Children's Memorial Hospital broadcast email

July 2009

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Connections - our quarterly newsletter for community physicians and their practices - provides online tools and news for our partners who provide pediatric care.

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Look who’s new on staff

Jeff C. Rastatter, MD, joined the Division of Otolaryngology in July, 2009. Dr. Rastatter will be seeing patients in Lincoln Park and New Lenox, and will be performing surgery in Lincoln Park and Westchester. Dr. Rastatter recently completed his fellowship in pediatric otolaryngology at Children's Memorial Hospital and is board certified in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Prior to that, Dr. Rastatter completed his residency in otolaryngology at Ohio State University Medical Center and his internship in surgery at Rush-Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital. Dr. Rastatter is a graduate of Rush Medical College of Rush University Medical Center. His special interests include benign and malignant head and neck tumors, congenital head and neck cysts and masses, thyroid and parathyroid disease, airway problems, laryngotracheal reconstruction, sinus and nasal disorders and velopharyngeal insufficiency.

Melissa L. Cirillo, MD, joined the Department of Neurology in July, 2009. Dr. Cirillo will be seeing patients in Arlington Heights, Lake Forest and Lincoln Park. Dr. Cirillo recently completed her fellowship in child neurology at Children's Memorial Hospital. Dr. Cirillo graduated from Michigan State University College of Human Medicine and completed her residency in pediatrics at Emory University Hospitals in Atlanta. She will be seeing general pediatric neurology patients including those with epilepsy, headaches, weakness, muscle problems, neuropathies and movement disorders.

Look what’s new at Children’s Memorial

Children's Memorial Outpatient Center in Tinley Park is Moving to New Lenox
In September, the Children’s Memorial Outpatient Center in Tinley Park will relocate and become the Children's Memorial Outpatient Center in New Lenox. This new larger location - conveniently located just off I-355 and Route 6 – will be in the Silver Cross New Lenox Medical Building, on the new Silver Cross Hospital campus currently under construction. Pediatric specialties planned for New Lenox outpatient center currently include: Cardiology, Child Psychology, Dermatology, Gastroenterology, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedic Surgery, Otolaryngology, Pediatric Surgery, Rheumatology and Urology. The outpatient center also will offer general x-ray, ultrasound, audiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, phlebotomy, ECHO and ECG services. Children's Memorial expects to continue to add services after September. Families can call 1.800.KIDS DOC for an appointment.

Expanded Pediatric Subspecialty Care in Lake Forest
In an effort to deliver excellent care in the communities we serve, we are pleased to announce that we are expanding our services in our outpatient center at Lake Forest Hospital. Effective the end of July, Melissa Cirillo, MD, will be seeing neurology patients every Monday and Wednesday between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. In addition to pediatric neurology, we also offer pediatric endocrinology, pediatric gastroenterology and pediatric surgery. Ellen Kim, MD, sees endocrinology patients on the first, third and fifth Tuesday of the month, Miguel Saps, MD, sees gastroenterology patients on the first, third and fifth Thursday of the month and David Rothstein, MD, sees pediatric surgery patients on the first and third Friday of the month. Pediatric oncology will be offered at Lake Forest this fall. Families can call 1.800.KIDS DOC to schedule an appointment.

Children’s Memorial Recruiting Patients for Food Allergy Study
The startling increase in the number of people with food allergies prompted the development of a multi-site research initiative headed by researchers and physicians at Children’s Memorial Hospital and Children’s Memorial Research Center. Thirty years ago, food allergy was extremely rare. Today, 4.3 million U.S. children suffer from this potentially life-threatening condition. In fact, the number of children suffering with peanut allergy alone has doubled in five years – and the numbers continue to grow. The study is designed to find answers to some fundamental questions: What are the causes of food allergy? How can food allergy be predicted and prevented? Are there alternative or better treatments for food allergy? To date, the research team has recruited over 500 food allergy affected families. The team is seeking to enroll an additional 500 families to reach its goal of 1,000. The large sample size is necessary in order to have sufficient statistical power to study over a million genetic markers and environmental exposures that potentially affect food allergy. An eligible family includes both biological parents and at least one food allergy affected child (age 0-21 years). Both parents and affected children must be willing to participate. Interested families may call a toll free number 888.573.1833 or send an email to: allergystudy@childrensmemorial.org. Promotional materials (tri-fold brochures, flyers and referral forms) are also available for physicians. If you are interested in obtaining materials for display at your office, or if you have any questions, please contact the study at the toll free number, 888.573.1833.

Fatty Liver Disease Clinic Expanded
Fatty liver disease, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), is a severe condition affecting millions of overweight children in the U.S. Peter Whitington, MD, and Mark Fishbein, MD, in the Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, announce the opening of specialty services focused entirely on the diagnosis and management of fatty liver disease. These outpatient visits will operate as a clinical research unit in association with the NIH-funded NASH Clinical Research Network and will provide opportunity for patients to participate in clinical trials and other cutting edge research. Appointments for these services are by physician referral only. Physicians’ offices can make an appointment in the NASH clinic by calling 773.880.4354. Referral of patients between the ages of 8 and 18 years old, with a BMI greater than 95th percentile and suspected liver disease (such as hepatomegaly, elevated ALT, or echogenic liver on ultrasound) is welcome.