Authors: Ashley Speller
A three-part series featuring the medical directors at OBCC focused on integrating care and building community together

Kari Ann Sims, DDS, MSD
This is part two of a three-part series. Last week, Dr. Kenisha Campbell was featured. Next week, On the Pulse introduces Dr. Christen Manangan.
When Dr. Kari Sims walks through the clinic doors of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) everyday, she’s inspired by the patients and staff.
“I knew OBCC was a special place,” Dr. Sims said. “I was thrilled to have the opportunity to stay at OBCC after residency.”
Dr. Sims joined OBCC as a University of Washington pediatric dental resident and later came on board as a per diem dentist in 2014. She was appointed the dental director of OBCC in 2019 as the new Othello clinic location was taking root. From vision boards to seeing the doors open for the first time, Dr. Sims viewed it as a tremendous gift to be a part of the project and help make an impact on how the clinic would come to fruition.
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Authors: Madison Joseph

Seattle Children’s Research Institute: Building Cure/ Photograph: Paul Dudley
On Thursday, September 8, 2022, Building Cure was lit up in honor of National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.
As part of the celebration, Seattle Children’s Foundation and Guild Association hosted an event at the space to recognize and thank donors who support pediatric cancer care and research. It was also an opportunity for supporters to meet, engage, and hear updates from Seattle Children’s cancer leaders on the care and research progress we have made, and plans for the upcoming year.
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Authors: Casey Egan

Eric Tham, MD, MS
Seattle Children’s has appointed Dr. Eric Tham as its new senior vice president and chief research operations officer. Tham will focus on research administration, finance, operations and continue broader research leadership, effective immediately. Since 2021, Tham has served as interim senior vice president of Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
“I’m excited to help guide the research division as it continues to grow and tackle big questions around improving child health and health equity,” said Tham. “I look forward to continuing to work with Seattle Children’s leadership to help steer the research division into its next chapter.”
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Authors: Casey Egan

Beginning today, Seattle Children’s is offering the new Pfizer COVID-19 bivalent vaccine booster. It will be available to patients, community members and workforce members.
We will begin offering the new bivalent Moderna vaccine booster later this week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends the updated COVID-19 boosters from Pfizer-BioNTech for people ages 12 years and older and from Moderna for people ages 18 years and older.
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Authors: Ashley Speller
A three-part series featuring the medical directors at OBCC focused on integrating care and building community together

Kenisha Natalie Campbell, MD
This is part one of a three-part series. Next week, meet Dr. Kari Sims and Dr. Christen Manangan.
Dr. Kenisha Campbell is the medical director of Clinical Operations at Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) and is one of the three leaders dedicated to providing equitable pediatric care to current and future generations.
As medical director of OBCC’s two locations in the Central District and Othello Square, Dr. Campbell is passionate about improving the standard of care and quality of life of the broader community, especially vulnerable populations.
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Authors: Ashley Speller

Parents often find themselves with countless questions about tantrums. What are they? Is this normal? When will my toddler grow out of this? How should I respond? To help provide guidance, Dr. Mollie Grow, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s, discusses what caregivers should understand about toddler tantrums and addresses some of the most common misconceptions.
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Authors: Ashley Speller

Shaquita L Bell, MD of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic
Dr. Shaquita Bell, Senior Medical Director of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), has been awarded 2022 Physician of the Year by the Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) for her longstanding commitment to the individual and collective health of Indigenous and multi-racial children and impact within her community.
The distinguished award was presented to Dr. Bell ahead of the AAIP’s Annual Meeting and National Health Conference which brings together healthcare professionals, policy makers and community tribal members to discuss the pressing health concerns of American Indian/Alaska Natives across the nation.
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Authors: Katie Scaff and Ashley Speller

Melvin Smith (second from the left) works around the clock to develop IT’s workforce of the future. By day, he leads the hospital desktop team, and by night, he teaches Health IT classes at Seattle Colleges
When Information Technology (IT) supervisor Melvin Smith first joined Seattle Children’s as an administrative fellow in 2018, he never imagined where he’d be today.
“I have always worked in environments where I was either the youngest or the only individual from my community group,” Smith explained.
He also knows what it’s like to be ‘othered’ and understands the power of a great mentor.
“I built the foundation of my career around not liking disparities,” he explained. “From my experiences with internships, fellowships and getting my first job, I always took the approach that I want to be the person I wish I had.”
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Authors: Ashley Speller

Children between the age of 6 months and 4 years old are now eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. For families who have long awaited the opportunity to vaccinate this age group, it’s a sigh of relief.
“It provides another layer of protection that we have been seeking for a long time now,” parent Michael Bamshad told KOMO news while attending Seattle Children’s vaccine clinic with his 4-year-old daughter Marlowe. “Everyone else has had the opportunity to get vaccinated and now it’s time for kids under five.”
For other parents with babies and toddlers, many are wondering what side effects to look out for with smaller children who cannot yet verbalize how they feel post-shot.
To help answer the most common vaccine questions, Dr. Surabhi (Sara) Vora, an Associate Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and an Infectious Disease Physician at Seattle Children’s and Dr. Janet Englund, a Professor of Pediatrics and Infectious Disease Specialist at Seattle Children’s shared some expert insight.
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Authors: Ashley Speller

Dr. Abby R. Rosenberg, director of the Palliative Care and Resilience lab at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Dr. Abby R. Rosenberg, director of the Palliative Care and Resilience (PCAR) lab at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute (SCRI); an associate professor of pediatric hematology/oncology at the University of Washington (UW); director of pediatrics at the UW Cambia Palliative Care Center of Excellence; and director of survivorship and outcomes research in pediatric oncology at the UW, has been awarded the 2021 Trish Greene Quality of Life Award by the American Cancer Society (ACS).
The prestigious award was presented to Dr. Rosenberg in an intimate ceremony in Seattle Children’s new Forest B building and honors those who have dedicated their career to research that improves the quality of life for cancer patients and their families.
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