UPMC Children's Hospital 2024 Year in Review

Year in Review: 2024

A Note from the Division Chief

The Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh proudly reflects on another year of research and clinical achievements throughout 2024.

Once again, our hospital has been nationally ranked in all 11 specialties, and our division has been recognized among the nation’s top programs in pediatric gastroenterology and GI surgery by U.S. News & World Report in their “Best Children’s Hospitals” rankings. Our ranking reflects our unwavering and decades-long commitment to excellence in both clinical care and research.

Our faculty and staff continue to make impactful contributions to advance the field of pediatric gastroenterology & GI surgery, through innovative research or exemplary patient care.

As we step into 2025, we remain dedicated to building on these successes and fostering collaborations that drive progress and discovery.

I encourage you to reach out to our division or connect with any of the featured faculty members highlighted below to explore potential partnerships and learn more about our ongoing work.

Respectfully,

Jeffrey rudolph

Jeffrey Rudolph, MD

Interim Director, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition
Medical Director, Intestinal Care and Rehabilitation Center
UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Vice Chair for Clinical Affairs
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is Nationally Ranked in all 11 Specialties by U.S. News & World Report

As a leader in treating and caring for childhood conditions and diseases, pioneering new therapies, and educating the next generation of pediatric specialists, UPMC Children’s was recognized for excellence in all 11 pediatric specialties.

In 2024, our faculty made significant strides in advancing medical knowledge, with groundbreaking research in hepatology, innovative approaches in transplantation science, and transformative studies in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Their work continues to shape the future of patient care and treatment strategies in these critical areas of medicine.

Gastroenterology Research from UPMC Children's in First Half 2024

Transplant, Hepatology, and IBD-related Research in Summer 2024

Comprehensive Review on Intestinal Failure and Transplantation | UPMC Physician Resources

Faculty from the Pediatric Hepatology Program in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh were invited by the journal Pediatric Transplantation to write a review article for the May 2024 edition.The review, titled "From intestinal failure to transplantation: Review on the current need for transplant indications under multidisciplinary transplant programs worldwide," discusses the complex management of pediatric intestinal failure and covers a range of topics pertinent to the clinical management of children with severe gastrointestinal disorders who may require transplantation.Vikram K. Raghu, MD, MS, and Simon P. Horslen, MD, director of Pediatric Hepatology authored the review along with Carolina Rumbo, MD, from the Unidad de Soporte Nutricional, Rehabilitación y Trasplante Intestinal Hospital Universitario Fundación Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

GI Complications in Patients with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome

A recent study led by Vibha Sood, MD, from the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, examined the intersection of gastrointestinal (GI) disorders in pediatric and young adult patients with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome/joint hypermobility syndrome (hEDS/JHS). The study was published in July 2024 in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition (JPGN).

NIH-Funded Study to Advance Pediatric Intestinal Failure Therapies | UPMC Physician Resources

Simon Horslen, MD, MBChB, FRCPCH, director of Pediatric Hepatology at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, along with Vikram Raghu, MD, MS, a colleague in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, and Yaron Avitzur, MD, from Toronto SickKids Hospital, have been awarded an R01 grant from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to advance research into pediatric intestinal failure (IF).

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Receives Newsweek Rankings
- UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh has received multiple national ranking recognitions from Newsweek in their "America's Best Children's Hospitals 2024." The list was compiled from four data sources: a nationwide online survey of health care professionals working in pediatrics, hospital quality metrics, patient experience surveys and whether the facilities have implemented Patient-Reported Outcome Measures, or PROMs, to optimize care. Gastroenterology ranked #14.

Expanding Pediatric Liver Transplant Program with Atrium Health Levine Children’s

To provide the best care possible and highest chance for a successful liver transplant for families in North Carolina, Atrium Health Levine Children's Hospital has partnered with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh to expand its pediatric liver transplant program. Specifically, the partnership will allow Levine Children’s Hospital to expand its abilities to transplant livers in infants and toddlers.

200th Living-Donor Liver Transplant at UPMC Children's

The liver transplant team at the Hillman Center for Pediatric Transplantation at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh recently performed the center’s 200th living-donor liver transplant. UPMC Children’s has been performing living-donor liver transplants since 1997 and has some of the best outcomes in the world. Of the 29 centers performing pediatric living-donor liver transplants, UPMC Children’s hazard ratio estimates also rank first in the nation in one-year patient and graft survival, as well as three-year patient and graft survival.

PFIC: Genetic Contributions to its Phenotype and Treatment Considerations | UPMC

In this CME course, James Squires MD, MS, discusses the current understanding of progressive familial intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC), how to delineate the gaps in current knowledge of PFIC disorders, and defines opportunities for future collaborative research in PFIC.

UPMC and Pitt at Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) 2024

Faculty from UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh participated at this year’s Digestive Disease Week® (DDW) annual conference, held in Washington, D.C., from May 18 to 21. Our experts shared their insights on a variety of gastrointestinal conditions.

2024 International Pediatric Intestinal Failure and Rehabilitation Symposium

The 13th International Pediatric Intestinal Failure and Rehabilitation Symposium took place from Thursday, Sept. 26, to Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, at the Wyndham Grand Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pa. Sponsored by UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, this biannual event brought together international and national experts to discuss the multidisciplinary care of intestinal failure patients.

UPMC Children's at NASPGHAN 2024

At NASPGHAN 2024, we were proud to have several UPMC Children’s experts present at speaking sessions and share their research abstracts throughout the conference.We also welcomed attendees to booth #616 to connect with our faculty and learn more about the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh and our impactful programs.Vikram Raghu, MD, MS, also received the NASPGHAN Foundational/Alcresta Research Award for the Study of Pancreatic Disease in Children Health Utility Measurement in Pediatric Intestinal Failure.

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Year in Review: 2024

A Note from the Division Chief

UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is Nationally Ranked in all 11 Specialties by U.S. News & World Report

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