Pediatric Matters - Connecticut Children`s Medical Center Foundation

First of its Kind
Specialized Care
A PUBLICATION OF CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S MEDICAL CENTER
Reducing Painful
Ear Infections
Center for Motion
Analysis Celebrates
30 years
Vol. 4 Issue 2
Summer 2011
Giving Back to Connecticut Children’s
is a Sweet Project for a Former Patient
Ally Lewis, 12, weighed just a little more than 2 pounds when she was born in 1998. Today she
is an honor student at Lincoln Middle School in Meriden where she also plays on the school
volleyball team.
Connecticut Children’s achieved an
important milestone earlier this
month when the NICU at the UConn
Health Center operationally became
part of the neonatology program at
Connecticut Children’s. Ally Lewis,
who received care at both NICU’s
as a newborn, is an inspiration to
any parent of a premature baby.
Actually she’s an inspiration to
anyone and everyone.
And
despite
some
physical
challenges that have affected her since
birth, the Meriden seventh grader is
an honor student, school volleyball
player and even finds time to give to
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
Last spring, Ally began selling
cupcakes via “Ally’s Cupcake Cart”
with all proceeds going toward
the purchase of toys for patients
at Connecticut Children’s. With
the help of one of her best friends,
Aislinn Quinn, Ally parades a brightly
painted pink wagon throughout her
neighborhood selling cupcakes. About
50 cupcakes are made for each trip.
“I really have fun with the cupcake
cart and just wanted to give something
to the kids in the hospital,” Ally said.
Ally was born at 26 weeks on Dec.
22, 1998 weighing only 2 pounds, 13
ounces. Her parents David and Gail never
left her side in the Neonatal Intensive
Care Unit at the University of Connecticut
Health Center in Farmington.
“If one of us couldn’t be with Ally
because of work, we always made
sure the other was there for her,” said
Ally’s mother Gail.
Gail and David Lewis said that
although it was a very difficult ordeal
at times, they credit the support they
received from Gail’s parents and their
neighbors. “We would often come
home to a hot meal that was made by
one of our neighbors,” said David Lewis.
“And Gail’s parents were a tremendous
help with Ally’s older sister, Chelsea.
It’s during those difficult times
continued on page 3
Connecticut Children’s Once Again Ranked Among
Best Children’s Hospitals in Country
Three
pediatric
subspecialty
programs at Connecticut Children’s
have received top rankings
in U.S. News Media Group’s
2011 Best Children’s Hospitals
rankings. Connecticut Children’s
Best Children’s Hospitals rankings
were in urology, diabetes and
endocrinology and orthopedics.
This is the second year
in a row that Connecticut
Children’s
department
of
orthopedics has received a
top ranking from U.S. News.
“We
salute
Connecticut
Children’s,” said Health Rankings
Editor Avery Comarow. “The goal
of the Best Children’s Hospitals
rankings is to call attention
to pediatric centers with the
expertise to help the sickest kids,
and Connecticut Children’s is
one of those centers.”
The rankings, more commonly
known as the U.S. News and World
Report Best Children’s Hospitals,
recognize the top children’s
hospitals among a number of
various specialties. Now in its fifth
year, Best Children’s Hospitals pulls
together clinical and operational
data from a lengthy survey,
completed by the majority of the
177 hospitals asked to participate
for the 2011-12 rankings. The
data from the survey is combined
with
recommendations
from
pediatric specialists on the hospitals
they consider best for children
with challenging problems.
“It’s a thrill to be recognized for
something that we are just so
passionate about,” said Karen Rubin,
MD, Connecticut Children’s division
head of endocrinology/diabetes.
“When I see the nationally-renowned
Fernando Ferrer, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Director of Urology, Karen Rubin, MD, Division Head
of Endocrinology/Diabetes and Jeffrey Thomson, MD, Director of Orthopedics, are responsible for
the three programs at Connecticut Children’s to receive 2011 Best Children’s Hospital Rankings.
