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UNMC ID Seeking Pharmacist Applications

The following was provided by Dr. Bergman regarding new ID pharmacy opportunities at UNMC ID. If you know the perfect match for this position, please share!

UNMC ID is looking for a Nebraska ASAP Program Coordinator and State of Nebraska Antimicrobial Stewardship Lead Pharmacist.

Nebraska Medicine is offering an exciting opportunity for an Infectious Diseases (ID)-trained pharmacist to lead Antimicrobial Stewardship in the state and become Pharmacy Coordinator for our Nebraska ASAP (Antimicrobial Stewardship Assessment and Promotion) outreach program. This individual will work alongside Medical Directors for ASAP and the Nebraska DHHS healthcare-associated infection and antimicrobial resistance (HAI/AR) program to direct statewide antimicrobial stewardship efforts. This is an established role that convenes the statewide Antibiotic Stewardship subcommittee of the HAI Committee to discuss ideas, issues, and initiatives that foster stewardship improvements across the state and facilitate any future Nebraska Antimicrobial Stewardship Summit. In addition, the successful candidate for this position will provide one-on-one discussions with acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, and urgent care centers, present webinar-style educational sessions, and update/maintain the educational content on the Nebraska ASAP website and YouTube channel.

The role of ASAP Program Coordinator involves developing tailored guidance to help healthcare facilities mitigate gaps in CDC Core Elements for antibiotic stewardship programs identified during assessments conducted in coordination with an ASAP medical director. Nebraska ASAP works with Nebraska DHHS to review annual NHSN Survey responses and Antimicrobial Use/AR results to identify additional facilities needing assistance with Core Element implementation to promote appropriate utilization, surveillance, and governance of antimicrobial agents.  A significant portion of functions can be accomplished remotely, but in- person meetings will be required. Office space is available in an academic environment with the nationally recognized Nebraska Medicine Antimicrobial Stewardship Program in Omaha where collaboration and cross-coverage can occur. Adjunct faculty status is available in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Ideal candidates will be formally trained and have significant experience in Infectious Diseases pharmacy practice. Public speaking, development of engaging educational content, and the ability to build strong relationships with stakeholders is essential. Interest in research and publication is strongly encouraged.

For more information, or to apply, click here.

For additional details, contact:

Scott Bergman, PharmD, FCCP, FIDSA, BCIDP (President, SIDP)

Pharmacy Coordinator, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program – Nebraska Medicine  

scbergman@nebraskamed.com (402) 599-4149

New Fellow Friday: Welcome, Dr. Nabil Al-Kourainy!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Nabil Al-Kourainy as a new fellow in our Infectious Diseases program! Read on to learn a little more about him.

Tell us about the position you are starting.

Hi, I’m Nabil Al-Kourainy former Chief Medical Resident, Clinical Assistant Professor and Academic Hospitalist at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSU), published author and speaker. I am excited to start my journey as an infectious diseases fellow and candidate of the Health Educators and Leadership (HEAL) track at the University of Nebraska Medical Center!

Tell us about your background.

Dr. Al-Kourainy exploring the Hidden Lake trail at Glacier National Park, Montana.

I grew up in San Diego, California, but am originally from the Midwest. I come from a mixed cultural and ethnic background of Arabic, French, and Irish. My friends often say that I have never met a stranger. I pride myself on my ability to listen to, understand and relate to patients and learners while trying to help them in any way that I can. Prior to medical school, I received a Bachelor of Arts with a focus in contemporary American history at the University of California, Los Angeles. My study of the humanities along with my upbringing and sociable nature helps me to connect with patients from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. 

While attending medical school at WSU, I helped found Street Medicine Detroit, the first organization of its kind in the state of Michigan, with a mission to provide street and shelter based medical care for Detroit’s unreached and service-resistant housing insecure population. As an infectious diseases specialist, I intend to continue my efforts to advocate for greater healthcare access for the medically disenfranchised.

I completed my internal medicine and chief medical residency at Wayne State before continuing as an academic hospitalist and a clinical assistant professor at the Detroit Medical Center, Karmanos Cancer Institute and John D. Dingell VA Medical Center. Precepting residents and medical students while working at a safety net hospital and a dedicated cancer center was a wonderful learning experience that allowed me to gain exposure to challenging ID cases while honing my clinical acumen and approach to medical education. 

