The KU Wichita Pediatrics research division provides expertise and support for faculty and resident research endeavors. Faculty and residents can consult the division to help hone research questions, design effective studies, engage university resources and disseminate their findings. Pediatric residents, with the help of faculty mentors and the research division, are required to complete a research project during their three-year residency.
Together, with the clinical investigators at KU Wichita Pediatrics, the research division produces high-quality research from our inpatient units, ambulatory clinic and community partners.
Past Activities
Research
- Testing the use of text messaging immunization reminders
- Using tools and events to promote infant safe sleep
- Exploring mothers' ideas about birth spacing
- Understanding personality types among children with ADHD
- Improving the handoff of care as youth with special health care needs become adults
- Assessing parents' plans to use the patient portal
- Measuring visit length for pediatric patients
Quality Improvement
- Decreasing time for bilirubin lab results
- Increasing vaccine uptake
- Earlier and improved management of asthma
- Early literacy promotion
- Fluoride supplementation
- Acute asthma management with dexamethasone
Awards
- Resident Award Winner, 28th Annual Research Forum at KU School of Medicine-Wichita - Dr. Pavithra Saikumar
- Jayhawker, M.D., Resident Award from KUSM-W medical students - Dr. Josh Umscheid
- Top poster at the resident Wesley Quality Improvement Symposium - Drs. Kayla Johnson, Mercedes Ryan, Kirsten Bjorkman, Megan Williams and faculty mentor Dr. Natalie Sollo
- Health Care Hero Award - Dr. Sid Sivamurthy
- Volunteer Leadership Award from National Children's Alliance - Dr. Katherine Melhorn
- Medical Leadership Education Award from Down Syndrome Society - Dr. Shobana Kubendran
- Kansas Infant Death & SIDS (KIDS) Network Collaborators Award - Drs. Zak Kuhlmann and Stephanie Kuhlmann, and Cari Schmidt