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Department of Pediatrics
Letter from the Chairman
Dear Friends of Pediatrics,
We are pleased to present the Department of Pediatrics’ online version of our Departmental Report, a comprehensive review of our accomplishments over recent years in our clinical, research, education, international health, and advocacy programs—all of which are crucial in supporting The Children’s Hospital’s mission to advance pediatric health care.
Since 2006 the Department has experienced strong growth in several important areas. Our faculty increased to more than 500 members, a deepening of our talent pool that has resulted in significant program expansion in the basic sciences and in clinical, translational, and outcomes research. These reenergized and expanded research initiatives hold much promise for improving the lives of children everywhere and have gone far in solidifying the Department’s local and national prominence.
Our faculty members are national leaders in education and advocacy. In that tradition, we continue to develop the next generation of leadership by cultivating and implementing cutting-edge educational initiatives in support of our medical students, physician assistant students, residents, and fellows. As an important adjunct to these efforts, our faculty members remain committed to advocating for child-health issues at the state, national, and international levels.
Our Department of Pediatrics continues to foster landmark program development, including our nationally renowned stem-cell research initiative. In late 2008, Bruce Appel, PhD, Director of the Program of Pediatric Stem Cell Biology, Department of Pediatrics, was named the Diane G. Wallach Chair in Pediatric Stem Cell Biology. Dr. Appel is partnering with the University of Colorado Denver and Dennis Roop, PhD, who is the Charles C. Gates Chair of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology and the Director of the Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Program. Together, they will open up new and exciting research avenues in this crucial area of disease prevention, diagnostics, management, and treatment.
The September 2007 transition to The new Children’s Hospital and our shared medical campus provided an opportunity to develop Children’s strategic plan in collaboration with the University of Colorado Denver—an ambitious plan that will serve as a pediatric operational and service excellence blueprint. These clinical, education, and research guideposts include developing nationally prominent clinical, educational, and research programs and dramatically increasing National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding during the next five to seven years.
Toward that specific research-funding goal, Children’s Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics marked a major milestone by securing more than $44.5 million in peer-reviewed awards from the NIH during 2008—ranking first among all medical school-based Departments of Pediatrics in NIH awards. This is a remarkable achievement that underscores the Department’s position on the forefront of pediatric research.
The current downturn in the nation’s and the world’s economies poses a major challenge to the efforts outlined in this letter. Regardless of the circumstance or challenge, the Department of Pediatrics will continue to build upon its long-standing tradition of excellence in the cause of children’s health. Our success and strength is founded on Children’s robust 100-year history, coupled with outstanding faculty, excellent collaboration, the best hearts and minds, and a continued dedication to our mission.
Sincerely,
Stephen R. Daniels, MD, PhD
Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics
University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine
Pediatrician-in-Chief
L. Joseph Butterfield Chair in Pediatrics
The Children's Hospital
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