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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 June 18, 2019 press release.

• Cancer (#46)
• Diabetes/Endocrinology (#21)
• Neonatology (#16)
• Nephrology (#39)
• Orthopedics (#29
• Urology (#26)

The 13th 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. 

UI Stead Family Children's Hospital and the UI 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:

• Faculty Research Profiles
• Researchers in the News

Clinical Rotations

The Division of Allergy/Immunology and Pulmonary as well as Cystic Fibrosis Center care for the inpatient and outpatient needs of infants and children referred to us both internally as well as from the entire Midwest and beyond. In addition to the Cystic Fibrosis program, fellows care for children with Asthma, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia, Chronic Respiratory Insufficiency and Technology Dependence, and Sleep Disorders. In addition, infants and children with a wide variety of pulmonary diseases and breathing disorders are followed by the fellows.

An interdisciplinary team that includes personnel from Internal Medicine, Nursing, Nutrition, Social Work, Respiratory Therapy, and Physical Therapy provides comprehensive patient care. All CF patients are reviewed and discussed during a weekly interdisciplinary team meeting. While rotating on the inpatient service, the fellow is responsible for the care of all patients admitted onto the pulmonary service on the general wards and in the intensive care units of the hospital. Rounds are made daily with a designated inpatient faculty member, at which time the plan of care is reviewed.

On the outpatient rotation, the fellow sees new patients referred to the office, technology-dependent infants and children, acutely ill pulmonary patients for sick visits, and those patients followed by the Fellow in continuity. All office visits are precipitated by division faculty.

Diagnostic evaluation of inpatients and outpatients is supported by a well-equipped flexible bronchoscopy facility, as well as state-of-the-art pulmonary function testing and sleep disorders laboratories which comprehensively serve to assess lung function and respiratory nocturnal disorders in infants and older children. The pulmonary function laboratories include tests of routine pulmonary function, infant pulmonary function, ventilatory control, exercise-related breathing disorders, and bronchial reactivity.

Fellows are taught the indications for and techniques to perform flexible bronchoscopy and learn how to administer and interpret standard and infant pulmonary function tests, bronchial challenges and sleep studies.

Research Rotation

Each fellow is expected to complete a research project, in which the trainee researches a topic, and develops a hypothesis and the experimental method to test that hypothesis. The research may be basic research, or clinical, patient-oriented research. The fellow is expected to conduct the appropriate experiments, present the results at a national meeting, and write a manuscript to be submitted to a peer-reviewed journal for publication.

1. Core Curriculum Lecture Series: Monthly lectures provided by faculty focusing on board review topics which are interactive, occurring during the designated education time. Others have been developed into case-based learning modules to foster self-directed learning. The American Board of Pediatric board content specifications are covered in this series.
    
2. Journal Club: Monthly presentation presented by fellows to faculty with the objectives of learning how to formulate a clinical question, learning techniques on searching the medical literature efficiently, learning how to efficiently read a journal article, critically appraising a variety of journal articles.
    
3. M&M Case Conference: Quarterly presentation by fellow to faculty, designed to examine, via case presentation, an example based on experience, current literature and evidence-based medicine. Topics can include, but are not limited to, those involving current practice guidelines, clinical or hospital practice, pathology and histology, medical-legal issues, ethical issues, or advocacy.
    
4. Pediatric Departmental Fellow Conference: Weekly sessions focusing on topics that might be more suited to group discussion outside of the traditional didactic format, such as burnout, the impaired physician, and/or dealing with difficult patients. Supplemental curricular tools, articles, book discussions, and self-assessments, may be utilized.
    
5. Frontiers in Pediatric Research: Weekly state-of-the-art research science presentations by faculty and guest speakers.
    
6. Pediatrics Grand Rounds: Weekly state-of-the-art clinical science presentations by faculty and guest speakers.
    
7. The program funds each fellow’s completion of the Pediatric Flexible Bronchoscopy Postgraduate Course: Principles and Practice of Flexible Bronchoscopy in Pediatric Patients, held at Cincinnati Children’s. More information can be found here.

University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital

The new, approximately $360 million, 507,000-square-foot University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital facility opened in February 2017. Adjacent to University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, the 14-level structure (12 above ground, 2 below ground) has 183 beds and eight pediatric operating rooms as well as features that focus on the needs of patients and their families.

PICU

Our 28-bed Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and Pediatric Cardiac Intensive Care Unit (PCICU) is the only comprehensive health care center in Iowa that offers the full range of pediatric critical care therapies. We have the people, the expertise, the experience, and the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to provide the highest level of care for a wide range of complex, and sometimes rapidly changing, medical problems.

