry programs work, the main types of cancers that exist in Africa and how they differ from those in the United States.  Rochford is professor & chair of Microbiology & Immunology and recently appointed vice president for research at Upstate.   

Cynthia Morrow, MD, MPH, commissioner of health for Onondaga County, joins us to talk about infant mortality in the black community, and what Onondaga County is doing to address the needs of women and children. Onondaga County’s Syracuse Healthy Start Program offers services for infants, children, new moms and families.  For more resources and information visit onhealthyfamilies.com. 

Dr. Karol Kerr, a pediatric hematologist/oncologist at the Dr. William J. Waters Center for Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and the Upstate Cancer Center, is receiving a grant from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for the second year in a row.  Dr. Kerr talks about the types of patients she sees, and how this grant money will be used to support the multidisciplinary center’s services.  The St Baldrick’s Foundation is a volunteer-driven and donor-centered charity dedicated to raising money for childhood cancer research. 

For more information, or to donate: St. Baldrick’s fundraiser in Syracuse

Fourth year Upstate psychiatry resident Seetha Ramanathan is the co-author of a research study that analyzed data on U.S. teens born during the early 1980s.  Her research found slightly higher rates of adolescent delinquent behaviors in this group, such as smoking, drinking, arrests and thefts, that might possibly be tied to macroeconomic conditions during the first year of life.  

Read the stories:
Babies born during recessions grow up more likely to have drug problems and become involved in crime according to new study
Are recession babies prone to be delinquent teens?

Rev. Louise Tallman, better known as ‘Rev. Weez’, shares her memories as a pediatric chaplain at Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital as she prepares to retire.

Rev. Tallman is a certified thanantologist, a Reiki Master/Teacher, and a clinical member of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, and has provided spiritual support to pediatric patients, families, staff and volunteers.

Dr. Carroll Grant, director of the Margaret L. Williams Developmental Evaluation Center, reminisces about the center’s 30 years of evaluating children with complex developmental difficulties, including autism spectrum disorders.  The Center provides assessment, consultation, and referral services for children, birth through seven years of age, who are “at risk” for or have a developmental disability.

Dr. Richard Cantor, director of the Pediatric Emergency Department at Upstate Medical University, explains the importance of an emergency department with physicians specially trained in pediatric emergency medicine.  He talks about how to make the decision to take your child to the emergency room, how to prepare for your trip, and what to expect when you arrive.  He also describes the remarkable advances in diagnosis, pain management, and family oriented care.

Upstate is the only dedicated pediatric emergency department and Level I Trauma Center in the region and, as such, specialize in the care of ill and injured children.

Beth Trunfio, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Central New York (RMC) and Leola Rodgers, associate administrator for Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital and RMC board member, share their excitement as the November opening of the new Ronald McDonald house in Syracuse nears.