General Pediatrics

The Division of General Pediatrics (GPS) has had the greatest involvement in training of USC medical students of any division at CHLA. A full-time academic division for over 25 years, GPS has worked collaboratively with the USC University Affiliated Program (USC UAP) for the past decade. GPS has active involvement with resident training through the resident continuity clinic, primary care and community pediatric rotations and ward attending rounds. GPS faculty have consistently been recognized for their teaching activities by the resident staff, particularly through receipt of the Phillip Rothman Award for Excellence in Pediatric Resident Education by individual faculty over the past eight years. Faculty have had significant experience serving vulnerable populations including children with special health care needs, individuals with developmental disabilities, victims of child abuse and neglect and low income populations. It is estimated that the division serves the largest number of children with special health care needs and/or developmental disabilities of any health care provider in Los Angeles County, if not the entire state of California. The division provides pediatric services at community-based locations, including Pediatric and Family Medical Center, AltaMed, and several CCS MTU sites. The GPS faculty’s areas of expertise include state/county immunization, lead exposure, injury prevention programs and health outcomes research.

In recent years, members of the division have enjoyed support through the Barbara Korsch Excellence in Medical Education and USC Department of Pediatrics Faculty Fellowship Awards, as well as the prestigious Robert Wood Johnson Generalist Physician Faculty Scholar Award. Division members also provide leadership roles for CHLA in Residency and Medical Student Training, Child Abuse, Behavior and Developmental Pediatrics, Spina Bifida Program, the Child Development Center, Medication Safety, and Medical Information Services.

The USC University Affiliated Program (USC UAP), founded in 1966, has been a recognized leader in the field of developmental disabilities within Los Angeles, California, the western United States and increasingly, across the nation. Quality, pre-service interdisciplinary training, continuing education, research and a vast array of hospital and community-based services have been designed and redesigned in response to the ever-changing needs of the local community, as well as state and national policy initiatives. The investment made by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB), Health Services Resource Administration (HRSA) and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities (ADD), both within the federal Department of Health and Human Services, over the past 35 years, has produced a cadre of academic leaders who actively participate in exemplary service and systems change activities, both locally and nationally. Over the past-year the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental. Disabilities (LEND) training program graduated 128 individuals representing 14 disciplines, and 15,000 individuals participated in USC UAP continuing education and outreach training activities. In addition, products developed and disseminated included parent/provider education materials, and CD-ROM training for parents and consumers. A total of 18 products were disseminated this year, and included parent/provider education materials, curricula, videotapes and 2 CD-ROMs for parents and health care professionals.

The largest clinical program within the USC UAP is the Community Mental Health Program. The faculty of the Mental Health Program works in close partnership with GPS to serve children with severe emotional and behavioral disturbances, as well as at-risk children and families, including children with special health care needs, developmental disabilities and history of child abuse or neglect. Through a contract with the Los Angeles County Mental Health Department, the program has received significant increases in funding, much of which comes through the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis and Treatment (EPSDT) Program. These increases in funding have lead to a sharp increase in services to the community’s vulnerable populations. The program operates clinics in several locations, including two outpatient clinics, satellite services at the hospital and schools, and a therapeutic pre-school within the Hollywood community. Consistent with CHLA’s teaching mission, the faculty of the USC UAP Mental Health Program has developed the second largest training program within the hospital. Each year, over 20 psychology fellows and interns, social work students and marriage and family therapists, now train within the USC UAP Mental Health Program. The program recruits trainees from around the country and the Psychology Internship received a five-year accreditation by the American Psychological Association.

National and International Recognition

Mary Ann Limbos, MD

• Received a 4-year Robert Wood Johnson Academic Generalist Physician Faculty Award to support her research investigation on injury and violence prevention in our schools.
• USC Department of Pediatrics Faculty Development Award

Sajjad Yacoob, MD

• USC Department of Pediatrics Faculty Development Award

National Key Committees

Robert Adler, MD

• Chair, California Lead Screening Committee, (American Academy of Pediatrics-DHS) Executive Committee
• Vice District Chair, District IX, American Academy of Pediatrics

Cecily Betz, PhD

• Member, Nursing Task Force on Healthy People 2010, Division of Services for Children with Special Health Needs, Maternal Child Health Bureau, Health Resources Services Administration

Chana Hiranaka, MA, OTR

• President, Association of Asian-Pacific Occupational Therapists

Eyal Ben-Isaacs, MD

• Executive Board Member, Los Angeles Pediatric Society

Robert Jacobs, MD

• Appointed by former Governor Pete Wilson to the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD);
• Chair, Planning and Program Development Committee, SCDD;
• Member, Executive Committee, SCDD
• Member, Western Law Center for Disability Rights; and Co-Chair, Board Development Committee
• Chair, CCS and Disabilities Committee, American Academy of Pediatrics, Chapter II.

Cary Bujold Kreutzer, MPH, RD

• Chair, Dissemination Committee, Community Education Director’s Council, American Association of University Affiliated Programs

Mary Ann Limbos, MD

• Chair, Committee on Injury and Poisoning Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics, Chapter II

Marie Kanne Poulsen, MD

• Appointed by former Governor Pete Wilson to the State Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) on Early Intervention

Yvonne Sininger, MD

• Executive Director, Southern California Hearing Coordination Center (CA DHS)

Kathryn Smith, MD

• Chair, Program Services Committee, Los Angeles March of Dimes

Barbara Wheeler, MD

• Appointed by President Clinton to the President’s Committee on Mental Retardation (1994-2000)

Offices Held

Cecily Betz, PhD

• Co-Chairperson, Expert Panel on Children and Families, American Academy of Nursing, American Nurses Association