Why did you choose to come work at UNMC?

UNMC has a rich tradition for being a center of clinical and scholarly excellence while promoting education through mentorship and fostering initiative and collaboration. The Medical Center is also committed to providing empathetic, evidenced-based, and patient-centered care while serving a diverse and often medically underrepresented population. I look forward to experiencing this collegial and supportive atmosphere during fellowship training. The HEAL track also represents an amazing opportunity to further advance my knowledge and skills in medical education and leadership!

What makes you excited about working in ID?

I see the field of infectious diseases as a specialty primed for exploration and discovery. And, if the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything it is that we cannot always know the where, when, why, and how the next global crisis will present. I am excited to gain the expertise and confidence needed to help educate and advocate toward pandemic preparedness planning and treatment of current and future affected patients. 

With over 80% of U.S. counties without a dedicated ID physician, there is an incredible opportunity to make a positive impact on the quality of life and patient outcomes for those often misunderstood, judged, and marginalized by society such as patients living with HIV or Hepatitis C, persons who inject drugs, as well as members of the LGBTQ+ community who are disproportionately affected by sexually transmitted infections. I have seen firsthand how social determinants of health and lack of medical care access can have a profound impact on patient adherence and health status. Through fellowship, I will gain the tools needed to advocate for and promote social change in support of these vulnerable populations. 

Working in ID will also provide me with the skills and expertise required to make complex diagnosis and treatment recommendations for cases where a detailed history and examination of clinical data can lead to a turning point in patient care. Knowing that I have played a small role in helping patients and colleagues by making recommendations based on risk factors, antimicrobial resistance patterns and available literature evidence will provide me with both intellectual and professional satisfaction.

Dr. Al-Kourainy and wife Valia.

Tell us something about yourself that is unrelated to medicine.

I am incredibly blessed to have the love and support of my beautiful and compassionate wife Valia and our infant daughter Sofia. Being a husband and father fills me with a great sense of pride and purpose. I also have a wonderfully supportive mother and father as well as two brothers and a close-knit extended family. I am an explorer of nature and history through hiking national trails and urban spelunking. My creative passions are macro and landscape photography as well as photo editing. My wife and I also love to travel while experiencing a diversity of history, culture, music, and of course food! Basketball is a lifelong interest of mine so feel free to ask me about anything NBA. I’m excited to begin the next chapter in my career at UNMC! 

Research Digest: CMV, Tuberculosis, and Transplant ID

Dr. Diana Florescu, UNMC ID Physician and co-author of two recent publications exploring transplant ID.

One of the most profound medical developments of the past century, organ transplantation, can prove to be one of the most dangerous. Infectious pathogens can hide in transplanted organs which, in combination with the immune-suppressive drugs crucial to transplantation success, makes post-transplant infectious complications a high priority for healthcare. This is the basis for Transplant ID, as a close working relationship with transplant surgery teams and ID physicians are necessary to manage these complex patients and resulting infections. Luckily, there is a science to preventing these infections using techniques ranging from donor screening to medical management post-surgery. As is the case with most of medicine, these techniques are informed by the research- of which our very own Dr. Florescu is a strong contributor, most recently in two publications exploring transplant infection surveillance and treatment, respectively. Read on for a brief summary of their findings.

One of the most feared pathogen which can be transmitted via organ donation is Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB). In the first article, Dr. Florescu and other authors examine potential cases of donor-derived tuberculosis reported between 2008 and 2018. Of the 51 cases reported during this time period, 9 donors resulted in probable disease transmission to 35 organ recipients. Each of these donors were associated with at least one TB-related risk factor. On average, detection of transmission took 104 days and no reported recipient died of the infection. The authors note that these results underscore the importance of obtaining a detailed donor history based on known TB risk factors. Read the full paper here.

Another transplant associated infection is caused by cytomegalovirus (CMV). Unfortunately, current therapies for this infection are accompanied by significant concerns of toxicity. In the second article, the authors conduct a phase 3 clinical trial evaluating the use of maribavir as a superior treatment for refractory CMV infections in organ transplant recipients. They found that maribavir was superior to valganciclovir/ganciclovir, foscarnet, or cidofovir treatment in viral clearance, being 32% more effective than other tested regimens. Additionally, maribavir use was associated with significantly less toxicity, with lower reported rates of acute kidney injury and neutropenia. Read more here.

