The Department of Pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis has named pediatricians Jason Newland, MD, and Cassandra “Casey” M. Pruitt, MD, to the newly created roles of vice chair of community health and strategic planning, and vice chair of outpatient health, respectively. The physicians treat patients at St. Louis Children’s Hospital.
A professor of pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Newland aims to use his new role as vice chair of community health and strategic planning to help strengthen collaborations with pediatricians practicing in the St. Louis region whose patients may benefit from Washington University’s specialized medical services. Newland also will build upon relationships between the Department of Pediatrics and St. Louis Children’s Hospital to improve and continue to develop collaborations to better serve children throughout Missouri and Illinois. For example, during the pandemic, Newland and colleagues maintained a listserv and provided educational webinars to aid pediatric clinicians in managing the rapidly emerging and changing information related to COVID-19. Efforts such as these will be continued and expanded to other areas of pediatrics.
Newland has been leading COVID-19 research efforts evaluating the rate of community transmissions in schools, the impact of routine school-based SARS-CoV-2 testing, and the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for children. He also has spearheaded the development of national guidelines for treating children with severe COVID-19.
Newland is co-founder of the Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship Collaborative, comprised of more than 70 children’s hospitals and focused on establishing best practices for the use of antimicrobials in hospitalized children.
A professor of pediatrics in the Division of Academic Pediatrics, Pruitt’s new role as vice chair of outpatient health has positioned her as medical director for Washington University’s pediatric subspecialty clinical spaces. These include Memorial Hospital Shiloh in Illinois, Northwest HealthCare in Florissant and the Children’s Specialty Care Centers in west and south St. Louis County. She aims to work alongside outpatient clinical teams to improve the overall experience for patients and their families. This includes leveraging technology to enhance clinical workflows, and partnering with pediatric faculty and St. Louis Children’s leadership to improve services offered at all jointly operated facilities, including the Children’s Specialty Care Centers.
Pruitt has worked as a pediatric hospitalist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and as medical director for pediatrics at Progress West Hospital. In 2019, Pruitt created the Complex Care Clinic at Washington University to serve children with complicated medical conditions. She has been a leader for quality improvement projects with the American Academy of Pediatrics and the BJC HealthCare’s Center for Clinical Excellence.
Additionally, Pruitt has been involved in residency and faculty development, leading efforts to establish an educational curriculum for the medical school’s pediatric hospitalist medicine division. She also serves as associate program director for the St. Louis Children’s Hospital/Washington University pediatric residency program, with an emphasis on primary care training and the outpatient practice experience.
“Drs. Pruitt and Newland are national leaders in their fields who exemplify the highest level of professional expertise and dedication as well as remarkable leadership skills,” said Gary A. Silverman, MD, PhD, the Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor and head of the Department of Pediatrics. “Washington University will benefit greatly from their contributions.”
The newly created roles expand upon those initiated by Mark E. Lowe, MD, PhD, the Harvey R. Colten Professor of Pediatric Science. Lowe was the Department of Pediatrics’ vice chair of clinical affairs and strategic planning before his recent appointment as interim vice chancellor for research at Washington University and interim associate dean for research at the School of Medicine.
About Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis:
Washington University School of Medicine is committed to advancing human health in a culture that supports diversity, inclusion, critical thinking and creativity. As international leaders in patient care, research and education, our outstanding faculty has contributed major discoveries and innovations in the fields of science and clinical medicine since the school’s founding in 1891.
A robust research enterprise, the School of Medicine received more than $762.3 million in faculty grants and contracts during the 2021 fiscal year. Their faculty, staff and students advance the application of research discoveries to clinical care through multidisciplinary collaborations.
About Jason Newland, MD:
Dr. Newland focuses on the appropriate use of antimicrobials in all settings, including both human and animal health. His primary research focus has been in the dissemination and implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs for hospitalized children. He is the founder and leader of the SHaring Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship (SHARPS) national collaborative of over 50 children’s hospitals across the United States. Additionally, he is involved with implementing strategies to improve antibiotic use in the ambulatory setting. His advocacy work has been in promoting appropriate antibiotic use in the agriculture industry.
About Casandra Pruitt, MD:
Dr. Cassandra M. Pruitt is a pediatrician in Saint Louis, Missouri. She received her medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at Lubbock and has been in practice for more than 20 years. She has specialized in the care of children who are medically complex, providing a medical home for her patients from birth to adolescence.
Sources:
News: https://medicine.wustl.edu/news/department-of-pediatrics-names-2-new-vice-chairs/
School: https://medicine.wustl.edu/about/
Jason Newland, MD: https://publichealth.wustl.edu/people/jason-g-newland/
Cassandra Pruitt, MD: https://physicians.wustl.edu/items/cassandra-pruitt-md/