Welcome and thank you for your interest in our Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM) fellowship program.
Our program seeks to operate under the following ethos to ensure you have an exceptional training experience
As a fellow physician, you play a key role in managing patients, spending time on both of our daytime teams as well as getting valuable experience in various electives. Our clinical unit is a 28-bed combined medical/surgical and congenital cardiac unit within University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital. As a regional quaternary referral center, we serve a large swatch of the rural Midwest. Our unit cares for an astounding variety of "bread-and-butter" patients as well as fascinating patients with rare disorders or illnesses. We are a level 1 peidatric trauma center and our ECMO program is one of only approximately 30 around the world to achieve an ELSO "Platinum" distinction.
Associate program director Shilpa Balikai, DO, leads our robust educational curriculum.
Curriculum highlights inluce:
Your clinical education will be supplemented by a weekly clinical conference to discuss current patients, a practice that allows us to support our colleagues on service and learn from our patients collectively. Additionally, our fellows benefit from multidisciplinary sessions ranging from department-wide fellow curriculum to PICU and cardiac morbidity and mortality (M&M) sessions that frequently attract faculty from pediatric and adult divisions.
The University of Iowa is a Tier-1 research institution in the Big Ten Academic Alliance. The UI Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine enjoyed $295 million in external research funding in FY 2022, evidence of the broad support and collaboration in research endeavors that our fellows enjoy. Beth Newell, MD, is an NIH-funded physician scientist and our research director. She ensures you develop the skills to ask hypothesis-driven questions and have the tools to answer those questions.
When you graduate from our program, you can expect to be well-trained to continue your career as a successful board-certified pediatric intensivist. Our three-year program promises you the curriculum and clinical PICU experience to prepare you for board examination. You will be ready for clinical practice in any setting you pursue.
You are more than a physician and we know our clinical and educational goals are best met when our teams and their individuals are healthy. We know you will commit a significant amount of time to your clinical training, research, and education. That commitment, particularly in our field, can be mentally taxing and the other stressors of life do not magically disappear. That is why we articulate health and welbeing as priorities.
In the hospital you will be asked to do hard things, as we all are, but we strive to enjoy the company and camaraderie of colleagues while doing challenging work. We support others and celebrate their successes. Our entire faculty are committed to helping you be the best version of yourself both here and beyond. We are committed to your health, balance, and overall wellness outside of work and emphasize the importance of personally rewarding experiences with friends, family, and colleagues.
As you evaluate our program, explore all Iowa City has to offer, including affordable living, cultural diversity, and The Hawkeye Wave.
We look forward to the opportunity to work with you. Welcome to Iowa!
Regards,
Cody Tigges, DO, FAAP
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
UI Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Iowa City, IA
Shilpa Balikai, DO
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
UI Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Iowa City, IA
The new, free-standing University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital was opened in 2017 and is a state-of the-art facility. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit was the 2018 recipient of the prestigious ICU Design Citation Award from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the American Institute of Architects. The UI Stead Family Children’s Hospital is considered one of the Best Children’s Hospitals by the U.S. News & World Report and has multiple sub-specialties ranked annually.
The University of Iowa PICU Fellowship Program has been fully accredited since 2002. The program is accredited for 6 fellows (two per year). The University of Iowa is unique in that it has a rich history of excellence in clinical care, research and education but it is a true Midwestern environment (collegial, collaborative, and connected).
Winner of 2018 ICU Design Citation Award presented to University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital Pediatric Intensive Care Unit from the Society of Critical Care Medicine, American Association of Critical Care Nurses, and the American Institute of Architects.
University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the only children’s hospital in Iowa nationally ranked for pediatric care by U.S. News and World Report. Read our June 21, 2023 news release.
The annual Best Children’s Hospitals rankings recognize the top 50 pediatric facilities across the U.S. in 10 pediatric specialties: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and lung surgery, and urology.
University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital and the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics are recognized nationally for a number of achievements.
Pediatric researchers at the University of Iowa have a long history of breakthrough discoveries in both the clinical and laboratory setting. Meet members of our research team:
The University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital is the only comprehensive health care center in Iowa offering the full range of Pediatric Critical Care (ECMO, VAD, CRRT). Unique to Iowa, our 28-bed unit includes the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and the Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU), both led by our faculty and fellows, and is a Level 1 Trauma Center.