This is the 2nd consecutive year that the Department of Orthopedics has received this honor.
children’s hospitals that are included
in these rankings, it just reinforces
how far Connecticut Children’s has
come in its first 15 years.”
Earlier this month, a celebratory
event was held at the Medical Center
to recognize the staffs of these three
programs for their accomplishments.
Martin J. Gavin, president and CEO
of Connecticut Children’s, shared
his thoughts on the ranking and
what they mean to everyone at
the Medical Center. “These rankings
are a great honor and further
proof that as the state’s only
hospital dedicated exclusively to
children, Connecticut Children’s
provides the highest quality of
pediatric care in our region,” he
said. “I’m happy for the doctors,
nurses, and all of our employees in
these areas who were recognized
for their wonderful work.”
2
www.connecticutchildrens.org
Summer 2011
Matters
A NOTE FROM OUR WEBSITE:
I am writing to tell you how much I appreciate your staff that worked with us during my daughter’s stay
at Connecticut Children’s last December. Lily was 6 days old when she was admitted and my husband,
Jesse, and I stayed with her for a week while the doctors, nurses and other staff helped her get better.
Without the expertise and thoughtful sincerity of your staff, I don’t know if Lily Arnold would be with us
today. She is almost 6 months old now and smiles, smiles, smiles all day long. A pure angel.
Please accept my sincerest gratitude to your staff for everything they did to heal my baby. A special big
THANK YOU to nurse Nancy who was with us for the majority of the time. I tell Lily all about her and the
other doctors and nurses who took care of the 3 of us while she was sick.
Your staff will always be in our hearts. We are eternally grateful.
Thank you.
Jennifer, Jesse and Lily Arnold
Portland, CT
Generosity of Donors
Makes New Clinical
Care Center a Reality
Earlier this summer, Connecticut Children’s
announced that it had successfully reached
the $5 million goal of its “A Brighter Hope”
Campaign, resulting in the construction
of a new outpatient Clinical Care Center
for Cancer and Blood Disorders at the
Medical Center.
Already home to the most comprehensive
pediatric oncology program in Western New
England, the new Clinical Care Center will
allow Connecticut Children’s to double the
space devoted to oncology and hematology
programs. It will also allow the Medical
Center to add technology, broaden its
research and further integrate care in these
areas. The end result is that beginning
this fall, more children and families from
across the region will have access to the
specialized care that Connecticut Children’s is
known for.
Connecticut Children’s Foundation Board
Member Glen Greenberg serves as chairman
of the “A Brighter Hope” Campaign and on
behalf of everyone at the Medical Center,
thanked the thousands of donors who
realized that the increased demand for care
at Connecticut Children’s made achieving
this campaign goal a necessity.
“This expansion could not happen without
significant philanthropic support and we are
grateful to everyone who made the success
of this project a priority. We are truly blessed
to have had such a wonderful outpouring
of generosity from both individuals and
organizations committed to seeing the best
very best clinical care provided to children
and families,” he said.
CONNECTICUT CHILDREN’S IN THE NEWS
disease. Connecticut Children’s
is home to the Pediatric IBD
Collaborative Research Group.Their
innovative work and extensive
research findings are helping
children in Connecticut and
throughout the country.
Connecticut
Children’s Expands
Care In Danbury
In attendance at the event (from left): Jeffrey Hyams, MD, head of the Division of Digestive
Diseases, Hepatology and Nutrition at Connecticut Children’s; Kevin Dineen, featured speaker;
event chair Caryl Goldberg and NBC30 sports reporter Kevin Nathan, host of the event.
For The Children
Gala Raises More
Than $70,000
On June 18, the For the Children
Gala was held at the Farmington
Marriott and raised more than
$70,000 for the Center for Pediatric
Inflammatory Bowel Disease at
Connecticut Children’s Medical
Center. The event featured former
Hartford Whalers star and current
Florida Panthers head coach
Kevin Dineen, who shared his
story of becoming a professional
hockey player and coach while
battling Crohn’s disease throughout
his career.