NICU

Our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the only NICU in Iowa to have a Level IV designation, which is the highest level recognized by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This means that we care for the tiniest and most critically ill babies, offering the greatest range of neonatal services and support. The state-of-the-art NICU houses up to 81 critically ill newborns, all in single rooms with four larger rooms that will accommodate twins. The unit is equipped with the latest equipment and staffed by a large team of highly trained nurses and other staff. A laboratory within the NICU provides around-the-clock service.

Iowa River Landing

Our clinic at Iowa River Landing is a short 2.5 miles from the main hospital campus.  The facility is equipped with laboratory and radiology services, as well as an outpatient pharmacy.

Patients and their families enjoy the ease of access with its location right off I-80. Many pediatric subspecialties as well as pediatric providers of other specialties also have clinics at IRL. This allows us to collaborate with these providers when needed and coordinate care for our more complex patient populations.

The Stead Family Department of Pediatrics faculty members are internationally known for their excellence and leadership in biomedical research. In 2016, the Carver College of Medicine received $229 million in research funding, including $105 million from the NIH, ranking it 18th in the nation among public medical schools. Four University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine departments rank in the top 20 among the nation's 125 medical schools in terms of National Institutes of Health funding. Carver College of Medicine faculty have been awarded approximately half of the University's total research funding and more than 80 percent of its National Institutes of Health funding.

All fellows in pulmonary medicine will select a research mentor and participate in a project of their choosing. In addition to the opportunities to interact with faculty members of the Pediatric Pulmonary Division, there are many opportunities within the College of Medicine and the University to support projects.

Research activities are a primary focus of the second and third years of fellowship training. Underlying our research training program is an integrated research program in CF and related pulmonary disorders, which is supported by Center grants from the NIH and the CF Foundation, as well as a pool of R01 grants to participating investigators. This research training program includes potential mentors from several departments, most of them experienced and federally-funded. Faculty members within the division lead the CF Foundation funded Therapeutics Development Center network Center, which conducts multicenter clinical research projects.

The Center for Gene Therapy of Cystic Fibrosis and other Genetic Diseases is a multidisciplinary NIH funded Center for basic and translational studies. The Iowa Center for Gene Therapy, established in 1998 through joint funding by NIH/NIDDK and the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is one of three such centers in the United States. The overriding goal is to promote research and training on gene therapy approaches for treating cystic fibrosis and other devastating inherited diseases. The center focuses on serving as a resource to facilitate interdisciplinary interactions between diverse basic and clinical science research laboratories, and provides a forum for impromptu and formal exchanges of information and ideas.

Extensive research facilities are in buildings adjacent to the hospitals and clinics. There is a federally funded Clinical Research Center that is extensively utilized for patient oriented translational research.

• Call is never in-house and occurs every third night and every third weekend and home call is always with the supervisory consult service of faculty.
• Fellows are granted educational funds for books, equipment, travel, or training materials.
• One fellow is accepted each year with a total of 3 fellows within the program at a time.
• The faculty within the division includes 7 pulmonologists and 2 allergy/immunologists.
• Benefits include competitive stipends, comprehensive medical, dental, hospitalization and pharmacy benefits for fellows and their dependents as well as 3 weeks annual paid time off.

Why choose the University of Iowa?

The University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics Pediatric Pulmonology Program is a fellow-centered program with a strong emphasis on achieving balance between clinical training, research and didactic conferences. The program provides exposure to a broad array of clinical conditions that ranges from common pulmonary diseases to highly specialized multidisciplinary care of rare disorders. Our Pulmonary Division is consistently ranked as one of the best programs in the country by U.S. News & World Report.

Where is Iowa City?

Iowa City is 220 miles directly west of Chicago on Interstate 80. It's also within a 4-5 hour drive to Milwaukee, Madison, Minneapolis, Omaha, Kansas City and St. Louis. It has the cultural, educational, social and political opportunities of a bigger city with the values and ambiance of a Midwestern town. Its clean, safe, nothing is farther than a 15 minute car ride, it has a robust public transportation system, dedication to bicycling, wonderful parks, sports, schools and even sailing. Those who have lived here and left, frequently return because what they were looking for was in their own back yard. But we're not the only ones who think Iowa City is great:

• University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital is the only is the only nationally ranked children's hospital in Iowa
• No. 9 "Best Small Places for Business and Careers" (Forbes, 2016)
• No. 44 out of 201 on best performing small cities list ("Milken Institute," December 2016)
• No. 4 "21 Super Cool US Cities" (Expedia Viewfinder, 2017)
• Iowa City is one of the safest and best-educated communities in the country
• Iowa  City has outstanding public and private schools
• Iowa City has low housing costs (less than $150/square foot)
• We have a vibrant performing arts scene, eclectic restaurants, and the cultural amenities of a diverse, cosmopolitan area without the high cost of living, crime, and traffic of a large city
• Iowa City is located within 4 hours driving distance to three other large metropolitan areas

How ethnically diverse are the patients?