The 36-month curriculum is divided into approximately 18 months of clinical rotations and 18 months of research. Each rotation is 2-4 weeks in duration.
Our unit operates as a PICU team and a CVICU team during the daytime, but one combined team at night. This allows fellows additional exposure to high-acuity patients throughout the year. Fellows do a night float rotation Monday – Friday but still take 24 hour call intermittently on weekends.
Our fellows serve as medical control for all admissions to the PICU. This is an excellent opportunity to learn how to establish effective communication with outside providers to ensure patients are cared for and transferred safely. While first years are heavily supervised during their initial rotations, the majority of transport/admission calls are managed by second and third fellows independently.
Elective opportunities include rotations in or with the cath lab, echocardiography suite, burn unit, cardiothoracic surgery, PICC line/procedure, bronchoscopy, or additional research time.
“Iowa’s PICU is a busy, high acuity program with cardiac patients, ECMO and trauma. I loved the relationships I built with patients and families, the breadth and depth of complex pathophysiology I learned to treat, the top-notch people I got to work with every day and the resources of the pediatric hospital within a large medical campus. The experience I gained at Iowa prepared me so well to lead both a large academic ICU team and a smaller community ICU team. I learned to care for sick kids and their families with expertise and compassion.” Paige Volk, MD (PICU Fellow 2003-2006)
“The training at Iowa is second to none. In addition, the PICU fellowship team is committed to the health and well-being of the trainees. Life happens to doctors, too. It matters that you train in a place where people care for you and want the very best for you. I had that at Iowa and I know that remains the core value of the program.” Paige Volk, MD (PICU Fellow 2003-2006)
“Ten years after graduating from my fellowship the words of advice and wisdom of the incredible faculty who trained me still echo in my head as I’ve cared for patients in both the PICU and CICU at Texas Children’s Hospital. I am grateful for the amazing teaching I received and hope to do the same for my trainees.” Gwen Erkonen, MD (PICU Fellow 2007-2010)
“I’m so thankful for my training at the University of Iowa. At Iowa, I got to practice big city medicine in an affordable, fun and extremely livable small city. The training I received prepared me very well for the transition to the role of attending in a busy mixed cardiac/general PICU. The attendings are great people and great doctors. I learned not just how to treat critical illness but how to truly care for patients and families.” Mike Van Dyke, MD (PICU Fellow 2012-2015)
“My fellowship at UIowa was an incredible experience. I had the opportunity to care for children with a wide variety of illnesses and illness severity while learning from the best! The gradual autonomy given over the course of my training helped prepare me for the transition to attending physician.” Ashley Sandeen, DO (PICU Fellow 2013-2016)
“I love the Iowa PICU Program!
- Warm and friendly learning environment with mixed bread and butter diseases and rare diagnoses
- Endless research opportunities.”
Weerapong Lilitwat, MD (PICU Fellow 2016-2019)
“I feel that our PICU fellowship at Iowa is vastly underrated. I have had a great experience in training with excellent divisional role models and mentors, variety of clinical cases and acuity, and good clinical volume. Our center is big enough to see it all yet not too big where one becomes lost in a sea of trainees.” Mitchell Luangrath, MD (PICU Fellow 2017-2020)
Educational ConferencesThe University of Iowa Stead Family Department of Pediatrics has a centralized Pediatric Core Curriculum for all pediatric subspecialty fellows which includes weekly topics such as responsible conduct of research, research ownership and authorship, teaching at the bedside, quality improvement research, and wellness. This is also the forum where fellows present their scholarly work products for review. Included in this is a separate Reflective Practice and Leadership for first year fellows to discuss challenging scenarios in medicine.
The Pediatric Critical Care Fellowship has the following conferences:
Weekly PICU Clinical Conference
Faculty, fellows and nurse practitioners discuss the current cases in the PICU and PCICU. Discussion focuses on challenging cases, difficult management decisions, and a brief update on progress of patients.
Pediatric Cardiology/CT Surgery Conference
Faculty, fellows and nurse practitioners on service in the PCICU attend the joint weekly conference to discuss the upcoming surgical cases for the week. Patients are also presented for consideration of surgery or to review their clinical course and explore alternate options for challenging cases.
PICU Morbidity and Mortality
This faculty mentored/fellow-led multidisciplinary monthly conference reviews the morbidities and mortalities in the PICU focusing on practice-based medicine, patient safety, and areas for system-wide improvement.