Due to the outstanding work of
Jeffrey Hyams, MD and his talented
team, Connecticut Children’s is
recognized as a national leader in
providing and advancing care for
children with inflammatory bowel
After opening a new office just
this past February, Connecticut
Children’s has doubled the number
of programs it is offering in Danbury
from two to four. In addition to
cardiology and digestive diseases,
subspecialists from Connecticut
Children’s oncology and hematology
and general surgery programs have
begun seeing patients in the Medical
Center’s offices located at Danbury
Hospital’s Children’s Health and
Wellness Center on 79 Sand Pit Road.
To schedule an appointment for
one of the new programs offered in
Danbury, please call (860) 545-9636
for hematology and oncology or
(860) 545-9520 for general surgery.
Connecticut Children’s is grateful for the dedication provided by many individuals, clubs and organizations
who host events to support and promote the mission of Connecticut Children’s. If you are interested in
learning more about events that support the Medical Center or hosting an event, please visit the new
Connecticut Children’s Foundation Events website at www.connecticutchildrensevents.org
When it opens this Fall, the Clinical Care Center
for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Connecticut
Children’s will unite clinical care services, research
initiatives and family support programs in one
state-of-the art location.
To comment on any articles appearing in this publication, please visit our website at www.connecticutchildrens.org. If you have
a change of address or do not wish to receive future issues of Pediatric Matters, please call (860) 610-5700.
Credits
Editor: Robert Fraleigh Contributors: Chris Boyle and Doreen Tarascio Design: Dornenburg Group
Photography: J. Fiereck Photography, LLC Printing: Finlay Printing
3
A Sweet Project for a Former Patient
when you really find out who your
loved ones are.”
David recalled his family’s first
Christmas in the NICU just three days
after his daughter was born.
“It started off as the worst Christmas
ever,” he said. “The NICU was so quiet
and at one time, Gail and I were the
only ones there. Up to that point
we were told that Ally’s prognosis
was pretty grim. Finally, after a
series of examinations, a nurse
smiled at us and said that Ally was
going to be okay.”
Shortly after her discharge from
the UCOnn Health Center in early
1999, Ally was admitted back to
the hospital, but this time it was to
Connecticut Children’s. A severe
case of respiratory syncytial virus
filled her lungs with fluid and she
was transferred to the Emergency
Department before being admitted
to the Connecticut Children’s NICU.
Over the next few years Ally would
travel to Connecticut Children’s twice
a week to see numerous specialists
in neurology, pulmonary medicine
and gastroenterology. Today her
follow-up visits have been reduced
to once a year.
“Everyone at Connecticut Children’s
– starting when you come into the
Emergency Department to the NICU
and all the clinics – have always been
very kind to us,” said Gail Lewis.
continued from page 1
Connecticut Children’s
Completes Integration
of NICU at UConn
Health Center
Since she started Ally’s Cupcake Cart last spring, Ally Lewis has raised more than $300 by selling
cupcakes to help purchase toys for patients at Connecticut Children’s.
One of the conditions that Ally was
born with is a chronic disease known
as cytomegalovirus which David and
Gail Lewis said affects about 1/3
of her brain. Ally cannot hear in her
right ear and is about 60 percent
deaf in her left ear.
“Nothing stops her,” Gail Lewis
said. “Whether it’s school, sports or
the cupcake cart, when she has her
sights set on something, she just drives
towards it until she reaches her goal.”
But Ally has a busy fall awaiting
her with her cupcake cart which
already has resulted in more than
$300 in toys for the patients at
Connecticut Children’s. In addition
to selling cupcakes in her
neighborhood, Ally is taking
orders – such as the one from
her principal at Lincoln Middle
School who ordered 100 for
an upcoming conference.
