UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES

opportunities at brown

The Brown University/Hasbro Children’s Hospital Pediatric Residency Program is committed to providing the resources and mentorship to those who are interested in research, community service, quality improvement projects and advocacy. Our residents present at regional and national conferences, publish major articles and create sustainable community service organizations aimed at helping the local underserved communities. Residents have also been recipients of the competitive American Academy of Pediatrics CATCH grant with many of the projects resulting in positive changes in the lives of our patients and many other awards that recognize their involvement in advancing the field of medicine.

COMMUNITY SERVICE AND ADVOCACY

During their training, many of our residents engage in community service projects that broaden their experiences and interactions with the local community. Many of our residents apply for and receive AAP CATCH grants that have made a significant impact on the community. One example is TEACH, or Teens Empowered to Advocate for Community Health, is a partnership organization empowering and equipping teens with public health knowledge to be advocates in their own community.

Every year, the American Academy of Pediatrics offers their Community Access to Child Health (CATCH) grants to residents to implement community based child health initiatives. Our program is proud to have been the recipients of these competitive grants over the last decade and have created sustainable program that advance access to health in our local communities. 

We provide a required 1-month rotation early in the intern year during which residents, working in groups, learn advocacy skills, gain a better understanding of social determinants of health and of some of the challenges faced by families in Providence. They explore the communities, learn about resources and are introduced to a myriad of community organizations. Together, residents will design projects that address specific issues that come to light during the rotation.

The Fostering Health Program was established to address obstacles to health care experienced by Rhode Island’s children in foster, kinship and congregate care. As a component of Hasbro Children’s Hospital’s primary care services, the Fostering Health Program is committed to providing timely, comprehensive, family- centered services as well as ongoing trauma informed primary care. We work closely with community partners including caseworkers from Department of Children Youth and Families (DCYF), foster families, biological parents, group homes, mental, behavior and developmental providers as well as schools. The team consists of Colleen Deems, MSN CPNP, a pediatric nurse practitioner, Carol Lewis, MD, a pediatrician and a Laurie-Ann Sepe, LPN, a nurse health coordinator. Residents have the opportunity to participate in the program and provide ongoing trauma informed primary care for the children in their continuity clinic with the support of the team’s care coordination.

Hasbro Children’s Hospital Refugee Health Program is scheduled each month to provide evaluation and screening for Rhode Island’s refugee children. We provide their initial comprehensive evaluation and treatment within 1 month of their arrival in the United States. We welcome families from all over the world, most recently from Burundi, Iraq, Iran, Eritrea, Congo, Liberia, Bhutan, Nepal, and Burma/Myanmar. In addition, we are committed to the ongoing primary care of these children. We strive to create a medical home for the children that is culturally appropriate, patient-centered, collaborative and continuous.

Our families speak over 20 languages such as Kirundi, Krahn, Kunama, Karen, Chin, Tigrinya, Swahili, Arabic, Nepali and others. We partner with the interpreters who provide not only linguistic interpretation, but function as Community Health Workers who educate families as well as the providers who care for these children.  Our other community partners include the International Institute of Rhode Island, Rhode Island Department of Health, St Joseph’s Pediatric Dental Residency Program, Brown University Department of Psychology. These collaborations allow us to provide more comprehensive services to our refugee patients.

Carol Lewis is the Director of the Refugee Health Program. Residents are invited to participate in the refugee clinic with the initial comprehensive evaluations for newly arrived refugee children, subsequent follow up and ongoing primary care in their own continuity clinic. In this way the resident is allowed the opportunity to provide care during the entire resettlement process and provide a medical home to address their unique needs.

global health at brown

Curriculum in International Child Health

The goal of this experience is to understand general principles related to health of children in developing countries and how these principles apply to underserved populations in the United States. This 2-year curriculum will begin as a PGY-2. Interested residents will apply into the curriculum at the end of their PGY-1 year.

Global Health Educator: Tanya Rogo, MD. trogo@lifespan.org

Curriculum in International Child Health

BRIGHT Pathway for Global Health

The Brown Residency International and Global Health Training (BRIGHT) pathway is the global health track for those interested in furthering their interest in global health. During their second year of training, residents in the categorical pediatrics, Med-Peds or Triple Board programs can apply for this track. Residents who complete this training will receive a certificate in global health at the end of their training. This track includes online modules, quarterly meetings, journal clubs and a capstone project on a global health topic. For pediatrics and Med-Peds, the advisors include Mike Koster, MD (pediatric hospitalist/infectious disease) and Natasha Rybak, MD (Combined adult and pediatric infectious disease). Dr. Rybak is also one of the original resident founders of this group when she was a resident. For those who are interested, an application will be sent out during the second semester of the academic year. For more information, please refer to the BRIGHT pathway website

Away Rotations

Brown residents will receive call free electives during their training which can be used towards rotations in another country. Residents in the past have gone all over the world including Cambodia, Haiti, South Africa, Spain, Kenya, Argentina, and Paraguay. Depending on particular interests, each of these locations will provide a different experience for the learner. Mike Koster, MD, one of the pediatric hospitalists, has done a lot of work in Haiti and can help work with residents who are interested in doing a rotation there. Residents who go abroad will then share their experiences in a morning report. While away from campus, the hospital will continue to pay their salary.

cribsiders podcast

Cribsiders logo

Residents have the unique opportunity to participate in the pediatric podcast “The Cribsiders” produced by our very own Justin Berk, MD, MPH, MBA (Med-Peds Faculty, Hospitalist Attending) on various pediatric topics. To learn more visit: https://thecurbsiders.com/thecribsiders