Pediatric Cardiac Morbidity and Mortality
This faculty-mentored/fellow-led monthly conference is shared by PICU and Cardiology. Fellows present the morbidities and mortalities focusing on practice-based medicine, patient safety, and areas for system-wide improvement.
Pediatric Trauma Multi-D Meeting
This monthly meeting is led by Pediatric Surgery and reviews the pediatric trauma patients. The purpose of this meeting is to focus on practice-based medicine, patient safety, and areas for system-wide improvement.
PICU Core Curriculum
This conference is a weekly educational conference on the core principles and foundations of pediatric critical care medicine. Sessions are a mix of faculty-led and fellow-led topics.
Journal Club
This faculty-mentored/fellow-led conference is where we review a recent or highly relevant critical care/cardiac critical care journal. Fellows review the articles based on PICO guidelines for systemic review.
Evidence-Based Medicine Conference
This faculty-mentored/fellow-led conference reviews a series of articles related to patient management. Topics are chosen by fellows based on recent clinical questions and reviewed based on level of evidence.
Pediatric Grand Rounds
Weekly lectures for Department of Pediatrics staff on a variety of topics.
Frontiers in Pediatric Research
Lecture series highlighting advances in pediatric research. This series includes work by international and national leaders in research.
PICU Pearls
Monthly sessions on topics such as career development, work-life balance, wellness and quality improvement.
Fellows are also able to attend a vast variety of lectures/seminars through the Carver College of Medicine, Iowa’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, and various departments throughout the hospital.
The Stead Family Department of Pediatrics has a long, distinguished history of excellence in scientific discovery and a strong tradition of pediatric research. Furthermore, we have a long-standing commitment to train future leaders in areas of clinical, basic and translational research. The research enterprise of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine garnered $232.2 million in external funding in 2019, ranking 34th by U.S. News & World Reports. Over the past 15 years, the Stead Family Department of Pediatrics has been highly ranked for its NIH funding, when compared with pediatric departments of medical schools across the United States. The University of Iowa’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Science through its NIH-support is able to provide services to support child health research in multiple ways including assisting in grant preparation, biostatistical analysis, and database management.
Specific interests within our division include: traumatic brain injury, hemodynamic monitoring in sepsis, patient safety with specific emphasis on studying the diagnostic process in critical care environments, pathogenesis of acquired heart defects, cardiac arrest management, simulation, curriculum development, outreach education, acute lung injury management, and extracorporeal therapies.
Recent scholarly work projects from graduating fellows include:
View a full list of our Pediatric faculty research profiles.
Prior to Starting Fellowship |
Brainstorming - use experience in Residency to identify areas of interest for fellowship |
Year 1 |
|
|
Months 1-4 |
Thought funneling, initial meetings with potential mentors |
|
Months 5-7 |
Formation of Scholarly Oversight Committee |
|
Months 8-12 |
Development of the primary research project |
Year 2 |
|
Year 3 |
|
No, all of our fellowship positions are funded through the Department of Pediatrics. However, fellows are eligible for funding through a National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 Training grant through the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center.
We have one 3-year clinical track with a focus on clinical care, research and/or education. A fellow and their scholarly oversight committee (SOC) will continuously reevaluate progress and goals to refine learning experiences. The SOC is assembled by the fellow and consists of the fellow’s primary research mentor(s) and senior faculty members with expertise relevant to the fellow’s career interests. At least one member of the SOC is from a different clinical division, which provides additional career perspective.
We have the opportunity of a 2-year fellowship for those who have already completed a Pediatric Subspecialty. This track will be more focused on clinical care provided the research requirement has been fulfilled by the previous pediatric fellowship.
University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital is Iowa's only comprehensive children's hospital. We have 190 pediatric beds and 28 PICU beds, with approximately 15,000 admissions per year. Our first children's hospital opened in 1919, and our beautiful new facility was opened in 2017. Last year, we cared for children from all of Iowa's 99 counties as well as 45 states and 20 countries.
We provide care for the majority of pediatric endocrine patients in Iowa, and our catchment area also includes a significant portion of Missouri, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Nebraska. Our patients come from diverse backgrounds in terms of SES, race, and ethnicity, providing a rich clinical and social experience. Our 28-bed PICU cares for both medical-surgical patients as well as the congenital heart population for the catchment area. We are the only level-1 pediatric trauma center in the state and the state’s only pediatric transplant center for solid organ and BMT patients. Our consultative services include the whole range of pediatric subspecialties and surgical specialties.