Ally’s generous ways haven’t
gone unnoticed either. Her story
has garnered significant print and
electronic news media coverage
and one story produced by NBC30
went national and was aired by
dozens of NBC affiliates from
as far away as Los Angeles.
Ally admits she likes the publicity.
“It’s pretty neat and a win-win for
everyone,” the aspiring baker said.
Connecticut Children’s Opens
Specialized Epilepsy Center
On September 1, a milestone in
the Medical Center’s history was
achieved when the NICU at the
UConn Health Center was formally
integrated into the neonatology
program at Connecticut Children’s.
The unit in Farmington has been
renamed Connecticut Children’s NICU
at UConn Health Center.
Connecticut Children’s will now
manage neonatal care at two
locations; both at the Health Center
in Farmington (40 beds) as well as
our current location in Hartford (32
beds). Combining these 72 beds
under common medical and clinical
leadership creates one of the largest
NICUs in the state.
It will also present many benefits
for patients and families. In addition to
offering the highest level of neonatal
care in the area, it will allow us to
make investments that will enhance
our current range of services to
include technologies such as ECMO,
pursue further advanced care models
and broaden our opportunities in the
areas of neonatal research, education
and training.
Outside the walls of the unit itself,
the Connecticut Children’s NICU at
UConn Health Center will help attract
the highest quality pediatricians,
neonatologists, obstetricians and
other clinical health care professionals
to the greater Hartford area. It will
also drive more grant opportunities
to the region and allow our clinicians
to further their research in this highly
specialized area of medicine.
Most importantly, the integrated
NICU will meet the needs of our
state’s most vulnerable patients –
today and for years to come. We
will have more information on the
Connecticut Children’s NICU at
UConn Health Center in our next
issue of Pediatric Matters.
Jennifer Madan Cohen, MD, Director of Connecticut Children’s Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, works with David Kimball of New Milford, the
first patient admitted to the new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit at the Medical Center. The new unit was opened to better understand and care for
pediatric patients with epilepsy.
Nearly 12,000 children in Greater
Hartford and three times as many
statewide suffer from epilepsy.
While many of them control their
seizures with medication, almost
one-third do not respond to any
drug therapy. In these cases, surgery
often becomes the result.
To better understand and treat
children with epilepsy, Connecticut
Children’s recently opened a
specialized epilepsy center at its
main campus in Hartford. The new
unit will draw on the expertise of
the neurology and neurosurgery
programs at Connecticut Children’s
and creates a service for children
and families that is the first of its
kind in Connecticut.
“The idea behind our epilepsy
center is to be able to fully care for
children who suffer from epilepsy,”
said Jennifer Madan Cohen, MD, a
pediatric neurologist and director of
the Medical Center’s Comprehensive
Epilepsy Program.
A key part of the center is the new
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit, located
on the 7th floor of the Medical
Center in Hartford. With a focus on
patient safety and optimal recording
capabilities, Connecticut Children’s
recently began offering long-term,
overnight EEG monitoring, which
moves Connecticut Children’s a step
closer to its goal of being a level III
epilepsy center.
In addition to providing medical
staff with the opportunity to witness
a seizure first-hand, the correlating
of data from state-of-the-art EEG
monitoring with MRI and other
data often helps pinpoint where
in the brain a seizure is originating
from and helps decide if surgery
is necessary.
“We have a strong ketogenic diet
program and physicians who are
skilled in medical treatment, but for
epilepsy that’s intractable to those,
the next step is often surgery. The
monitoring helps us determine
whether a patient is a candidate
for surgery that has the potential to
cure the epilepsy,” commented Dr.
Madan Cohen.
Cure rates from surgery can be
as high as 60 to 80 percent and the
majority of surgical procedures for
epilepsy can be performed on-site
at Connecticut Children’s.
The new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
was made in possible in part by
the Connecticut Children’s Medical
Center Friends, who made a
$75,000 donation to help equip the
new unit and further the promise
of helping children live seizure-free.
