Dr. Thomas Power Featured in WHYY Parenting Seminars

This fall, Dr. Thomas Power, program director of The Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP is one of the three featured participants in the WHYY parenting seminars. 

In the part one discussion, each participant gave their own strategies for avoiding homework battles.

“The most important aspect of homework in my opinion is that it provides opportunities for families to support kids in their education”, Dr. Power said.

Read highlights of the discussion on NewsWorks: http://bit.ly/nOdkkE

Posted at 03:11PM Oct 07, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

WebMD Highlights CHOP Study of Genes for Type 1 Diabetes

WebMD published an article last week about new CHOP research on genes associated with type 1 diabetes. Dr. Hakon Hakonarson, director of CHOP’s Center for Applied Genomics, co-led this study, the largest-ever analysis of genetic data related to this common metabolic disorder. The study appears in the journal PLoS Genetics. A greater understanding of the genetic and biological origins of diabetes could eventually lead to new treatments.

To read the WebMD article about the study, click here.

Posted at 03:19PM Oct 04, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

The Lurie Family Presents Gift to CHOP

Christina Weiss Lurie, co-owner of the Philadelphia Eagles with her husband, Jeffrey Lurie, was at CHOP last week to present a $2.5 million gift to The Center for Autism Research (CAR), on behalf of the Lurie Family Foundation. The donation will support two lines of research to improve autism diagnosis and treatment using genetic and brain imaging research.

Swoop, the Eagles mascot, along with the Eagles Cheerleaders were in attendance at the event,  spending time with CHOP patients and families participating in CAR research and helping them with an Eagles-themed art project.

Read the full story here.

Posted at 01:57PM Oct 04, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

Raising Sickle Cell Awareness

CHOP's 10th Annual Blue Tag Gala, held on September 10th, raised more than $110,000 for the Sickle Cell Center at CHOP!

Twenty five years ago, Darlene Logan learned her unborn son would have sickle cell disease, a congenital and life-threatening condition. She turned to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for help then and again numerous times through his life. Her son Marc will turn 24 in October and he’s heading for graduate school.

Today, Darlene Logan serves as the co-chair of the campaign to raise funds and awareness of sickle cell disease and clinical research programs at CHOP. Read more about her story and the promising new sickle cell research by Alan W. Flake, MD, in The Philadelphia Tribune.

Read the article here:  http://bit.ly/rorcHR

Posted at 09:12AM Sep 30, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment  |  Comments[0]

CHOP’s Expansion Plan Gets Special Recognition From Mayor Nutter

CHOP’s newest facility in its expansion, called the Ambulatory Care Center, was celebrated by Mayor Nutter along with CEO Dr. Steven Altschuler on September 8. The new 500,000 square foot facility will give children the access and care they need to see different specialists all in one place.

Mayor Nutter gave his words of encouragement to the city, 

“Two billion dollars over the course of the next four, five years is just spectacular. It will put people to work, bring better health care to this city but it also is a indication again that this is a smart city and they’re making a smart choice by investing in Philadelphia.”

Link to the Philadelphia Tribune article here.

Posted at 02:09PM Sep 22, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

Magazine Details Research-Friendly Design Features at CHOP’s Colket Building

Tradeline, Inc., an online magazine focused on facilities planning, just published an in-depth article about how CHOP’s Colket Translational Research Building takes a fresh approach to incorporating structural and design features to enable top-quality pediatric research.  The 12-story, environmentally friendly structure, dedicated in 2010, houses state-of-the-art laboratories and advanced research core facilities, all dedicated to advancing scientific discoveries toward innovative treatments for children.

To read the Tradeline article about the Colket building, click here.

To read a 2010 Philadelphia Inquirer article about some of the sophisticated research performed in the Colket building, click here.

Posted at 01:09PM Sep 22, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

A Good Night’s Sleep May Help Teens Reduce Diabetes Risk

CHOP endocrinologist Dr. Dorit Koren has performed a study suggesting that better sleep patterns may lower the risk of type 2 diabetes in obese teenagers. Teenagers in this study who slept for 7.5 to 8.5 hours had healthier levels of insulin secretion and blood sugar than those who were sleep deprived.

Getting enough sleep is important for all teenagers and may be one way to help lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, said Dr. Koren, a physician at CHOP’s Diabetes Center for Children. For the CHOP press release, click here.

For an article in the London Daily Telegraph about Dr. Koren’s research, click here.