Yes. Each fellow is provided funds to travel to at least one conference through the division. Fellows are also encouraged and support to apply for other travel grants to attend additional conferences. Funding may potentially be provided through a mentor’s lab if a poster is accepted for presentation. All first-year fellows will also be fully funded to attend the national PICU Bootcamp.
Yes! Our simulation program varies from active in-situ PICU simulations of acute events, vascular access simulations, ECMO simulations, and transport call simulations to delivering bad news simulations with standardized patients. We also participate in the first year fellow Bootcamp through CHOP for incoming first years. We are starting a series of simulations with standardized patients that address topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion this year which we are very excited about!
Yes, in your senior years there is time for electives. Elective options include: PICC line training, Echo-lab, Cath-lab, Burn Unit, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and ECMO to name a few. Fellows choose their area of interest and electives are created from there.
Our Faculty-led board review occurs every three months in our core curriculum requiring fellow participation. In addition to that our core curriculum is designed to address all the ABP-board content over a period of 18 months, which gets then gets repeated and adjusted over the years to account for ABP updates in board content.
Yes, we will offer the option of completing a master’s program through the University of Iowa. Candidates will have a separate application process to qualify for funding through the GME office. The expectation is that the master’s program will fulfill all of the requirements set forth by the American Board of Pediatrics for research. These will be continually evaluated by mentors within the masters programs as well as within the division through your scholarship oversight committee.
Iowa City has a small town feel but all of the amenities of a big city. Our visitors are always amazed at what a hidden gem we have here, and we'd love to show and tell you about it. Whether you prefer arts, history, music, outdoor activities, Big10 college sports, farm-table restaurants, or even craft breweries, you will find something to love about Iowa City.
Our program participates in the NRMP Subspecialty Matching Service, as part of the Pediatric Specialties Fall Match (PSFM). Please visit the NRMP PSFM website for information about current fellowship application and match dates. Because fellowship funding is primarily derived from federal training grants, we preferentially consider applications from U.S. citizens or green card holders. Foreign medical graduates who have an ECFMG certificate may also apply.
Application Materials Needed:
A 2-year fellowship application may be possible for specific candidates. Please contact the Program Director to discuss if you are interested.
Direct program-related questions to:
Cody Tigges, DO, FAAP
Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program
Associate Professor of Pediatrics-Critical Care
Phone: 319-353-7122
Email: cody-tigges@uiowa.edu
Shilpa Balikai, DO
Director, Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Program
Associate Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Phone: 1-319-467-8561
Email: shilpa-balikai@uiowa.edu
Tima Kenjar
Critical Care Fellowship Program Coordinator
Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-467-8561
Email: fatima-kenjar@uiowa.edu
Medical specialty certification in the United States is a voluntary process which serves multiple purposes for the trainee and the public.
One mission of our training program is to produce trainees who meet board eligibility criteria for Pediatric Critical Care. Board certification distinguishes a physician as someone with a distinct level of expertise, provides more opportunities when applying for employment, presents resources and tools by the ABMS, and elevates physicians into the ranks of doctors committed to the highest standards of healthcare.
For more information visit the American Board of Pediatrics for specifics on board certification requirements.
We interview approximately 10 candidates for each available position. Our interview season begins early September and continues through the end of October. Our program participates in the NRMP Subspecialty Matching Service, as part of the Pediatric Specialties Fall Match (PSFM). Please visit the NRMP PSFM website for information about current fellowship application and match dates. Incoming fellows must be available to start training on July 1st and must be licensed to practice by the State of Iowa by June 30th.
Once your application materials have been received through ERAS and reviewed, our program director will contact you to invite you for an interview. Due to our call and conference schedules, we prefer a Tuesday or Thursday interview date, but will be flexible with applicant schedules.
Due to COVID-19 we will be conducting all interviews virtually.
During your interview you will have the opportunity to talk individually with Pediatric Critical Care faculty and fellows. If there are additional UIHC faculty members and/or research mentors with whom you would like to meet, we are glad to arrange for you to meet with them.
Please click on the link below to view our Pediatric Critical Care faculty profiles.
