Residency is an opportune time to explore all facets of medical education, further intellectual curiosity, and establish a basis upon which to build adult learning skills. Participating in scholarly activity during residency is a great way to expand learning beyond the clinical setting.
In my role as Associate Program Director, I work to ensure that our residents are able to explore various aspects of scholarly work. We are proud to offer a wide range of both structured and independent scholarly activities that are integrated throughout the curriculum in a variety of settings from the bedside to didactic sessions.
The ACQUIRE scholarly activity rotation in the intern and 2nd years is a unique experience that introduces residents to scholarly activity in Advocacy/Community, Quality Improvement, Research, and Education, while also providing independent time to begin a long term scholarly project over the remainder of residency.
This is followed up by the Advocacy rotation in 2nd year, the Teach rotation in 3rd year (aimed at maturing residents' teaching skills), and an optional scholarly activity elective during 2nd or 3rd year. Our residents are also required to participate in several structured activities during residency, such as Journal Club, Health Equity Rounds, Quality Improvement projects, and formal educational presentations at Mid-Day Report and Grand Rounds.
Our faculty have expertise and interest in incredibly diverse areas of pediatrics scholarship, including basic science, clinical research, educational research, policy, and advocacy, and are very eager to partner with residents in scholarly work. Collaboration between residents and faculty is further supported by the MaineHealth Barbara Bush Children's Hospital Scholars Academy and the Faculty-Resident Scholarship Program, which are departmental programs that provide research navigation, financial support, opportunities for feedback on projects in progress, and further opportunities for education.
Through these collaborations and mentorships, residents regularly are able to pursue independent academic development resulting in poster and platform presentations at regional and national academic meetings, authorship of journal articles, and participation in existing clinical research projects.
Amy Buczkowski, MD
Associate Program Director, Pediatrics Residency Program
Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hospital Medicine
Fall 2023-Fall 2024
- Annie Coates and Sean Patterson (2026): Interprofessional Educational Intervention to Improve the Accuracy of HASS Assessments of Pediatric Asthma Across Hospital Clinicians
- Genevieve Whiting and Rachel Rockers (2025): Increasing Equitable Access to Pediatric Specialty Care in Maine through Implementation of E-Consultation
- Julia Fritz and Ambia Ahmed (2025): The Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders: A Retrospective Study
- Meredith Jackson and Bela DeOliveira (2024): Alignment of the Evaluation and Management of Febrile Infants at MMC with National Guidelines
Fall 2021-Fall 2022:
- Amy Buczkowski with Aaron Wallace (2023): A Qualitative Study of Parental Experience of the Eat, Sleep, Console Protocol for Management of NOWS
- Jill Gregory with Bill White (2022): Cannabis Toxicity in Pediatric Patients Following Statewide Legalization of Recreational Use
- Mike Zubrow with Emily Kelly (2023): Bedside Thoracic Ultrasound-Guided Assessment of Lung Inflation in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome
Spring 2022-Spring 2023:
- Noah Diminick & Annie Coates with Amanda Gagnon (2023): Improvement in Interdisciplinary ED and Hospital Care of Pediatric Asthma (contingent upon IRB approval)
- Roslyn Gerwin with Marlow Easterling & Hannah Burley (Child Psych Fellows): Characteristics of suicide attempts amongst rural youth: A retrospective review of hospitalized pediatrics patients
- Meredith Jackson with Bela DeOliveira (2024): QI Project: Alignment of BBCH Management of Febrile Infants with National Guidelines
Learn more at MHBBCH Scholarship Academy Members - MaineHealth Institute for Teaching Excellence (MITE)
- Annie Batten, MD (2026) is collaborating with Laura Amar-Dolan to "Minimize Unplanned Extubation in the PICU" and with Amy Buczkowski around "Inpatient Food and Diaper Insecurity Screening and Mitigation"
- Jess Iyer, MB MCh BAO (2025) is collaborating with Gina Trachimowicz to "Reduce Unnecessary Newborn Screening in the MHMMC NICU"
- Maria Libertin, MD (2024) is collaborating with the PICU QI Committee to "Implement a Total Fluids Calculator"
- Sean Patterson, DO (2026) is collaborating with Laura Amar-Dolan to "Improve Inpatient Asthma Managment"
- Christina Rittenhouse, DO (2025) is collaborating with Jamie Fey and Eddie Silco to "Improve Adherence to AAP Hyperbilirubinemia Guidelines" and with Gina Trachimowicz to "Provide CMV Screening in Infants who Fail Hearing Screen"
- Calvin Schaffer, MD (2026) is collaborating with the ED QI Workgroup to "Implement MMC ED Food Insecurity Screening and Mitigation" and with Logan Murray to "Improve Utilization of Complex Care Program Consultation"
- Hannah Yeomans, MD (2024) is collaborating with Jill Gregory on "Use of HFNC" and with Gina Trachimowicz to "Improve Rapid ID of Blood Cultures and Appropriate Antibiotic Use in NICU"
- Bela DeOliviera, Maria Libertin, Julia Oppenheimer, Mitch Peterson, Hannah Yeomans, and Makenzie Zidek (all 2024) are working together on a combined QI and advocacy project aimed at improving COVID vaccination rates in the underserved children and families who attend the MMC pediatrics residency clinic. They are working with Dr.’s Amy Buczkowski and Steve DiGiovanni on this comprehensive project.
- Danielle Doctor (2023) is collaborating with Dr. Michael Dedekian in pediatric endocrinology on QI project to improve documentation of and referral rates for pediatric obesity within pediatrics across MaineHealth. She is also working on an advocacy project developing an educational intervention for local middle school aged children to participate in “mini-medical school”. Lastly, she is participating in a research team with Dr. Logan Murray on qualitative analysis of interviews of parents of children with medical complexity.