Congratulations Dr. Florescu on the interesting, impactful, and medically relevant work!

New Fellow Friday: An Introduction

We are excited to welcome three new fellows to our UNMC Infectious Diseases program this month! Over the next few weeks, we will feature each new fellow in their own welcome post. But for now, we welcome Dr. Nabil Al-Kourainy, Dr. Catherine Cichon, and Dr. Timothy Jang to UNMC. Read on for a brief introduction.

Dr. Nabil Al-Kourainy

“Hi, I’m Nabil Al-Kourainy former Chief Medical Resident, Clinical Assistant Professor and Academic Hospitalist at Wayne State University School of Medicine (WSU), published author and speaker. I am excited to start my journey as an infectious diseases fellow and candidate of the Health Educators and Leadership (HEAL) track at the University of Nebraska Medical Center!“

Welcome Dr. Al-Kourainy!

Dr. Catherine Cichon

“I am excited to be joining the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) as a first year Infectious Disease fellow! I will spend the next few years learning about disorders caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites, the people affected by them, and the medications that treat them.“

Dr. Cichon completed her combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics residency at the University of California San Diego (UCSD).

Welcome Dr. Cichon!

Dr. Timothy Jang

“I am excited to be starting out as an infectious diseases fellow at the University of Nebraska Medical Center! I will be taking care of patients on both an inpatient and outpatient basis, under the guidance of a fantastic team of seasoned infectious diseases clinicians.”

Dr. Jang completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio.

Welcome to the program Dr. Jang!

Stay tuned in the coming weeks to learn more about these new additions to UNMC ID.

#PharmToExamTable: What is cefiderocol, and when should I think about using it? 

A #PharmToExamTable question about cefiderocol and its clinical uses, answered by Aaron Hunsaker, PharmD, a previous PGY1 pharmacy resident at UNMC and current PGY2 pharmacy resident a the University of Utah Health.

(Reviewed by Andrew Watkins, PharmD)

In the area of increased gram-negative bacterial resistance, practitioners have longed for a horse with which they could ride into battle. Cefiderocol, or Fetroja, could possibly be that fix. The brand name even hints to its novel mechanism and their website pulls on this, showing Roman soldiers going into battle with their trojan horse. The goal of this review is to summarize the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and literature of cefiderocol and where it has the potential to be used. 

Pharmacology1

Mechanism of action: Cefiderocol is a cephalosporin that has activity against gram-negative aerobic bacteria. Like other beta lactam antibiotics, it enters the cell via passive diffusion through porin channels. It also functions as a siderophore and binds extracellular free iron. This allows cefiderocol to enter the cell via bacterial siderophore iron uptake, which allows the molecule to overcome porin channel deletions. 

Recommended Dosage: 2 grams every 8 hours infused over 3 hours 

Primary Literature Review: 

APEKS-cUTI by Portsmouth et al 2

This is a phase 2 clinical trial that compared cefiderocol to imipenem-cilastatin for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (cUTI) caused by gram-negative bacteria.  With a sample size of 371, Cefiderocol was a non-inferior treatment compared to imipenem in the treatment of cUTI.

APEKS-NP by Wunderink et al 3

This was a phase 3 clinical trial that compared cefiderocol to extended infusion meropenem for the treatment of gram-negative nosocomial pneumonia. The trial was able to recruit 251 participants, among which the most common pathogen was Klebsiella pneumoniae (32%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16%). This was a relatively sick population with a majority of patients in the ICU at baseline (77%). Cefiderocol was also non-inferior to extended infusion meropenem in prevention of mortality from nosocomial pneumonia infections. The safety profile was similar between the two medication groups.

CREDIBLE-CR by Bassetti et al. 