Medical School: Theni Government Medical College, Theni, India
Residency: BronxCare Health System, Bronx, NY
Current Location: Pediatric Cardiac Critical Care Fellowship, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Medical School: Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine of Midwestern University, Chicago, IL
Residency: Saint Louis University, St. Louis, MO
Current Location: Children's Mercy - Kansas City, Kansas City, MO
Medical School: New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Residency: Spectrum Health/MSU Pediatrics Residency Program at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI
Current Location: University of Rochester, Golisano Children's Hospital, Division of Pediatric Critical Care, Rochester, NY
Medical School: Osmania Medical College, Telangana, Hyderabad, India
Residency: St. John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI
Medical School: Government Medical College, Bhavnagar, India
Residency: Harlem Hospital affiliated with Columbia University, New York, NY
Medical School: Universidade Gama Filho, Faculdade de Medicina, Rio de Janeiro
Residency: Metropolitan Hospital Center, NY
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX
Medical School: Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College, Salem, India
Residency: Bronx Lebanon Hospital Center, NY
Current Location: Senior Fellowship, Cardiac Intensive Care, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
Medical School: Sri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences, Indore, India
Residency: The Unterberg Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center, Drexel University, Long Branch, NJ
Current Location: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Critical Care, Dayton Children's Hospital, Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dayton, OH
Medical School: University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wis.
Residency: University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics, Madison, Wis.
Current Location: Clinical Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Medical School: State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, New York
Residency: North Shore LIJ, New York
Chief Resident: North Shore LIJ, New York
Fellowship: Pediatric Cardiology, University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA (2014-2017)
Current Location: Sutter Health PICU, Sacramento, CA
Medical School: Siriraj Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Bangkok
Residency: The Unterberg Children's Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center/Drexel University, Long Branch, NJ
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Texas Tech Medical Center; Lubbock, TX
Medical School: University of Ghana Medical School, Accra, Ghana
Residency: Hurley Medical Center, Flint, MI
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Texas Tech Medical Center; Lubbock, TX
Medical School: Minot State University, Minot, N.D.
Residency: University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, IA
katharine-robb@uiowa.edu
Medical School: University of Iowa, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, Iowa
Residency: University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Assistant Professor, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA *Completed 1 year CVICU/ECMO fellowship at Great Ormond Street, London, UK
Medical School: Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Kolar, India
Residency: Flushing Hospital Medical Center, Flushing, NY
Current Location: Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, IA
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM), Erie, PA
Residency: University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Assistant Professor, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, SD
Medical School: B.J. Medical College, Ahmedabad, India
Residency: Lincoln Medical Center, New York
Current Location: Assistant Professor, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
*Completed 1 year CVICU fellowship at CHOP Medical Director, PICU
Medical School: Pikeville College, School of Osteopathic Medicine, Pikeville, KY
Residency: University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Medical Director, PICU, Providence Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, Spokane, WA
Medical School: Midwestern University, Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Downers Grove, IL
Residency: University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Assistant Professor, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, TX
*Completed 1 year CVICU fellowship at UTSW
Medical School: Allama Iqbal Medical College Lahore (AIMC), University of Health Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
Residency: Lincoln Medical Centre, New York
Current Location: HCA Houston Healthcare, Clear Lake, TX
Medical School: University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Associate Professor, University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine, Sioux Falls, SD Associate Program Director, Peds Residency Program
Medical School: Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru, India
Residency: State University of New York, Stony Brook, NY
Current Location: Medical Director, PICU, Presbyterian Healthcare Services, Albuquerque, NM
Medical School: Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Kansas City, MO
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Associate Professor, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA; Program Director, PICU Fellowship
Medical School: Southern Illinois University, School of Medicine, Springfield, IL
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Assistant Professor, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, Dallas, TX
Medical School: Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
Residency: Children’s Hospital of Hudson County, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine, NY
Current Location: Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
Medical School: University of Iowa, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI
Current Location: K’Ima: W Medical Center, Hoopa, CA
Medical School: University of Iowa, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Medical Director, PICU, Providence Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Portland, OR
Medical School: University of Iowa, Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA
Residency: Pediatrics, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Current Location: Associate Professor, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Medical Director, PICU, Plano, TX
Welcome to the University of Iowa's Stead Family Children's Hospital. We are proud to showcase our extraordinary clinical care, dedication to the education of students and young physicians, and our world-class research programs.
