Pediatrics Home

With immense gratitude, the Pediatric Department thanks Dr. Ildy Katona for her leadership, dedication, stewardship and vision over the last 23 years of service as the Chair. Her steadfast direction resonates throughout the country in the thousands of lives she has touched through mentorship, education and opportunity. The Pediatric Department embodies the impact of research, academic and clinical skills on both military and pediatric medicine and will continue to be the academic home for every ally of every uniformed pediatrician. As the leadership transitions, we will continue to serve the needs of our students, families, staff, faculty and scientist both in the National Capital Area and across every location connected to military pediatrics nationally and internationally. As we continue forward we realize that the privilege of caring for military families in times of peace and during conflicts is both an honor and a calling that very few people have answered, so we will continue to exemplify the values of our University, the Uniformed Services and our Nation.

Mission

The Department of Pediatrics of the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences is committed to excellence in pediatric medicine and to the promotion of child health during peace and war. The mission of the department encompasses the areas of education, patient care, research, and community service, and includes the following objectives:

• To provide pediatric education to medical students, residents, subspecialty fellows, practicing pediatricians and other healthcare providers using the latest resources and learning methods.
• To provide medical care for children and serve as advocates for military dependent children and families.
• To provide the academic environment and resources for faculty and trainees to conduct basic and clinical research in pediatrics and in medical education.
• To teach operational pediatrics, with special emphasis on international humanitarian services, to the uniformed medical community and to enable the healthcare workers to minister to the children of the world under adverse conditions.

Vision

• The Department of Pediatrics will excel as an academic center for the teaching of pediatrics.
• The Department will be an educational resource to the uniformed pediatrician.
• The Department will provide healthcare for children within the unique context of military families and community.
• The Department will be the uniformed services leader in basic and clinical research in pediatrics and medical education.
• The Department will develop a center for research that will foster excellence in the basic and clinical sciences as they relate to the health of children.

The Department will support the education of the uniformed pediatrician and other primary healthcare providers in international humanitarian services, with consideration of the social, cultural, and epidemiologic aspects of health and disease.

Goals

• The Department of Pediatrics will maintain a standardized, interactive pediatric curriculum for medical students and oversee the administration of this curriculum at the local and distant teaching sites.
• The Department will support the military pediatric residency programs with formal didactic activities and clinically oriented teaching.
• The Department will oversee pediatric subspecialty training that exceeds national standards and ensures board certification upon completion of the training.
• The Department will participate in the training of the nurse practitioner students with group instruction and clinical teaching activities.
• The Department will ensure that all educational programs exceed both national standards and the medical readiness requirements of the Department of Defense.
• The Department will be a leading Continuing Medical Education (CME) resource for the uniformed services by conducting and supporting local and national courses, enhancing the skills and knowledge base of the practicing pediatric provider.
• The Department will provide direct care to patients and families and worldwide consultation services to the practicing pediatrician and other providers of care to children.
• The Department will excel in research in pediatric health maintenance, the pathophysiology of childhood diseases and foster interdisciplinary research programs.
• The Department will excel in research in pediatric medical education, develop and disseminate innovations in medical education, and collaborate with educators in other fields.
• The Department will continue to teach the Military Medical Humanitarian Assistance Course, training uniformed pediatricians and other primary care providers in the appropriate medical response to humanitarian crises, and will champion the significant role of the pediatrician in the mission requirements of the uniformed services.
• The Department will support the collection and dissemination of information on issues of environmental health, international health and travel medicine.
• The Department will encourage a team-based, customer-focused working environment, advocate individual responsibility and pride in ownership at all levels and reward the contributions of each member.
• The Department will promote the integration of the uniformed services pediatric medical community through communication across service and geographic boundaries and mutual collaboration.
• The Department will attract medical students to join the pediatric profession through excellence in teaching and mentoring by the faculty, and will foster the development of future pediatric leaders.