This is a phase 3 descriptive trial that studies the efficacy and safety of cefiderocol to best available therapy for the treatment of serious infections caused by carbapenem-resistant gram-negative bacteria. Among the 150 recruited participants, the most common source of infection was nosocomial pneumonia (45% in both groups) followed by bloodstream infections (~30-35% in both groups). Acinetobacter baumannii and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the two most common carbapenem-resistant gram-negative pathogens. Clinical cure for nosocomial pneumonia occurred in 60% cefiderocol treated patients (24/40) and 63% in best available therapy treated patients (12/19). Clinical cure for bloodstream infections or sepsis occurred in 70% of cefiderocol treated patients (16/23) and 50% in best available therapy (7/14), but all-cause mortality was higher in the cefiderocol group when patients had an infection caused by Acinetobacter spp. or in pulmonary and bloodstream infections, but not with cUTIs.

Conclusion:

Cefiderocol is a novel cephalosporin that has a broad spectrum of activity against gram negative organisms. However, what do these differences in data mean for the future of cefiderocol? Well:

  • APEKS-cUTI and APEKS-NP showed that cefiderocol can be used in complicated urinary tract infections and pneumonia caused by multi drug resistant gram-negative organisms.
  • All three trials showed positive outcomes in infections caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. APEKS-NP also showed us the potential use of cefiderocol in a relatively sick patient population. 
  • However, the CREDIBLE-CR trial complicates the recommendation for the use of cefiderocol in patients with a pulmonary infection and bloodstream infection, especially infections caused by Acinetobacter spp. andStenotrophomonas. 

While the differences were likely significant, it is important to note that no statistical tests were run, the trial was an open labeled study, and the patient population was small, leaving us with a desire for more data to further support the use of cefiderocol in these types of infections. Therefore, the use of cefiderocol in pulmonary infections or bloodstream infections should be used with caution and if it is considered, it should be used as a last-ditch effort. Further studies with larger populations and statistical analyses are needed to fully make a recommendation. 

References:

  1. Cefiderocol Drug Information. https://online.lexi.com/lco/action/doc/retrieve/docid/patch_f/6884009?cesid=aEKKkaNZrPz&searchUrl=%2Flco%2Faction%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dcefiderocol%26t%3Dname%26va%3Dcefiderocol. Accessed October 20th, 2020
  2. Simon Portsmouth et al. Cefiderocol versus imipenem-cilastatin for the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections caused by Gram-negative uropathogens: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2018 Dec;18(12):1319-1328. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(18)30554-1.
  3. Richard G Wunderink et al. Cefiderocol versus high-dose, extended-infusion meropenem for the treatment of Gram-negative nosocomial pneumonia (APEKS-NP): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 12;S1473-3099(20)30731-3. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30731-3.
  4. Matteo Bassetti et al. Efficacy and safety of cefiderocol or best available therapy for the treatment of serious infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (CREDIBLE-CR): a randomised, open-label, multicentre, pathogen-focused, descriptive, phase 3 trial. Lancet Infect Dis. 2020 Oct 12;S1473-3099(20)30796-9. doi: 10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30796-9
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Graduating Fellows’ Last Words – Dr. Laura Selby

The following content was provided by graduating UNMC ID fellow, Dr. Laura Selby (pictured left).

Dr. Selby will be transitioning to an infectious diseases faculty position in Bend, Oregon. Congratulations Laura!

If one word could sum up my clinical experience of the last two years of Infectious Diseases fellowship it would be “pandemic”. When I moved to Nebraska and started training at UNMC in July of 2020, the United States was only a few months into the COVID-19 pandemic. There was limited evidence for what treatments worked best, vaccines were not yet available, and PPE shortages continued to make news nationwide.

So much of my learning as an ID fellow happened through the lens of COVID. I learned how to treat multi-drug resistant secondary bacterial pneumonia from COVID patients. Differentiating viral vs bacterial infections was nearly every COVID consult. Hospital epidemiology and infection prevention lessons were learned through COVID outbreak investigations. I worked on my patient communication skills by explaining the importance of COVID vaccination to my HIV Clinic patients. My research projects pivoted to, you guessed it, COVID.

This is not to say that I wasn’t well trained in all areas of Infectious Diseases during my fellowship. With the notable exceptions of low influenza rates, and travel medicine consults, throughout the pandemic people still had bacteremias, prosthetic joint infections, neutropenic fevers, and newly diagnosed HIV requiring ID consultation and management. Patients still got cancer treatment and organ transplants, so my experience with immunocompromised hosts wasn’t compromised (no pun intended). Yet, for nearly every diagnostic mystery consult, COVID was added to my differential right next to syphilis, TB, and histoplasmosis.

