CONTENTS
It starts with a
A letter from a fellow questioner at Children ’ s Hospital Colorado
Dear colleagues ,
A few weeks ago , I was participating in a town hall promoting COVID vaccines within the Black community when someone asked me , “ Why should the Black community trust these vaccines ?” I answered honestly : I personally feel that , for the Black community , there are very valid reasons to distrust this process .
As researchers , we face a conundrum . We know that medical research in this country has historically centered on white men . We know it ’ s not representing everyone we serve . And the research that has focused on people of color has frequently been exploitative . We have a lot of work to do around trust .
I ’ m privileged to help lead Children ’ s Hospital Colorado ’ s efforts in diversity , health equity and inclusion . As part of that mission , we ’ re bolstering the data we need to understand our population demographics : race , ethnicity and preferred language . Only through measuring disparity can we intervene and drive real and sustainable change .
When we served as the largest global trial site for Pfizer ’ s COVID vaccine in children ages 5 to 11 — a massive effort that enrolled 250 kids in just 10 days — our priority was to make sure we were representing our community , not only in terms of race and language , but also ability and neurodiversity ( see “ Shaping the Protocol ” on p . 7 ).
I firmly believe our COVID vaccines are safe and effective in children of all races and ethnicities . And as I stood before that town hall audience a few weeks ago , I said that too . But it ’ ll take more than just saying it .
When we take on the mantle of medicine , we make a promise : First , do no harm . As care providers , we have not lived up to that promise . As long as members of our communities remain disenfranchised , ignored or underserved , we ’ ve failed to do our job .
Contents
ON THE COVER
07
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Shaping the Protocol
FEATURES
04
HEMATOLOGY
A Fantastic Voyage
16
FETAL CARE
Master Sequence
19
IMMUNOLOGY
Generating Answers
21
HEMATOLOGY / ONCOLOGY
Building Basics
OUTCOMES
14
CARDIOLOGY
What the Team Says is Broken
COVID-19 NEWS
10
CARDIOLOGY
The Case for Two
13
ORTHOPEDICS
Decoding COVID Fracture Patterns
20
PULMONOLOGY
Setting a New Standard
SHORT ANSWER
03
GASTROENTEROLOGY & RADIOLOGY
Hot Button Issue
03
CHILD LIFE
Gaming the System
ACCOLADES
22
A (:) List
I believe we can do it — and not just for future generations . If we do this work , I truly believe we can make an impact here and now .
I hope you ’ ll join me .
Best regards ,
LALIT BAJAJ , MD , MPH / MSPH
Chief Quality and Outcomes Officer , Children ’ s Hospital Colorado
Professor , Pediatrics-Emergency Medicine , University of Colorado School of Medicine
2 | CHILDREN ’ S HOSPITAL COLORADO
For a digital version of this publication visit : childrenscolorado . org / Qmagazine
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