4
www.connecticutchildrens.org
Summer 2011
Matters
Surgeon’s Research Aims to Reduce
Painful Ear Infections
For pediatric otolaryngologist Tulio
Valdez, MD, of Connecticut Children’s
Medical Center, there will always be
a better way to diagnose and treat
children with ear infections.
Between an ever-increasing number
of surgical cases and busy clinic hours,
Dr. Valdez is still able to conduct
research that he ultimately hopes will
benefit children with otitis media – an
infection that occurs when the middle
ear cavity becomes filled with fluid.
According to Dr. Valdez, otitis media is
one of the most common cases treated
in the Division of Otolaryngology.
“Painful ear infections resulting from
otitis media are almost like a rite of
passage for children by age 5,” said Dr.
Valdez who also serves as an assistant
professor of clinical otolaryngology at
the University of Connecticut School
of Medicine. “Although many types
of viral ear infections resolve on their
own, millions of dollars are spent every
year on antibiotics to treat bacterial
infections like otitis media.”
Dr. Valdez is in the midst of several
research projects that revolve around
otitis media. One of his current
studies is a multi-institutional project
that involves properly assessing and
training surgical residents on the
methods of inserting ear tubes.
“Sometimes ear infections or fluid in
the middle ear may become a chronic
problem leading to other issues such
as hearing loss or speech problems,”
Dr. Valdez said. “It’s in these cases
when we have to place tubes in the
ear drum to allow air into the middle
ear thus reducing the possibility
of infection.”
The study – which started about
two months ago – also includes
investigators from the University of
Michigan, Baylor University, Johns
Hopkins University and the University
of Wisconsin. All the institutions
will ultimately share the data that
is gathered.
Dr. Valdez said that the academic
setting is lacking an effective way of
evaluating residents who insert ear
tubes. The project includes evaluating
the resident immediately following
the ear tube procedure. The process
includes grading them on their surgical
technique including the method by
which the ear tube was inserted, the
way the microscope is arranged and
how the surgeons make their incisions.
“With the long hours that are
required of surgical residents, if they
can efficiently perform a procedure
like placing ear tubes, we can move on
and find a better use for their time,”
Dr. Valdez said.
Dr. Valdez also has other otitis mediarelated research projects including a
recently published preliminary study
that shows how using a photoactivated antimicrobial in the ear
does not harm the nerves of hearing
and may provide an alternative to
commonly used antibiotics.
Christine Finck, MD, is the Chief of
the Division of Surgery at Connecticut
Children’s and said it’s vital to
encourage surgeons like Dr. Valdez to
devote some of their time to research.
“Discovery
through
research
is integral to the mission of the
Department of Surgical Subspecialties
as well as to the recruitment and
Tulio Valdez, MD, of Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, has several research projects in the works
including one that examines the methods used to grade surgical residents who insert ear tubes.
growth of top-flight faculty,” said
Dr. Finck, who also serves as the
Associate Chair of Surgical Academic
Affairs and Director of the section of
Pediatric Surgical Research. “Surgeons
work in a different environment where
patient care comes first and many feel
that there is just no time to
deal with the obstacles and setbacks
associated with research.”
Dr. Finck said that a new
agreement signed with the University
of Connecticut School of Medicine
earlier this year is of great benefit
to investigators like Dr. Valdez. The
agreement formalizes and establishes
methods by which investigators from
Connecticut Children’s can attain
lab space, equipment and facilities
at the UConn Health Center.
“These are some very exciting
projects that have some great
possibilities,” Dr. Valdez said.
“Research like this enables me to
think differently as a surgeon – I can
concentrate more on the solutions that
will ultimately benefit my patients.”
Friends Storybook Gala Set for November 12
Saturday, Nov. 12, 2011
Connecticut Convention Center
For the past 18 years, the
Friends
Storybook
Gala
has
brought together supporters of
Connecticut Children’s to celebrate
the hundreds of thousands of
children and families who are
cared for each year at the Medical
Center. The event has experienced
tremendous growth during this time
with over 500 guests contributing
$715,000 in 2010.
