Department of Pediatrics

(JANUARY 31, 2024) Rebecca Bell, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, a pediatric critical care physician at UVM Children’s Hospital, spoke to Vermont Public about the Vermont Department of Health’s goal to provide every K–12 school in the state with free naloxone, as well as virtual trainings.

Medical students, faculty, physicians, and hospital staff stepped up to the microphone on January 18 to tell true stories about their most humbling moments at the sixth annual StorySlamRx: Voices in Medicine. Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Society members organized and hosted the event, held in the Hoehl Gallery. Inspired by The Moth live storytelling, story slam provides a safe space to share personal experiences and connect with others over shared emotions. For people in the medical community, telling and listening to each other’s stories facilitates wellness and quells burnout.

(JANUARY 12, 2024) Pediatric pulmonologist L. E. Faricy, M.D., and Vermont State Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., commented on a bill currently making its way throughout the statehouse that would ban all forms of flavored tobacco products, WPTZ-TV reported.

(JANUARY 11, 2024) L. E. Faricy, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, was quoted in a Bennington Banner article about 50 Vermont organizations’ support for ending the sale of flavored tobacco.

(JANUARY 8, 2024) Ann Guillot, M.D., professor emerita of pediatrics and surgery, and Elizabeth McGee, M.D., professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences, are among five new trustees appointed to the UVM Medical Center board of trustees, WVNY-TV reported.

(JANUARY 5, 2024) Pediatric pulmonologist L. E. Faricy, M.D., assistant professor of pediatrics, urged Vermont State legislators to support a bill to end the sale of all flavored tobacco products in Vermont when they convene next month, according to VT Digger.

(DECEMBER 11, 2023) Rebecca Bell, M.D., M.P.H., associate professor of pediatrics, was interviewed by Vermont Public for a Vermont Edition story on keeping kids safe from firearms.

(November 22, 2023) Associate Professor of Pediatrics Erica Gibson, M.D., and Assistant Professor of Family Medicine Anja Jokela, M.D., commented to Seven Days for an article on transgender newcomers finding safety, services, and community in Vermont.

(NOVEMBER 9, 2023) Neonatologist Roger Soll, M.D., professor of pediatrics, commented in the journal Pediatrics on a randomized controlled trial showing that umbilical cord milking appeared to be a safe alternative to delayed cord clamping in very premature infants, according to MedPage Today.

(NOVEMBER 6, 2023) Christian Pulcini, M.D., M.Ed., M.P.H., assistant professor of emergency medicine, was interviewed by STAT for an article about a new study on the lasting effects of gun violence on young survivors.

(OCTOBER 29, 2023) Lewis First, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of pediatrics at Larner College of Medicine and chief of pediatrics at the UVM Medical Center, was interviewed by ABC22 for a story on trick or treating. Inclusivity—for kids with allergies or special needs—is one consideration health experts are highlighting.

(OCTOBER 12, 2023) WCAX-TV reports that Emmett Whitaker, M.D., FAAP, associate professor of anesthesiology, neurological sciences, and pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine, has been granted a $1.95 million award to study anesthesia-induced hypotension in neonates, infants, and older adults.

(SEPTEMBER 28, 2023) Rachel Garfield, Ph.D., M.H.S., executive director of the Vermont Child Health Improvement Plan, spoke to WCAX-TV about a new report outlining steps to address a shortage of pediatric specialists.

(SEPTEMBER 14, 2023) Richard Wasserman, M.D., professor emeritus of pediatrics, is a co-author of a study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health that found that training primary care physicians to talk to young adults about safe social media use helped make a difference in those youths' online behavior six months later, according to UIC Today.

(SEPTEMBER 14, 2023) Pediatricians in the UVM Health Network spoke with the News & Citizen about telemedicine equipment that allows doctors at rural critical access hospitals to consult in real time with specialists at the UVM Medical Center about newborns with life-threatening conditions.

Each summer, many rising second-year medical students engage in clinical, basic science or health policy-related research projects under the guidance of expert faculty. The students choose their topics based on personal passions and immerse themselves in projects tackling medical puzzles and unmet health needs. Engaging in research can be among the most valuable experiences during a medical education.

(SEPTEMBER 11, 2023) Benjamin Lee, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics, was interviewed by WVNY-TV about the UVM Medical Center and the Larner College of Medicine’s Vaccine Testing Center being chosen to advance research on a new Lyme Disease vaccine by operating a worldwide study on the vaccine candidate.

(SEPTEMBER 9, 2023) Lewis First, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of pediatrics at the Larner College of Medicine and division chief of pediatrics at the UVM Children’s Hospital, wrote about ADHD facts and myths in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

(SEPTEMBER 1, 2023) Alexandra Potter, Ph.D., professor of psychiatry, spoke to WCAX about UVM neuroscientists’ efforts to recruit expecting families who want to help with a major childhood development research project called the HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study.

(AUGUST 30, 2023) Lewis First, M.D., M.S., professor and chair of pediatrics, spoke to NBC5 about gearing up for a potential rise in COVID-19 cases as the school year begins.