Vanderbilt’s pediatric center earns CF Foundation honor
University's hospital for children receives Outstanding Care Center Partnership Award
The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has honored the Pediatric Cystic Fibrosis Diagnosis and Treatment Center at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt University with its 2023 Outstanding Care Center Partnership Award.
The annual award is in recognition of the collaborations and commitment of the Nashville, Tennessee, center to the local cystic fibrosis (CF) community. It is intended to recognize the foundation’s certified care centers that have gone the extra mile in collaborating with area foundation chapters.
In addition to local collaborative efforts, award criteria include care team engagement with foundation chapter programs as well as its involvement with chapter staff in center-led initiatives. Recipients also must maintain a positive relationship with the CF Foundation, which supports a broad range of CF research initiatives.
The CF Foundation has a nationwide network of more than 130 care centers it accredits and helps fund that provides comprehensive expert care and specialized disease management in CF, a genetic disorder that produces abnormally thick and sticky mucus. It can cause serious lung infections and other wide-ranging symptoms that may affect multiple organs.
These centers also participate in clinical research and help educate their healthcare professionals about CF and the care required to help patients achieve and maintain optimal health. To keep their accreditation, each center is subject to an annual review and periodic re-accreditation to ensure consistent provision of top-shelf care.
The Monroe Carell center’s care team comprises experts from across the hospital, including nurses, CF-specific dietitians, physical and respiratory therapists, pharmacists, and a mental health coordinator and social worker. It includes specialists in pediatric pulmonology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, and ear, nose, and throat care. It also offers diagnostic services and a full range of tests and treatments.
CF Foundation award ‘means everything to our team’
“Having our Cystic Fibrosis Center selected as a recipient for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s Outstanding Care Center Partnership Award means everything to our team,” Rebekah Brown, MD, associate professor of pediatrics and the center’s director, said in a press release.
“Our work with the local CF Foundation chapter furthers our mission to improve the lives of children and their families affected by CF. Through collaboration with the local chapter, we have been able to participate in fundraisers like the Great Strides Walk and Rhythm and Roses as well as develop educational outreach webinars for families and the multistate Family Education Day, which includes families from Tennessee and Mississippi,” she added.
The award was announced in November at the CF Foundation’s annual North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference, which brings together scientists, clinicians, and caregivers globally to discuss the latest advances in CF care and research.
“Collaboration with our local CF Foundation chapter has allowed us to expand our reach outside of the hospital walls,” said Paul Moore, MD, director of Monroe Carell’s division of pediatric allergy, immunology and pulmonary medicine.
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