Like a lot of university towns, we have a large international community. Growing cultural diversity is another reason Iowa City is an interesting place to live. Diversity is embraced and celebrated with city and university events, festivals, clubs and programs. The University works hard to recruit and retain minorities with its affirmative action policies. About 13% of Iowa citizens are non-white as are almost 13% of the patients seen in our pediatric clinic.

What is the weather like in Iowa City?

For about two weeks every winter it's very cold and windy and for two weeks every summer it's really hot and humid. The rest of the time it's pretty nice. We have a lot of sunny days even in winter-166 per year. Our average snowfall is 28", average rainfall is 35", average temperature in the summer is 72.6 and in the winter, 23.7.

What is there to do in Iowa City when you're not working?

There are 15 different festivals and art fairs, plus concerts and race events. There are many music venues, sports events and neighborhood street fairs and garden walks. We also have a really big mall and several smaller ones, 41 parks, 9 golf courses, 6 public tennis courts, 6 public pools, some lakes and a reservoir with trails, camping & boating. There are bike trails, some famous bookstores, a ton of galleries and excellent museums. There are half a dozen or more performing arts venues including Hancher Auditorium. There's always something going on. Find more information from the Iowa City/Coralville Convention and Visitors Bureau.

What's Iowa City like for kids and families?

There's ice skating, bowling, organized sports, 50 public parks, miniature golf, a great public library, a toy library, fun centers, swimming pools and 3 beaches, 9 museums including a children's museum, dance companies and public recreation centers that feature many activities for kids and families at little or no cost. We also have 20 movie screens and 50-licensed daycare providers. The Iowa City schools are perennially ranked among the top schools in the nation. Iowa City is unique in the facilities and services available for individuals with disabilities. Many families who have a family member with a disability are reluctant to leave Iowa City because they cannot duplicate those services in another location.

Are there any job opportunities for my spouse/significant other?

Yes, in June 2016, Iowa City had an average of 3.2% unemployment. Also check out The University of Iowa's Dual Career Services.

Is there sufficient patient volume so that I can have multiple exposures to a variety of diseases?

With 5,400 annual inpatient pediatric admissions and over 218,000 outpatient encounters you will see plenty of the most common illnesses and trauma that children experience. Our clinical practice serves the general pediatric health care needs of the local community and the subspecialty needs of the region. Our department receives referrals for specialized services from neighboring states as well.

Patients are referred from across the nation for certain specialized pediatric treatments and services, such as bone marrow transplantation, pediatric cardiology, otolaryngology, neurosurgery and orthopedics. In addition, we conduct clinics in other cities and towns throughout Iowa. Our patients represent all pediatric age groups and all socioeconomic strata and they present with virtually all acute and chronic conditions.

How will I identify a research mentor and project?

University of Iowa is a very strong research institution with basic translational and clinical research. During the first few months of fellowship, fellow meet with several clinical and basic science investigators who have ongoing projects that match their own interests. Should a fellow enter the program with a strong background in research or an identified project, a mentor with similar interests will be identified. A strong mentor-fellow relationship is imperative to success in research. Fellows have access to collaborative opportunities of the Lung Biology and Cystic Fibrosis Research Center within the Pappajohn Biomedical Institute.

Will I have protected time to perform a research project and meet board eligibility requirements?

Research blocks are protected time. Fellows attend their weekly half day outpatient clinic and educational conferences. All other activities should be dedicated to research.

“Disease knows no geographic boundaries, it is essential to ensure that we continue to foster, rather than impede, scientific cooperation with physicians and researchers of all nationalities, as we strive to keep our country healthy” - AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO Darrell G. Kirch, MD

Our commitment to this idea reflects in our criteria for candidacy, which is outlined below:

• Graduate from one of the following:
  • United States or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
  • United States college of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
  • medical school outside the United States or Canada with:
    • a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and have a passing score for Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE,
    • be a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident, or hold a visa which provides eligibility to work in the U.S. Typical visas are J-1 (requires Steps 1 and 2 of USMLE and ECFMG certification) and H1-B (requires departmental approval, and Steps 1, 2 and 3 of USMLE, and an Iowa medical license)
• Meet Iowa Board of Medicine licensure requirements

Medical specialty certification in the United States is a voluntary process which serves multiple purposes for the trainee and the public.