Amid the stress, overwork, and death that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought, watching the faculty of the UNMC ID Division practice and model compassion for patients, evidence-based medicine, and conduct research, all while still finding time to give lectures and teach on rounds, has shaped me as a physician and a person. I could fill pages with all the lessons I have learned from each of the standout faculty at UNMC such as learning the intricacies of randomized controlled trials from Dr. Andre Kalil during journal club and rounds, training in high consequence pathogen preparedness and PPE with Drs. Elizabeth Schnaubelt, David Kline, and Angela Hewlett, lessons on travel medicine with Drs. James Lawler and David Brett-Major while rounding on patients who haven’t traveled (thanks COVID), diagnostic stewardship skills from Drs. Trevor Van Schooneveld and Kelly Cawcutt, how to conduct a hospital outbreak investigation from Dr. Mark Rupp, employee health management in a pandemic with Dr. Rick Starlin who was also a wonderful research mentor, how to practice evidence-based medicine when the evidence is questionable at best from Dr. Nicolas Cortes-Penfield, management of patients with HIV from Drs. Sara Bares, Nada Fadul, Sue Swindells, and Jasmine Marcelin, and all the other amazing faculty I have neglected to name.

As I prepare to leave fellowship and move onto the next stage of my career, I am grateful that I had the opportunity to train at such an amazing program. It has been a privilege to work with the UNMC Infectious Diseases Division.

– Dr. Laura Selby, Graduating UNMC ID Fellow, June 2022

Conference Recap: Annual HIV Update for Providers and Educators Returns

The UNMC Annual HIV Update for Providers and Educators returned on June 9, 2022. The conference was not hosted in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year, the UNMC HIV team joined forces with the DHHS HIV PrEP Institute team to provide a day-long event focused on HIV TREATMENT and PREVENTION.

For the first time, the conference was hosted as a hybrid event with approximately 60 attendees in person, and over 100 attendees registered in the interactive virtual forum. 

Honored presenter Dr. Susan Swindells (second from the left) and other conference contributors

The morning was focused on What’s New in HIV Care with a fantastic summary of up to date treatment recommendations and review of clinical trials, with honored presenter Dr. Susan Swindells. A “hot topics” session covered STI Treatment Guidelines, Weight Gain on ART, and the intersection of COVID-19, HIV, and health disparities. The morning was rounded out with panel discussions related to team based approach to address psychosocial barriers to care, as well as long-acting ART.

Panel of speakers featured at the afternoon session focusing on PrEP and HIV prevention.

In the afternoon, we switched gears to focus on HIV prevention, particularly PrEP. The presenters highlighted PrEP in special populations including adolescents and Native Americans. We heard from a team that has initiated a new PrEP project to make this tool accessible to people across Nebraska, as well as a panel of patients familiar with PrEP. Finally, we heard about the importance of “Rebranding PrEP” to increase interest and uptake across populations. 

We would like to acknowledge the teams that made this hybrid conference and continuing education possible: UNMC/Nebraska Medicine, Nebraska AIDS Project, Omaha Childrens’ Hospital, Ponca Tribe Heath Services, UNO, DHHS, Midwest AIDS Training and Education Center Kansas/Nebraska, Washington University, KC Care Clinic, University of Cincinnati, St. Louis PTC, Entertainment LIVEstyle, and all of our speakers, moderators, panelists, organizers, vendors, and attendees. 

If you would like to learn more about the 2022 HIV Update and PreP Institute Conference, or want to get involved in future conferences, please contact nregan@nebraskamed.com.

Content and photos for this post were kindly provided by Nichole Regan, APRN-NP

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In Case You Missed It: UNMC Clinic to Offer Walk-in Testing Tomorrow and Friday in Observance of National HIV Testing Day

In case you missed it, tomorrow (6/30) and Friday (7/1) from 1:00pm to 4:00pm the Specialty Care Clinic will be offering walk-in HIV testing, with no appointment needed.

Read on below for our previous post with details about this event.

The following content was provided by Kevin Borges, UNMC Specialty Care Clinic Manager. Graphic obtained from the CDC.