Posted at 04:35PM Sep 21, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

Green Tea May Lead to a Treatment for a Children’s Metabolic Disease

A recent study co-authored by CHOP endocrinology expert Dr. Charles Stanley has indicated that an ingredient in green tea may provide a more effective treatment for rare inherited children’s disorder. In this disorder, called hyperinsulinism/hyperammonemia (HI/HA), an inherited mutation disrupts an enzyme and leads to excess levels of insulin and ammonia in the blood.

The new study showed that a compound found in green tea controls the enzyme defect in animals, raising the possibility of a new treatment for children.

According to Dr. Stanley, further research to explore and modify the green tea compound could help scientists derive a drug that can be tested in children with HI/HA. Read more details here.

Posted at 04:35PM Sep 21, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

Rachel Leads Team Onco Girl at this Sunday’s Parkway Run Thanks to Cutting-Edge Surgery

 Rachel Kovach, a 12 year old cancer patient, thought she would never be able to walk again. She was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer which grew into a large tumor on her right thigh. Thanks to limb-sparing surgery by Dr. John Dormans, Rachel is able to walk again—on both legs. 

Posted at 03:42PM Sep 20, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in Cancer  |  Comments[0]

Philadelphia Inquirer Highlights Chop’s Reach Out and Read Program

Children who struggle to read are at greater risk of juvenile delinquency, dropping out of school, truancy, and other problems. That’s why the Reach Out and Read program at CHOP is so important. Pediatricians give new books to patients ages 6 month through 5 years old at regular appointments and encourage parents to read to their children each and every day. Meet twins who love to read and were one of the first patients to benefit from CHOP’s Reach Out and Read program in this feature article appearing in the Philadelphia Inquirer. 

Posted at 01:20PM Sep 20, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in Cancer  |  Comments[0]

6ABC HealthCheck Examines PANDAS

Earlier this week, 6ABC examined the often unheard of condition pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders, better known as PANDAS. Josephine Elia, M.D., a psychiatrist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, explained that it is believed that PANDAS results from a patient’s own antibodies mistakenly interacting with the brain instead of streptococcal or other bacteria. This suspected error could be the cause of the anxiety, tics, and obsessive compulsive tendencies that are hallmark of PANDAS. Watch the video below to learn more about this condition, and how Dr. Elia was able to help CHOP patient and PANDAS sufferer Dante.     

Posted at 04:54PM Sep 09, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

The New York Times Blogs about Schooling Shortfalls

Earlier this week, Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, an adolescent medicine specialist at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, was featured in The New York Times’ Health Blog. In the blog post, he questions the strongly focused emphasis parents and schools place on a child’s grades, standardized test score, and their eventually acceptance to a top-level university. He explains that school should focus more on teaching life lesson to better prepare students for the realities they will face when they leave the classroom behind. Read the blog to learn more about what can be done to improve the education system.

Posted at 10:34AM Sep 08, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

The Courier-Post Examines Teen Sleep and Interviews Expert from CHOP’s Sleep Center

A proper amount of sleep is an important factor in everyone’s health, no matter the age. Experts advise teenagers to get at least nine hours of sleep every night, but this age group tends to not get enough. The Courier-Post examined this topic by interviewing Jodi Mindell, Ph.D., associate director of the Sleep Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, who warned about the possible risks teens could face with insufficient sleep, including moodiness, and risk-taking. Read the article to learn more about teenager’s need for sleep.

Posted at 02:19PM Aug 29, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]

WHYY Reports NJ’s New CHD Screening Guidelines

Terry Anderson, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at CHOP Specialty Care at Voorhees was interviewed by WHYY about a recently released report, endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Cardiology Foundation, and the American Heart Association, which will give guidance to states & hospitals looking to implement newborn screenings to test for congenital heart disease. New Jersey has already adopted these standards, and will begin screening every newborn before discharge by August, 31st.  To learn more about these guidelines read the WHYY article.  

Posted at 04:13PM Aug 25, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in Cardiac  |  Comments[0]

In an Inquirer Article, CHOP’s Poison Control Center Warns Against Wild Mushrooms

Yesterday, The Philadelphia Inquirer examined the dangers of wild mushrooms. While some mushrooms can be a gourmet ingredient, others can be dangerous or even deadly for human consumption. To make matters even more difficult, the safe mushrooms often look similar to the toxic ones. The Poison Control Center at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia is featured in the article, and warns that the dangers of these fungi aren’t exclusive to just children, even adults need to be careful and should never eat a mushroom they pick from the wild. Read the article to learn more about the dangers of wild mushrooms.  

Posted at 03:24PM Aug 25, 2011 by Juliann Walsh in General  |  Comments[0]