Boston Children's Hospital

We’re pleased to announce our next Chief of the Department of Cardiology: Rahul Rathod, MD, MBA. During the past 20 years, Dr. Rathod has built and led initiatives across the Department of Cardiology and Benderson Family Heart Center, including founding the multidisciplinary Fontan at Boston (FAB) Clinic. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in single ventricle heart disease and the Fontan circulation. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Rathod as he steps into this new role and in thanking Tal Geva, MD, for his exceptional leadership as Chief over the past decade. Connect with us or refer a patient to the Department of Cardiology: http://ms.spr.ly/6044vs6xi

The extreme positioning of superior-inferior ventricles — one almost on top of the other, instead of side by side — is a complex heart defect that typically has limited treatment. But our heart surgeons have overcome that complexity by using biventricular repair techniques that give children two functioning ventricles. Find out how they do it ⤵️

In celebration of Community Health Improvement Week (#CHIW), we were thrilled to host the first Employee Volunteer Day at Family Food Connections, our food pantry in Jamaica Plain, on June 9. Twenty-eight employees from across the hospital stepped up to volunteer, stocking shelves and helping distribute food to 440 community members that day. Our employee volunteers played a key role in making this day possible, demonstrating how Boston Children’s supports the health and well-being of our communities beyond the hospital’s walls. We’re excited to continue creating opportunities for our employees to give back and to support the vital work of Family Food Connections and the communities we serve. More on Family Food Connections: https://lnkd.in/e9mZh9Sz

“It felt very surreal at the time because I just didn’t expect to get an answer in my lifetime,” says Kyra, a 28-year-old who received a diagnosis for her rare disease after enrolling in a study where researchers used OpenAI’s o3 Deep Research tools to analyze de-identified clinical and genomic data from cases that had remained unsolved for years. Dr. Catherine Brownstein, senior author of the study, explains how these AI tools can help accelerate the diagnostic process while giving researchers more time for in-depth analysis, review, and scientific discovery. She also emphasizes that human expertise remains essential for leading the research, validating findings, and ensuring these tools are used effectively. Learn more about the study published last week in NEJM AI and featured on ABC News ⤵️

Neuro-oncology is advancing so quickly that it can be challenging for pediatric neurosurgeons to stay up to date. Enter the Society for Pediatric Neurosurgical Oncology (SPNO), a new global professional organization established by a team of pediatric neurosurgeons including our own Lissa Baird, MD. The goal: to advance care through education, collaboration, and innovation. To learn more, check out their paper in JNS Pediatrics. ⤵️

For families living with an undiagnosed rare disease, a diagnosis can bring answers, closure, and a sense of connection. Yet nearly half of rare disease cases remain unsolved, leaving researchers and families searching for answers for years. A new study published in NEJM AI explores how AI tools can help accelerate the diagnostic odyssey. Researchers from Boston Children’s Hospital’s Manton Center for Orphan Disease Research and OpenAI used the OpenAI o3 Deep Research reasoning model to analyze de-identified clinical and genomic information from 376 previously investigated cases that had remained unsolved. In this NBC News article, Dr. Catherine Brownstein discusses how AI can help researchers save time, improve efficiency, and potentially bring answers to more families affected by rare diseases. Read more ⤵️

We’re excited to share that Eyal Krispin, MD, has been named director of the Fetal Care and Surgery Center and chief of the Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Surgery. “My vision is to continue building one of the world’s leading programs in fetal diagnosis, fetal intervention, and fetal surgery while advancing Boston Children’s mission of innovation, discovery, and exceptional patient care.” We’re look forward to this new chapter of leadership and the continued success of the entire fetal care team: http://ms.spr.ly/6045vYRPW

Congratulations to Boston Children’s Hospital's very own Heather Nelson, Senior Vice President and CIO, and Jen Doorly Magaziner, Vice President for Digital Health, for their recognition in Becker's Healthcare! They are in great company with these women shaping the future of health IT and driving transformative change http://ms.spr.ly/6047vgS67

Last week, Boston Children’s joined Children’s Hospital Association for Family Advocacy Day in Washington D.C. We met with Members of Congress to discuss the issues impacting pediatric healthcare and share firsthand stories about the care children’s hospitals provide every day. We are especially grateful to our patient advocates Adrian, Ryker, Hunter, and Natalie, and their families, whose voices, experiences, and personalities helped bring these conversations to life. Many thanks to the Members of Congress who took the time to meet with us and hear our stories. We appreciate your support of pediatric healthcare and your commitment to children and families.

What if we could compare a critically ill newborn's profile against similar patients to better understand what to do next? Researchers at Boston Children's are using AI and clinical trial data to generate individualized outcome predictions for infants with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a serious brain injury caused by oxygen deprivation at birth. ⤵️