UCSF Children's Hospital Ranks Top in State
In pediatric care, UCSF Children's Hospital is No. 11, making it the highest-ranked pediatric center in California, according to the "America's Best Hospitals" ranking by U.S. News & World Report. This year, UCSF Medical Center moved up a spot to tie at sixth.

UCSF to Benefit from Children's Hospital Bond Measure
UC officials are heartened by voter approval of Proposition 61, the children's hospital bond measure, that authorizes $750 million in general obligation bonds for grants to children's hospitals. Each of the five UC children's hospitals are eligible for $30 million, which adds up to 20 percent of total funding from the proposition.

Institute of Medicine Elects Six UCSF Faculty
Dr. Philip D. Darney, an obstetrician and gynecologist, and Nancy S. Padian, director of international research for the AIDS Research Institute and associate director of research for Global Health Sciences -- both professors of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at UCSF -- were elected in October to the Institute of Medicine, along with four UCSF colleagues.

Welcome to the first issue of UCSF Children's Hospital News

This newsletter, to be published in the fall and spring, provides research and clinical news from UCSF Children's Hospital to physicians throughout the region.

More than 90 percent of major structural heart defects can be detected in the fetus via ultrasound screening. Currently, however, doctors who do routine prenatal screening find less than 20 percent of these defects. "That means that basic fetal ultrasound screening is not sufficient," says Dr. Lisa Hornberger, director of the Fetal Cardiovascular Program at UCSF Children's Hospital. Hornberger is working to improve ultrasound screening in order to increase the detection of fetal heart defects.

Dr. Kevin Shannon and his colleagues receive blood and bone marrow samples from doctors and parents all over the world who want to know if he can tell them why their child has leukemia. For 18 years, Shannon has been searching for the pieces of genetic machinery that go awry and give rise to myeloid leukemia, and every case offers the possibility of finding something new.

Clinicians and researchers at UCSF have established a clinic for patients have a family history of multiple neoplasias and congenital anomalies such as musculoskeletal anomalies and minor cardiac defects. Clinic services include a comprehensive evaluation, including a dysmorphology examination of the proband and family, genetic counseling and follow-up services.

Forty years ago at UCSF, a new concept was officially born -- a unit dedicated to monitoring and treating the sickest babies. UCSF's intensive care unit, now called the William H. Tooley Intensive Care Nursery (ICN), was one of the first of its kind. Over the years, the ICN at UCSF Children's Hospital and similar units worldwide have contributed to the survival and well-being of hundreds of thousands of sick and premature infants.

The intestinal tract is naturally exposed to more bacteria, including pathogens, than any other tissue in the body. But unlike the skin, which also is exposed to microbes, the bowel provides a warm, moist environment and is made of permeable tissue to allow the passage of water and nutrients. As a result, the bowel wall or lining has a smoldering, low-level inflammatory response to keep these organisms in check. Problems begin when this inflammatory response runs out of control, causing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

UCSF is known worldwide for pioneering the use of laparoscopic surgery in the womb, both on the fetus and, in the case of twin-twin transfusion syndrome, the placenta. The institution also has pioneered many minimally invasive techniques for other, more common pediatric procedures.

UCSF Children's Hospital is using child-sized robots and videoconferencing technology to connect young hospital patients, who are unable to attend school, with their hometown classrooms. The system is called PEBBLES, which stands for "Providing Education by Bringing Learning Environments to Students." Read more about this story at www.ucsfhealth.org/pebbles.

A new pediatric heart clinic in Walnut Creek and a multi-specialty pediatric clinic in Greenbrae have joined the more than 60 outreach clinics across Northern California operated by UCSF Medical Center and UCSF Children's Hospital.

See information on upcoming continuing medical education courses.

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