This year’s event will be held
on Saturday, November 12 at the
Connecticut Convention Center.
The special appearance of an
acclaimed children’s author, along
with a cocktail reception, dinner,
dancing to the sounds of PRELUDE
and unique live and silent auctions
ensure an exceptional experience
for all who attend. Gala Co-Chairs
are Donna Hires and Gretchen
Lunsford. Donna and Jim Barnes
and Vicki and Rich Rosenthal are
Honorary Committee Co-Chairs and
Lisa Howard and Trish Bonsignore
are Auction Co-Chairs.
Katie and Jerry Davis are the
featured guests. Katie, a children’s
author and illustrator, has published
nine books including Kindergarten
Rocks!, Who Hops? and Mabel the
Tooth Fairy and How She Got Her Job.
She appears monthly on the ABC
affiliate show, Good Morning
Connecticut, recommending great
books for kids. Jerry is an author
and animated film producer who
is best known for his work with
Pixar on the first Toy Story movie
and most recently with Robots.
Katie and Jerry’s latest venture
is the newly published children’s
book, Little Chicken’s Big Day, which
they co-authored.
Proceeds from this signature
event significantly enhance the
investments of the Connecticut
Children’s Medical Center Friends
in the Medical Center. The Friends
help fulfill Connecticut Children’s
mission by funding state-of-the-art
equipment and innovative programs
that benefit patients, family and
staff. Every corner of the Medical
Center is touched as the Friends
For the 19th consecutive year, the Friends Storybook Gala will be held in downtown Hartford.
Gifts to the event’s spotlight program, Bid 4 Kidz, will benefit Connecticut Children’s cardiology
program. In order to accommodate the event’s popularity, this year’s Gala has been moved to
the Connecticut Convention Center.
support strategic priorities, provide
grants to assist patients and staff
and award employee scholarships.
Gifts to the event’s spotlight
program, Bid 4 Kidz, will benefit
Connecticut Children’s heart program
with a focus on investing in their
Research and Technology Fund.
Connecticut Children’s Cardiology
Group sees almost 8,000 outpatients
and over 100 heart surgeries are
performed each year at the Medical
Center. Cardiac issues range from
minor problems that might eventually
fix themselves to very complex
problems that need to be surgically
addressed. The pediatric cardiologists
and cardiovascular surgeons at
Connecticut Children’s are seeking to
define the standards of care, identify
the best treatments and, where
possible, find cures for pediatric
heart problems. Philanthropy plays an
essential role in the ability to pursue
scientific discoveries and expand
and upgrade vital cutting-edge
technical resources.
For more information about the Gala,
please call the Connecticut Children’s
Foundation at 860-610-5700.
5
Center for Motion Analysis Celebrates
30th Anniversary
It’s 30 years and counting for the
Center for Motion Analysis at
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center.
The Gait Analysis Laboratory – which
first opened at the former Newington
Children’s Hospital – celebrated its
30th anniversary on June 2 with a
special event that included numerous
longtime friends and supporters.
Some of the special guests included
James Gage, MD, one of the center’s
founders and former Newington
Children’s Hospital orthopedic
surgeon; Kimberly Lazarine-Meltzer,
the first patient to be treated in the lab
in 1981 and Helen Gray, wife of the
late Harry Gray, the former chairman
of United Technologies Corporation.
In 1979, Harry Gray committed
UTC to provide more than $200,000
in funding and technical assistance
to create the Gait Lab. He passed
away on July 8, 2009.
“I really miss Mr. Gray,” said
Lazarine-Meltzer at the celebration
as she wiped away tears after hugging
Helen Gray. “I am so thankful to him
because instead of looking forward to
a life in a wheelchair, he and everyone
in the Center for Motion Analysis
have given me a life.”