Editorships and Associate Editorships

Cecily Betz, PhD

• Executive Editor, Journal of Pediatric Nursing: Nursing Care of Children and Families

Publications

Number of articles 32
Number of book chapters published 16
Number of books published 1
Number of abstracts published 4

Community Outreach Programs

M.A. Limbos, MD

• Consultant, Clinical Interventions
  American Academy of Pediatrics, Chapter II, Injury and poisoning prevention
• Consultant/Research
  Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD)
  Prevention research

MK Poulsen, MD

• Facilitator of Think Tank and Workgroup, Principal author, Developed policy
  California Child Development Policy Advisory Committee, Report: Perinatal Substance Abuse: What’s Best for Children
  Report pending: Policy Issues Related to Early Experience & Brain Development
• Chair of State Workgroup, Model developed
  California Interagency Coordinating Council on Early Intervention
  Early Start Personnel Model

Robert Adler, MD

• Consultant/Ongoing, Clinical intervention
  California Department of Health Services
  Lead prevention project
  Immunization project

R. Jacobs, MD and A. Bissada, MD

• In Press
  California Victims of Crime Task Force
  Standards of Care Task Force, Standards of Care Guidelines

A. Harris, MD and C. Hiranaka, MA, OTR

• Consultant and Clinical intervention
  Kern and Central Valley Regional Center
  Telemedicine Feeding Clinic assessment/ treatment of children in rural areas with feeding problems

M. Baer, MD, A. Yaari, MD and MK Poulsen, MD

• Evaluation Research and Report developed
  Assessment of consumers (ages 4-17) to identify medical, nutritional, dental, and behavioral problems
  Lanterman Regional Center Los Angeles

M. Baer, MD, C. Kreutzer, MPH, RD, A. Harris, MD and A. Warner, MD

• Model developed/ implemented, dissemination of model statewide/national
  Los Angeles County, CCS Program
• Model for providing nutrition services in CCS Medical Therapy Programs

E. Ben-Isaac, M.D.

• Consultant/Liaison
  Los Angeles County Department of Health Services
  Lead issues

R. Jacobs, MD, C. Kreutzer, MPH, RD, MK Poulsen, MD and C. Wong, MD

• Consultant
  Develop/implement countywide annual foster parent workshop
  Los Angeles County Department of Social Services, Foster Care Program

BY Wheeler, MD

• Consultant, Develop implementation plan
  Los Angeles Unified School District and Protection & Advocacy, Inc.
  Consent decree to bring Los Angeles into compliance with special education law

R. Jacobs, MD

• Established PDF Cycle XXIV Funding Priorities
  CA State Council on Developmental Disabilities
  PPD Committee Chair; State Plan 2001-03; State Plan Revision 2002-06

A. Kibele, MD

• Curriculum designed
  University of Utah, Department of Occupational Therapy
  Comprehensive Pediatric Occupational Therapy Curriculum

Community Resources Available to Youth

Parents Heart Association
Los Angeles

Planning for Your Child’s Future
Camp Family, Fun & Friendship
Epilepsy Foundation

Health Aide Training Program
Cecily Betz, Nancy O’Hair, Margaret Petrosa, Michelle Barnes, Jennifer Tubbs, Audrienne and Mary Lopez
5th Annual Cal-APSE Conference
California Association for persons in Supported Employment
Palm Desert

Panel Discussion Goal 6: Transition to Adult Care, Work and Independence
Panel Discussant
Achieving Success for All Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs
Tri-Regional Workshop 2001
Scottsdale, AZ

Reflections on the Pediatric Nursing Literature
Pediatric Nursing Editorial Board
Irvine, California

Conference Coordinator, Building Bridges Together: Promoting the Transition of Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs to Adulthood
Pasadena Convention Center

Providing Transition Services to Adolescents with Special Health Care Needs
Los Angeles County California Children Services

Forecasting the Future from the Past: A Global Look at the State of the Art and Science in the Pediatric/Pediatric Nursing Literature
Veronica Feeg, Cecily L. Betz, Judith Hunter, Hau Yee Kuan, Inger Hallstrom, Linda Shields
International Council of Nurses
ICN 22nd Quadrennial Congress
Copenhagen, Denmark

Promoting the Transition of Adolescents who are Medically Complex or Technology Dependent
Ken-Crest Conference
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Employment Roundtable Results: Summary Report of April 2000 Workplan For Achieving Council State Plan Objective SC #3 Through IA With East San Gabriel Valley Regional Occupational Program Council Meeting, California State Council on Developmental Disabilities Oakland

Institutional Collaborations

Audiology

• House Ear Institute
• Communication Disorders
• California State University, Northridge, Department of Communication Disorders and Sciences

Dentistry

• University of Southern California, School of Dentistry

Education

• University of Southern California, School of Education
• California State University, Northridge, Department of Special Education
• California State University, Dominguez Hills, Department of Special Education

Health Administration

• University of Southern California, School of Policy, Planning, and Development
• UCLA School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences

Health Education

• UCLA School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences

Law

• Western Law Center for Disability Rights, Loyola Law School

Nursing

• University of Southern California, Department of Nursing

Nutrition

• UCLA School of Public Health, Department of Community Health Sciences
  California State University, Northridge, Department of Family and Environmental Sciences
• University of Southern California, Department of Preventive Medicine/Public Health Program, Internship accredited by American Dietetic Association

Occupational Therapy

• University of Southern California, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy

Pediatrics

• University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine

Physical Therapy

• University of Southern California, Department of Physical Therapy

Psychiatry

• University of Southern California, Department of Psychiatry

Psychology

• University of Southern California, Department of Psychology, California School of Professional Psychology
• Pepperdine University, Internship accredited by American Psychological Association

Social Work

• University of Southern California, School of Social Work