Thursday (6/30) and Friday (7/1) from 1:00pm to 4:00pm the Specialty Care Clinic will be offering walk-in HIV testing, with no appointment needed.

Each year, June 27th is observed as National HIV Testing Day (NHTD).  This year’s NHTD theme is “HIV Testing is Self Care.”  The act of getting tested is the first step in either treatment or prevention that leads to individuals being empowered to live long and healthy lives.  

The Nebraska Medicine/UNMC Specialty Care Clinic specializes in the prevention and treatment of HIV.  Our clinic is staffed with doctors, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, nurses, social workers, and more!  We are all here to provide the highest level of care in a judgement-free atmosphere.  There is a wide range of prevention and treatment options available and we would be happy to review your best options with you.  If you or someone you know could potentially benefit from HIV testing, we invite you to our clinic.  On the afternoons of Thursday 6/30 and Friday 7/1 from the hours of 1:00pm to 4:00pm we are opening our doors to walk in HIV testing, with no appointment needed.  Our clinic is located at 804 South 52nd Street Omaha, NE 68106.  We can also be reached at 402-559-2666.  We look forward to serving you.

Graduating Fellows’ Last Words – Dr. Jonathan Ryder

The following content was provided by graduating UNMC ID fellow, Dr. Jonathan Ryder (pictured left).

Dr. Ryder will be transitioning to an instructor faculty position at UNMC. Congratulations Jonathan!

“As the seasons change, sometimes they blur together, nearly indistinguishable from each other. Yet, some seasons have such stark contrast, it’s hard to miss the transition. As I approach another transition in my life, the end of infectious diseases fellowship and the start of a career, I imagine the transition will be simultaneously smooth and jolting.

The first day as an unsupervised attending physician, questioning my own decision-making. The first research project as the primary mentor, looking for the next steps. Learning new leadership roles. Being seen as an expert. Managing meetings and lectures with clinical duties and projects. These new roles and duties may be a bit jolting at first.

While these parts of the future feel daunting, I’m re-assured by the superb training I’ve received, which gives me confidence the transition will be quite smooth. I have already been afforded opportunities to act as the attending. I have worked with invaluable mentors who have paved the way for me to conduct further research as part of a team. Further, I know I have many mentors I can fall back on with questions, as truly the journey has just begun. I’ve already been juggling multiple responsibilities for the past several years. Ultimately, as I will be staying at UNMC, I already am familiar with many of the processes and the environment.

So, what does my future hold? I will be transitioning to an instructor faculty position at UNMC. This position affords me the opportunity to focus on research endeavors within my interests of antimicrobial stewardship, infection control, and medical education. Clinically, I will serve in the realm of general infectious diseases in both the inpatient and outpatient settings. I’m greatly looking forward to this wonderful opportunity to build my clinical, educational, and research toolboxes.

As I reflect on the past 2 years, I am grateful to have trained in the UNMC ID fellowship program. I am appreciative of the many patients who have taught me so many lessons through their own difficulties and successes. Additionally, it is hard to say enough about the faculty who have trained me. I’m lucky to continue my journey at UNMC and continue to be around people I respect and trust, as I am certain to face difficult situations in the future for which I will need their help. Lastly, my co-fellows have been supportive, inspirational, and a joy; I’m honored to be their colleague and look forward to seeing what they are able to accomplish in the future.“

– Dr. Jonathan Ryder, Graduating UNMC ID Fellow, June 2022

In Case You Missed It: UNMC ID Physician Pens Both Prescriptions and Children’s Books

Dr. Nicolas Cortes-Penfield, UNMC ID Physician and recent author of an infectious disease themed children’s book

It seems that clinical ID knowledge may also be useful outside of the clinic. In case you missed it, UNMC ID’s Dr. Nicolas Cortes-Penfield was recently featured in Nebraska Medicine’s public-facing blog for his infectious disease themed children’s book titled “A is for Anisakis: An Infantile Introduction to Infectious Diseases.” With carefully selected ID entries for each letter of the alphabet, the book was a hit with his two daughters, Elise and Celeste, and has garnered quite a bit of interest from the ID field at large. It is in the process of revision for illustrated publication. Congratulations on a creative and fantastic infectious disease publication (and the opportunity to feature it here)!

For a peek inside the book and some additional content, check out the original blog post here.

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