Children’s Mercy was one of the first pediatric cardiac surgery programs in the nation to voluntarily share surgical outcomes with the public via the Society of Thoracic Surgeons’ (STS) website.

That level of transparency is critical to quality improvement for patients, families and staff, as well as for pediatric heart surgery programs nationwide.

Today of the approximately 120 pediatric heart surgery programs belonging to the database, about half voluntarily share data publicly.

Children’s Mercy has been an early adopter of transparency.

In this podcast James E. O'Brien Jr, MD, explains that evaluating this objective information, Children’s Mercy has improved the care we provide patients and their families, helping us rank among the top programs in the country.

Since opening as one of the first fetal centers based in a children’s hospital, the Elizabeth J. Ferrell Fetal Health Center at Children’s Mercy has delivered nearly 1,000 high-risk babies, with more than one third having complex heart disease. The addition of Emmanuel “Mike” Vlastos, MD further expands the center’s fetoscopy experience, which includes open myelomeningocele repair and other advanced in-utero procedures. While fetal surgery has been around for decades, the hope has not always lived up the hype.

In this podcast, Dr. Vlastos discusses the current status of open and minimally invasive fetal procedures, where we’ve seen success, and where the field is heading.

The prevalence of gestational diabetes is increasing due to increasing rates of obesity. Gestational diabetes increases the chances of adverse outcomes for both the mother and infant. In this Pediatrics in Practice podcast Jessica Brunkhorst, MD, neonatologist, reviews fetal anomalies and conditions associated with maternal diabetes, describes initial evaluation and management for infants of a diabetic mother, and discusses current recommendations regarding the management of hypoglycemia.

Infants under 90 days old with fever can present a diagnostic dilemma. Join us as Russell McCulloh, MD discusses unresolved issues and common conundrums faced by front-line clinicians in the evaluation of neonatal fever, recent literature on laboratory testing for infants with fever, and potential management strategies for febrile infants.

How can technology improve adherence and control for children and their families dealing with type 1 diabetes?

Mark Clements, MD, PhD, Endocrinologist and Associate Professor of Pediatrics, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, and Susana Patton, PhD, Psychologist and Professor of Pediatrics, University of Kansas Medical School, are working in partnership on three unique collaborative projects funded by the National Institutes of Health which are utilizing technology to investigate innovative approaches to adherence and control of type 1 diabetes in young children.

Join us to learn more about this collaborative research and preliminary results.

Numerous states have legalized or are considering legalization of marijuana. The AAP recently published an evidence-based position paper and clinical report on marijuana, including medical use. In this podcast, Dr. William Adelman, chief of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Mercy, discusses why adolescents are uniquely vulnerable to the neurotoxic effects of marijuana, the impact of legalization, and why physicians should unequivocally recommend pediatric and adolescent patients never use marijuana.

The recent trend in infants born exposed to neurotropic substances during pregnancy is increasing at an alarming rate across the United States, posing a public health threat in the form of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Jodi Jackson, MD, Children’s Mercy Neonatologist and Medical Director of the Shawnee Mission Medical Center (SMMC) level III NICU, has implemented family-centered care initiatives that have improved outcomes for these infants.

This family-centered protocol for NAS has been implemented at the other community hospitals where Children’s Mercy neonatologists serve as medical directors, and now Dr. Jackson is chair of the Kansas perinatal quality collaborative (KPQC) and working on a state wide initiative for NAS.

Hear from Dr. Jackson as she discusses the program and impact it is having on the neonatal population.

Strokes in newborns are as common as in adults. Recognition and early intervention is critical to minimizing the damage. Children’s Mercy is one of fewer than 10 pediatric stroke centers nationally, and the region’s first and only dedicated pediatric stroke center offering comprehensive, individualized treatment protocols for children. In this podcast Mukta Sharma, MD, pediatric hematologist/oncologists, discusses the warnings signs and causes of stroke and how early intervention affect the rest of a child’s life.

As a consortium partner of the NCI-designated University of Kansas Cancer Center and Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Children’s Mercy Kansas City is part of an elite group of pediatric cancer research centers. The strength in pharmacogenomics and genomics at Children’s Mercy, opens up new avenues for diagnosis and treatment of various forms of childhood cancer. Combining these strengths with the full range of expertise at The University of Kansas Cancer Center offers hope for current and future patients fighting cancer.

Join us as Alan Gamis, MD, discusses the importance of NCI designation and what it means to pediatric research and patient care.

Bradley Warady, MD, Division Chief of Pediatric Nephrology at Children’s Mercy Kansas City is an international leader in pediatric dialysis. In addition to being one of the principal investigators for CKiD, the largest study of pediatric chronic kidney disease ever conducted in North America, Dr. Warady is the lead editor of two authoritative textbooks: Pediatric Dialysis Case Studies and Pediatric Dialysis. He is also on the international committee developing new pediatric dialysis guidelines.

In this podcast, Dr. Warady discusses the state of pediatric dialysis today, where improvements can and are being made, and next steps for improving care.