Lazarine-Meltzer was 5 when she
first came to the lab to determine
an orthopedic treatment plan for
her cerebral palsy.
“It was hard because I couldn’t
do the things that the other kids did
like roller-skating and running around
on the playground,” said LazarineMeltzer who is now a mother of
three and lives in New Jersey.
Since the Center opened, more than
9,000 children have benefited from the
information that has been collected
about their walking difficulties. The
Center for Motion Analysis provides
comprehensive motion analysis services
for treatment decision-making and
evaluation for a variety of gait issues
including neuromuscular disorders
such as cerebral palsy and traumatic
brain injury in addition to general
orthopedic deformities such as club
feet, Blount’s disease and torsional
deformities of the legs. Formally
known as the Gait Lab, the Center
for Motion Analysis relocated in 2007
to Connecticut Children’s Specialty
Care Center in Farmington.
“Our orthopedic surgeons use
the motion data to precisely address
each child’s needs with orthopedic
surgery and other interventions and
then to measure treatment outcomes
objectively by comparing motion data
collected before and after treatment,”
said kinesiologist Sylvia Õunpuu,
MSc, Director of Research for the
Center for Motion Analysis.
During the late 1970s, Dr. Gage
– who today is on staff at Gillette
Children’s Specialty Health Care in
Minnesota – decided that there must
be a better way of understanding
the complex movement abnormalities
in children with cerebral palsy other
than the standard clinical tools. In
a unique partnership, Dr. Gage and
engineers from UTC developed an
automated method of documenting
motion in three dimensions so that
the underlying causes of walking
problems in children could be
identified more reliably and ultimately
better understood.
“Doctors know how to ask the
questions, but they don’t know how
to answer them,” Dr. Gage said.
“Engineers can answer them but
they don’t know the proper questions.
When we work together there have
been tremendous advances.”
The facility was the first gait analysis
lab of its kind to fully automate and
synchronize videotaping, infrared
motion cameras, force plates and
electromyographic data to record
and measure the three-dimensional
biomechanics and muscle contractions
of walking in order to improve
In attendance at the 30th Anniversary celebration for the Center for Motion Analysis at
Connecticut Children’s Medical Center were (from left): former Newington Children’s Hospital
orthopedic surgeon James Gage, MD, and John Banta, MD, former Surgeon-in-Chief and
Director of Orthopedics at Connecticut Children’s.
Attending the 30th Anniversary celebration for the Center for Motion Analysis at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center were (from left):
Kimberly Lazarine-Meltzer, the first patient to be treated in the lab in 1981, and Helen Gray, wife of the late Harry Gray, former chairman of
United Technologies Corporation. In the photo at left, Ms. Meltzer is pictured with Harry Gray at the center opening in 1981.
medical treatment.
Connecticut Children’s Director of
Orthopedics Jeffrey Thomson, MD,
treats children with cerebral palsy,
spina bifida and numerous other
disorders. He said having the Center
for Motion Analysis at his disposal
has resulted in tremendous outcomes
improvements for his patients
“Actually one of the reasons I
joined Connecticut Children’s was
because of the capability and
reputation of the Center for Motion
Analysis,” Dr. Thomson.
Dr. Thomson also credits the
center for playing a vital role in the
Department of Orthopedics receiving
a prestigious top ranking from U.S.
News and World Report – an honor
his department has earned the
past two years.
As part of her presentation at the
30th Anniversary celebration, Õunpuu
highlighted the center’s research
capabilities which have not only helped
thousands of children, but also have
had a broad impact on medicine.
Its studies – conducted through
the collaboration of orthopedic
surgeons and experts in biomechanics,
kinesiology, physics, biomedical
engineering and physiotherapy – have
generated an enormous data resource
describing the biomechanics of normal
gait as well as the characteristics
of gait and movement in a variety
of neuromuscular and general
orthopedic disorders.
