News | Page 18 | Pediatrics

January 6, 2021

We are committed to keeping you safe and protecting you and your loved ones from COVID-19 during this unprecedented pandemic.

Please visit Weill Cornell Medicine's COVID-19 information page for the latest information and answers to frequently asked questions about the vaccine.

Webinar on Vaccines

View a recent webinar on COVID-19 vaccines by faculty in the Divisions of Pediatric Emergency Medicine and Pediatric Infectious Diseases.

Pediatrics Department Faculty and Fellows Step Up to Bring Vaccines to Underserved Communities

January 1, 2021

In April 2021, Pediatrics Department faculty and fellows at Weill Cornell Medicine volunteered their time expertise to bring COVID-19 vaccines to underserved communities in Jamaica, Queens. An initiative of the Weill Cornell CTSC, in partnership with Community Healthcare Network (CHN) and FEMA, volunteers helped operate three vaccination sites at faith based-institutions in underserved communities in an effort to overcome vaccine hesitancy and other barriers in communities heavily impacted by COVID-19 and disproportionately under-vaccinated. These events have been operated by Community Healthcare Network, staffed by volunteers from WCM, NYP, Hunter College School of Nursing and the local community, and funded by FEMA through the NYC-DOH. Thank you to all for their time and service! (2021)

WCM Faculty and Fellows provide vaccines Dr. Brooke Spector prepares vaccine

Young Artist Showcase: 2020 Holiday Card Art

December 24, 2020

Thank you to all the young artists who contributed their work for this year's Department of Pediatrics holiday card!

Each year, the Department, in collaboration with our affiliate, NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Children's Hospital, invites pediatric patients to submit work for consideration to be featured on our annual holiday greeting. This card was created with help from the Tracy's Kids art therapy program, which provides board certified art therapists to help patients and their family members express feelings and reflect on their treatment experiences through art-making and creative play. Creative Arts Therapy is an essential component of Child Life Services, a program helping children, adolescents and their families navigate healthcare experiences through play, creativity, expression and support.

We are pleased to share a selection of the entries, including this year's card. We are grateful to be able to highlight this wonderful artwork in honor of all children and families.

Thank you to all of the artists who shared their work!

Dr. Virginia Pascual Leads Grant to Study Immune Responses in Children with COVID-19 and Receives Prestigious ACR Award

November 12, 2020

Dr. Virginia Pascual

Dr. Virginia Pascual, the Drukier Director of the Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children’s Health at Weill Cornell Medicine, has been awarded a grant supplement from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to lead a multi-institutional effort studying differences in immune responses in children infected with SARS-CoV-2. The research may reveal why some children with COVID-19 develop major complications while the majority of children only display mild symptoms. A leader in pediatric immunology, Dr. Pascual has also received the 2020 Distinguished Basic/Translational Investigator Award from the American College of Rheumatology (ACR).

October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

October 9, 2020

This month, we support the families of our affiliate NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medicine and all those who have experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy, delivery, or infancy.

On October 15th, members of the NYP Komansky Children’s Hospital Family Advisory Council will participate in the International Wave of Light by lighting a candle at 7 pm for at least an hour to honor our families and the little ones no longer with us, and do our part to create a continuous wave of light around the world.

All are welcome to join us from wherever you are, virtually, in this remembrance.

Additional Resources

Weill Cornell Medicine Bereavement Services Program

NewYork-Presbyterian Living With Loss Support Group

For additional support initiatives and resources, please contact the Komansky Children's Hospital Family Advisory Council

Dr. Sallie Permar Appointed Chair of Pediatrics & Pediatrician-in-Chief

September 21, 2020

Dr. Sallie Permar, an eminent physician-scientist who focuses on the treatment and prevention of neonatal viral infections, has been appointed chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and pediatrician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center and NewYork-Presbyterian Komansky Children’s Hospital, effective Dec. 1.

Recruited as the Nancy C. Paduano Professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Permar will helm the pediatrics enterprise at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Under her leadership, the department will continue to enhance its mission to provide exceptional patient care and medical education in pediatrics, and conduct cutting-edge research on diseases that affect newborns and children.

“Dr. Permar is a distinguished physician-scientist, highly skilled educator and proven leader,” said Dr. Augustine M.K. Choi, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine. “Under her direction we will advance our mission of excellence in pediatrics, enhancing research and innovation, training future pediatricians and pediatric specialists, and providing the best care and the brightest future to children and their families. We are thrilled that Dr. Permar is joining us as chair of the Department of Pediatrics.”

Now Enrolling for Fall 2020: Virtual Kids and Teens Healthy Weight Program

September 4, 2020

Course Co-Directors Isabel Reckson, MPH, RD, CDE, CDN and Marisa Censani, MD

The WCM Kids and Teens Healthy Weight Program is going VIRTUAL for Fall 2020!

Join us for cooking demos, meal plan ideas, fitness tips, and more as we host a series of interactive, fun sessions on healthy eating and other important nutrition concepts. Designed especially for children and teens, family members and caretakers are encouraged to attend, too!

The Kids and Teens Healthy Weight Program at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital has been developed and is hosted by Marisa Censani, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist and expert on pediatric obesity, and Isabel Reckson, MPH, CDE, RD, a registered dietitian and certified diabetes education.

Enrollment Deadline: 9/21/2020
Sessions Start: 10/5/2020

Session Schedule

Session 1: Staying Fit for the Future
This session teaches families about nutritional requirements while exploring technology, community resources, and the principles of healthy weight management.
DATE: Monday, October 5, 2020, 5:00-6:00 p.m.

Dr. Jennie Ono Named Medical Director for Pediatric Inpatient Services; Dr. Kiran Gadani Patel Named Associate Director

August 12, 2020

Dr. Jennie Ono Named Medical Director for Pediatric Inpatient Services

The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the appointment of Jennie Ono, M.D., M.S. as the new Medical Director for Inpatient Pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and the Komansky Children’s Hospital at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicakiranl Center.

Dr. Ono is an assistant professor of clinical pediatrics at Weill Cornell Medicine and an assistant attending pediatrician at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She cares for pediatric patients of all ages in the general pediatrics inpatient unit, where she serves as a pediatric hospitalist. In addition, Dr. Ono is the director of the Weill Cornell pediatric asthma program, a joint program between the Divisions of General Academic Pediatrics and Pediatric Pulmonology, Allergy and Immunology which aims to provide comprehensive asthma care to low-income children of New York City and support ongoing research endeavors in childhood asthma.

Resources for Families: Summer Activities and Back to School -- Expert Advice from WCM Physicians

August 8, 2020

Physicians at Weill Cornell Medicine and our affiliate, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, weigh in about sending children back to school and how to enjoy summer activities. See below for two new resources.

New Leukodystrophy Center Opens at WCM

July 2, 2020

The Department of Pediatrics is pleased to announce the opening and accreditation of our new Leukodystrophy Center (LC), directed by Dr. Eric Mallack, an assistant professor of pediatrics and co-directed by Dr. Jamie Palaganas, assistant professor of clinical pediatrics, both in Division of Child Neurolgy at Weill Cornell Medicine.

There are more than 50 types of rare genetic disorders that disrupt the central nervous system, known as leukodystrophies. Collectively, these disorders affect about 1 in 7,000 people.