Certification is

• One mission of the training program to produce trainees who meet board eligibility criteria
• Distinguishes a physician as someone with a distinct level of expertise
• Provides more opportunities when applying for employment
• Presents resources and tools by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
• A commitment to life-long improvement for providing the best patient care
• 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.

Pediatric Pulmonary is a July Application Cycle specialty. Applicants may begin applying and programs begin receiving applications starting in July. Interviews will take place from August - October with the match ranking beginning in October. The deadline for rank order is in November, with the match day occurring in December for the following year July start date.

Please visit ERAS  for more information.

Christoph Randak, MD
2007-2009

Medical School: Julius-Maximilians-University of Würzburg
Residency: Ludwig-Maximilians-University
Research Interests: 
Structure and molecular function of the "cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator" (CFTR) and other ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters

Carrie Barker, MD, PhD
2008-2011

Medical School: University of Iowa
Residency: University of Wisconsin
Research Interests:
Morphologic Differences in Cystic Fibrosis and Non-Cystic Fibrosis
Porcine Fetal Lung

Anthony Fischer, MD, PhD 
2012-2015
 
Medical School:  University of Iowa, MD, PhD, 2009
Residency: Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, 2009- 2012
Honors: General Academic Pediatrics Primary Care Award, A. Vincent Londino Senior Resident Teaching Award.
Research Interests: Innate host defense systems of the respiratory epithelium, including oxidative defense, mucus production, and ciliary transport.
Clinical Interests: Cystic Fibrosis, asthma, mechanical ventilation, and exercise physiology.
Funding Support:Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, Second Year Clinical Fellowship. 
Publications:
1. Stephen G. Hummel, Anthony J. Fischer, Sean M. Martin, Freya Q. Schafer, and Garry R. Buettner. 2005. Nitric Oxide as a Cellular Antioxidant: A little goes a long way. Free Radical Biology and Medicine Feb 1;40(3):501-6. Epub 2005 Nov 15.
Jennifer A. Bartlett, Anthony J. Fischer, and Paul B. McCray Jr. 2007. The role of the airway epithelium in innate immunity. (Book Chapter) 
2. Anthony J. Fischer, Kelli L. Goss, Todd E. Scheetz, Christine L. Wohlford-Lenane, Jeanne M. Snyder, Paul B. McCray Jr. 2009. Differential gene expression in human conducting airway surface epithelia and submucosal glands. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2009 Feb;40(2):189-99. Epub 2008 Aug 14
3. Anthony J. Fischer, Nicholas J. Lennemann, Sateesh Krishnamurthy, Péter Pócza, Lakshmi Durairaj, Janice L. Launspach, Bethany A. Rhein, Christine Wohlford-Lenane, Daniel Lorentzen, Botond Bánfi, and Paul B. McCray Jr. 2011. Enhancement of respiratory mucosal antiviral defenses by the oxidation of iodide. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2011 Oct;45(4):874-81. Epub 2011 Mar 25.

Alexandra Iannone, DO 
(2014-2017)

Medical School:  Des Moines University, 2011 
Residency: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2011- 2014
Research Interests:
Growth and IGF-1 in Infants with Cystic Fibrosis

Nour Akil, MD
(2016-2017)

Medical School: American University of Beirut, 2008-2012
Residency: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 2013- 2016
Research Interest:
Staphylococcus Aureus Attachment to Mucus in Cystic Fibrosis Airways

Scott Sheets, DO
Director, Pulmonology Fellowship
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatric Pulmonary
Director, Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship Program
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive, E110 GH
Iowa City, IA  52242
Phone: 1-319-356-2522
Email: scott-sheets@uiowa.edu 

Theodosia Thoma, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatric Pulmonary
Associate Fellowship Director, Pediatric Pulmonary Fellowship Program
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
200 Hawkins Drive, E110 GH
Iowa City, IA  52242
Phone: 1-319-356-2522
Email: theodosia-thoma@uiowa.edu

Eva Tsalikian, MD

Chair and Department Executive Officer

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 neurology. All clinical faculty participate in resident training, clinical practice, and research.

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