Our comprehensive medical, surgical, and nursing services span the full spectrum of pediatric care. The consistently high rankings we receive on national and international benchmarks attest to the exceptional quality of care we provide. With more than 127,000 annual outpatient visits and more than 10,000 admissions to the 165 beds at University of Iowa's Stead Family Children's Hospital, we draw patients regionally, nationally, and internationally. Our commitment to family-centered care and our outstanding facilities have been praised for their innovative and patient-friendly design.
We are dedicated to excellence in the education of medical students, residents, and fellows, as reflected by a competency-based curriculum that is designed to provide practitioners with comprehensive knowledge and outstanding skills. The clinical and research efforts of trainees are closely mentored and nurtured. Our graduates move on to successful careers in clinical practice and academic pediatrics.
From genomics to cancer biology, from clinical trials to outcomes research, the department consistently ranks among the top National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded Pediatric Departments nationally. Our faculty and staff are engaged in cutting edge basic science and patient-oriented research in our unwavering quest to improve the health and well-being of all children.
We have a diverse faculty with wide-ranging clinical and research interests. Many are internationally known and have been in the department for many years. We also have bright young faculty who bring new interests and enthusiasm to the practice and teaching of pediatric critical care. All clinical faculty participate in Fellow training, clinical practice, and research.
Sarah Haskell, DO
Division Chief
Aditya Badheka, MBBS, MS
Medical Director
Cody Tigges, DO, FAAP
Fellowship Program Director
Shilpa Balikai, DO, MSEd
Associate Fellowship Program Director
Kari Wellnitz, MD
Transport Director
Jodi Bloxham
Susan Connolly
Heather Elmore
Katelin Hildreth
Danielle Hodge
Tricia Michna
Brittany Pechous
Megan VanderPloeg
Taryn Wisor
Casie Wagner
Jennifer Erdahl (Nurse Manager)
Lindsay Fayram (Assistant Nurse Manager)
Nicole Artioli (Assistant Nurse Manager)
Paula Levette
Mandi Houston
Cody Tigges, DO, FAAP
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship
UI Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
Phone: 319-353-7122
Email: cody-tigges@uiowa.edu
Shilpa Balikai, DO
Director, Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Program
Associate Program Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Phone: 319-356-2203
Email: shilpa-balikai@uiowa.edu
Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, Oklahoma City, OK
Residency: University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Arkansas Children’s, Little Rock, AR
Scholarly Work: Evaluation of ECMO watch program at University of Iowa PICU
QI Project: TBD
Medical School: Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – Middletown, NY
Residency: University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE
Scholarly Work: Improving code status discussions
QI Project: TBD
Medical School: Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences, Yakima, WA
Residency: University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
Scholarly Work: Use of functional NIRS to determine effectiveness of reading intervention versus standard care for PICU patients
QI Project: TBD
Medical School: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Residency: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Scholarly Work: TBD
QI Project: TBD
Medical School: Des Moines University School of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Blank Children's Hospital, Des Moines, IA
Scholarly Work: TBD
QI Project: TBD
Medical School: University of Nevada School of Medicine
Residency: University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children's Hospital, Iowa City, IA
Scholarly Work: TBD
QI Project: TBD
An annual event that includes all faculty, fellows, nurse practitioners, and administrative support
A call-free night for all fellows prior to the Fellow’s Retreat. Social event planned by fellows.
A retreat organized by the Department of Pediatrics for all subspecialty fellows
An annual event sponsored by the PICU faculty and the Caring Club for the entire Pediatric Critical Care Team (faculty, fellows, NPs, nurses, RTs, social work, admin, etc).
End of the year celebrating for outgoing fellows to wish congratulate them and wish them luck in future endeavors
An annual graduation dinner and ceremony for pediatric residents and fellows
Cody Tigges, DO, FAAP
Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics-Critical Care
Phone: 319-353-7122
Email: cody-tigges@uiowa.edu
Shilpa Balikai, DO
Associate Director, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program
Director, Pediatric Critical Care Simulation Program
Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Phone: 1-319-467-8561
Email: shilpa-balikai@uiowa.edu
Brittany Allendorf
Critical Care Fellowship Program Coordinator
Stead Family Department of Pediatrics
200 Hawkins Drive
Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone: 319-356-1615
Email: brittany-allendorf@uiowa.edu