Department of Pediatrics

For students pursuing a degree in medicine, there’s no off-season. During a two-month break between their first and second years, many Larner College of Medicine medical students tackled projects to address unmet health needs, practice clinical skills, and immerse themselves in specialty clerkships with physician preceptors. Engaging in clinical, basic science or health policy-related research can be among the most valuable experiences during medical education. This summer, second-year students assessed health disparities pertaining to breast cancer screenings, explored laboratory components of health literacy, documented behavioral and health trends of LGBTQ teenagers and tracked the impact of peer support on relieving stress among immigrant parents of children with autism, and more.

Associate Professor of Pediatrics and neonatologist Danielle Ehret, M.D., M.P.H., was invested as the inaugural Asfaw Yemiru Green and Gold Professor in Global Health in a formal ceremony held at the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine on July 28, 2022.

Three Larner College of Medicine faculty-led, interprofessional group projects have been selected to receive 2022 Frymoyer Scholars funding. The three projects focus on newborn resuscitation, building an interdisciplinary gender affirming care model, and fostering excellent clinical teachers, respectively.

Kiana Heredia, a medical student in the University of Vermont’s Larner College of Medicine Class of 2024, recently helped Larner Assistant Professor of Pediatrics L.E. Faricy, M.D., create the URiM Pathway to Pediatrics (UPP) program to assist others who may encounter the doubts she experienced during her undergraduate years. The UPP program originated from a grant proposal Faricy and Heredia developed with help from Nicole Obongo ’24, Annaliese Lapides ‘24 and Mialovena Exume ’24, for American Academy of Pediatrics funding to support events aimed at increasing workforce diversity and supporting students historically underrepresented in medicine (URiM). It was Heredia’s idea to target pre-medical students in the first years of their undergraduate experience based on the disillusionment she felt at that stage of her education.

On May 13, the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont held Honors Night for graduating medical students in the Class of 2022. Accolades presented included the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society faculty, housestaff, and community physician awards; the Arnold P. Gold Foundation's Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine faculty and student awards; Area Health Education Center Scholars; department awards to students; and awards from the Class of 2022.

“Going above and beyond” and consistently demonstrating kindness, compassion and respect were common accolades in the nomination letters for the 2022 Dean’s Awards for Professionalism recipients. On May 3, the Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont marked the third anniversary of the formal introduction and celebration of the College’s Statement on Professionalism at a virtual awards presentation ceremony.

UVM Pediatric Primary Care is removing barriers to mental health care with an evidence-based Primary Care Mental Health Integration program, piloted with support from the UVM Health Network.

Infants and children living in rural states are less likely than those living in other states to have a chance to enroll in clinical research, especially clinical trials. Underserved and minority children are particularly underrepresented. The University of Vermont is one of 18 sites in a state-of-the-art pediatric clinical research network to improve access to clinical trials for children in rural and underserved areas. Together, the sites constitute the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Institutional Development Awards (IDeA) States Pediatric Clinical Trials Network (ISPCTN).

University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine faculty, leaders, and colleagues gathered virtually for the Teaching Academy’s 2022 Snow Season Education Retreat January 20-21. Highlights of the two-day event included a plenary session by representatives of the Kern National Network for Caring and Character in Medicine, the Induction and Award Ceremony, and an in-person poster session.

A grassroots effort led by Larner College of Medicine alum and Associate Professor of Pediatrics Keith Robinson, M.D.’07, and key partners across the academic medical center and state, has established an invaluable resource to ensure pediatric patients and their families receive the quality and amount of food they need.

Lewis First, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of pediatrics, has announced the appointment of Rachel Garfield, M.H.S., Ph.D., as the next executive director of the Vermont Child Health Improvement Program (VCHIP) and an associate professor pediatrics at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine.

Professor of Pediatrics William Raszka, M.D., has received the prestigious 2021 Alpha Omega Alpha Robert J. Glaser Distinguished Teacher Award. The award is part of the Association of American Medical Colleges annual slate of honors and will be formally conferred at an October 27 virtual recognition event.

Described as “a traditional summer camp experience with a queer twist,” Camp Outright provides a supportive environment and a range of activities focused on community, social justice, and fun for youth aged 13 to 17. During the two 2021 summer sessions, the camp also served as a place for medical trainees and campers to see a different side of patient care and clinicians, respectively.

Department of Pediatrics Administrator Sue Victory will be retiring on July 9, 2021 after nearly 44 years working at the University of Vermont Medical Center and University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine.

As a new pediatric resident at UVM Children’s Hospital, Nick Bonenfant, M.D.’17 (at right, with Aamani Chava, M.D.), found himself struggling with how to best support adolescents with mental health issues.

As a new medical graduate just beginning a pediatric residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital in 2006, James Metz, M.D.’06 (at left, with Tracey Wagner, R.N., MSCN, CPN, and Mary Ellen Rafuse, MSW), never imagined that 12 years later, he’d return to his alma mater and home state as one of only two board-certified child abuse pediatricians in Vermont.

In a salute to graduating medical students’ accomplishments and to honor the faculty and staff who have supported them during their medical education journey, the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine launched a virtual 2021 Honors Celebration on May 6, 2021.

Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education Christa Zehle, M.D., has been appointed University of Vermont Health Network Director of Education by John Brumsted, M.D., CEO of the UVM Health Network.

(APRIL 15, 2021) Assistant Professor of Psychiatry Jeremiah Dickerson, M.D., was interviewed by local Burlington, Vt. CBS affiliate WCAX-TV for a story, titled "Should parents worry about pandemic’s long-term effects on kids?"

In the summer of 2020, a commentary in Pediatrics by William Raszka, M.D., and Ben Lee, M.D., led to a flurry of interest around the globe. The duo of pediatric infectious disease experts found that “children are not significant drivers of the COVID-19 pandemic” based on an analysis of early studies from Switzerland, China, France and Australia. They wrote: “On the basis of these data, SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools may be less important in community transmission than initially feared.”