“The lab has really been a
phenomenal research tool from the
beginning,” Õunpuu said. “Our
research has profoundly changed the
medical community’s understanding
of gait pathomechanics for multiple
conditions resulting in better treatment
decisions and improved outcomes.”
Over the past few years, sports
medicine research studies have
garnered national attention for the
Center for Motion Analysis, particularly
research into the causes of injuries
to young baseball pitchers. Since 2001,
the center has been collaborating
with orthopedic surgeon Carl
Nissen, MD, director of Connecticut
Children’s sports medicine program
“Elite Sports Medicine,” to study
the epidemic of elbow injuries
that affect young pitchers.
“There has been such an upswing
in the number of elbow injuries in young
pitchers that we have been examining
the biomechanics of pitching in order
to understand injury mechanisms based
on technique and ultimately to prevent
injuries,” Dr. Nissen said.
Dr. Nissen added that in 2010 Elite
Sports Medicine was awarded a threeyear, $146,000 grant by Major League
Baseball to determine if numerous
types of pitches – fastballs, curveballs,
change-ups, sliders and cutters – can
damage the elbow and shoulder,
and if so, are there certain types
of pitches that cause more stress
than others.
Recently, the Center published
a study in the American Journal of
Sports Medicine that showed that
there is no difference in the stress
at the shoulder and elbow between
fastball and curveball pitches in high
school aged pitchers. In 2007, a study
was published in the American College
of Sports Medicine monthly journal,
“Medicine and Science in Sports and
Exercise,” that documented the
three-dimensional biomechanics of
adolescent pitchers. This database
is now being used to examine the
validity of coaching anecdotes with the
ultimate goal of reducing adolescent
pitching injuries.
“But we’re not stopping there,”
Õunpuu said. “We’re hoping to take
our research into the direction of
running and running injuries as well
as anterior cruciate ligament injuries
in females which are far greater than
in males. We have a lot of work to do
and we have a phenomenal facility
that’s going to allow us to do that.”
282 Washington St.
Hartford, CT 06106
Happenings at Connecticut Children’s
On June 27, the 9th Annual Geno Auriemma’s Fore the Kids Charity Golf Tournament was held
at The Hartford Golf Club in West Hartford, CT. This year’s tournament raised over $150,000 for
the Division of Orthopedics at Connecticut Children’s. Above, Coach Auriemma, joined by Taylor
Christiana of Middlefield, is shown thanking the sponsors and participants who helped make this
year’s event another resounding success.
In recognition of National Cancer Survivors Day, Connecticut Children’s Division of Hematology
and Oncology hosted the 4th Annual Cycle of Life, a special celebration for pediatric cancer
survivors and children who are currently undergoing treatment for cancer. The June 5th event,
which took place at Saint Joseph College in West Hartford, featured games and activities for
patients of the Medical Center and their families. Above, many of the patients in attendance
gather for a group photo.
In July, Connecticut Children’s hosted the kickoff of the Connecticut Efficient Healthy Homes
Initiative at the Medical Center. Through its LAMPP program, which removes lead from
houses, Connecticut Children’s has made over 1200 homes safer for area residents. Above,
Robert Adams, Supervisor of the Weatherization program with the U.S. Department of Energy,
discussed the importance of these types of initiatives at the kickoff event.
Former American Idol star Siobhan Magnus visited patients, families and staff at Connecticut
Children’s Medical Center in early August. Magnus signed autographs, posed for photos and even
sang renditions of Over the Rainbow for the children. She is shown above with 9-year-old Matthew
Patino of Naugatuck.
Guida’s Milk Partners with Connecticut
Children’s to Help Promote Medical Center
In addition to supplying quality products and services
to its customers, Guida’s has played a supporting role
in our local communities since its inception. Connecticut
Children’s will now be the latest beneficiary of this support
through a partnership with Guida’s Milk to promote the
one-of-a-kind care offered at the Medical Center. Look for
“Got Kids?” on Guida’s Milk products soon.