- Aaron Wallace (2023) is working on a novel medical education project with a curricular intervention to improve resident evaluation of medical students. He is collaborating with medical educators both within the pediatric residency as well as faculty responsible for oversight of medical student education within pediatrics.
- Haley Pelletier (2023) has launched a quality improvement project with attending neonatologist, Dr. Gina Trachimowicz, designed to improve follow-up evaluation for infants who require repeat car seat evaluation for safe transport after discharge from the NICU.
- Heather Reilley (2023) is doing a medical education and advocacy project evaluating our global health curriculum and the use of a local support group for refugee/asylee seeking/immigrant adolescents.
- Amanda Gagnon (2023) has taken on a QI project in our resident continuity clinic to improve screening for ENDS (electronic nicotine delivery system) use in the adolescent population with goal of improving referral for quitting interventions.
- Sarah DiBrigida (2023) is doing a comprehensive QI project to improve access to appropriate interpreter services in our resident clinic through both improved workflow and leveraging technological interventions. She has also begun a separate project looking at improving the provision of material regarding healthy diet and exercise in other languages to children and families with limited English proficiency.
- Colbey Bowen, DO (2022) is working on a quality improvement project in our NICU/CCN to examine the use of combination or individual vaccinations in the care of very premature infants who spend multiple months in the hospital after birth.
- Robin Wolschendorf, MD (2022) has joined our pediatric hospitalists in a study of parental attitudes surrounding safe sleep for infants on our inpatient unit. Additionally, he has begun an advocacy project in our residency clinic that aims to improve the screening, referral, and access to child developmental services for families in whom English is a second language. He is also working with pediatric cardiologist, Dr. Tom Miller, to improve the screening for and identification of complex congenital heart disease patients with neurodevelopmental disabilities.
- Amber Brown, DO (2022) is completing research on the use of OMT (osteopathic manipulative treatment) in inpatients on the hematology/oncology service and how this therapy may improve quality of life.
- Anna Sagaser, MD (2022) has submitted a poster abstract as well as initiated publication on a study looking at the comparison of measuring POC versus whole blood glucose levels to best manage hypoglycemia in our at-risk newborn nursery population. She has also begun working with Dr. Alexa Craig, attending neonatal neurologist, on a project to evaluate and improve trauma-informed care in the NICU.
- Dan Trigg, MD (2021) has created an advocacy/community based project in cooperation with a local bicycle store. He is using quality improvement techniques to screen for helmet use in the residency clinic and then provide vouchers for free bicycle helmets to underserved children who currently do not have access to or the means to obtain a helmet otherwise
- Lauren McGovern, MD (2021) has completed quality improvement work on improving barriers to transportation for hospitalized patients with several of our hospitalist attending pediatricians. She has presented her work at regional Academic Pediatric Association meetings and recently had a virtual poster accepted at for a national AAP conference.
- Kyle Deerwester, MD (2021) helped developed a pilot study assessing the safety of mothers holding their infants during therapeutic hypothermia and assessed the stability of vital signs during holding and the qualitative impact of holding on mothers and nurses. Kyle’s poster was presented at the Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection Conference in Ireland in October 2017, at the Costas-Lambrew Research Conference at MMC in May 2018, and was subsequently published in 2019 in Acta Paediatrica. Kyle has continued other scholarly activity in studying educational techniques for improving arterial puncture through the use of Point-of-Care Ultrasound with our PICU attendings in 2020.
- Kalyn Utley, MD (2021) has been working on quality improvement projects within the division of hematology/oncology focused on improving care and reducing length of stay for children admitted with fever and neutropenia as well as ongoing case reports in neuro-oncology.
- Lauren McGovern, MD (2021) has completed quality improvement work on improving barriers to transportation for hospitalized patients. She has presented her work at regional Academic Pediatric Association meetings.
- Hilary Schroeder, MD (2021), Chris Rogers, DO (2020), and Karl Santiago, MD (2020) have all been working on an advocacy project for a local family shelter to better determine what medical needs can be met at the shelter and how to collaborate with the MMC pediatric clinic.
- Kyle Deerwester, MD (2021) was a research assistant for a clinical trial on the use of delayed rewarming for neuroprotection in infants after congenital heart surgery. During this time frame, Kyle also developed his own pilot study assessing the safety of mothers holding their infants during therapeutic hypothermia and assessed the stability of vital signs during holding and the qualitative impact of holding on mothers and nurses. Kyle’s poster was presented at the Brain Monitoring and Neuroprotection Conference in Ireland in October 2017, at the Costas-Lambrew Research Conference at MMC in May 2018, and was subsequently published in 2019 in Acta Paediatrica.
- Bela DeOliveira, M Jackson. Evaluation of Febrile Infants Before Vs During the COVID-19 Pandemic. 2023 National Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting Poster Presentation.
- Maria Libertin, Mitch Peterson, D Thyssen. Navigating Parental Notification and Confidentiality in Perinatal HIV Exposure: An Ethical Case Analysis. 2023 AAP NCE Meeting Poster Presentation.
- Maria Libertin, M Ferguson, J Gregory, M Zubrow. HR Variability differentiates level of expertise of POC lung ultrasound interpretation. 2023 National SCCM Meeting Poster Presentation.
- Danielle Doctor, Hannah Yeomans, A Buczkowski. Poverty Training Increases Trainee Knowledge of Patient Individual and Structural Barriers. 2023 National APPD Spring Meeting Poster Presentation.
- Julia Oppenheimer, K Pleacher. Firearm Safety Advocacy Research, 2023 NNEAC Oral Presentation.
- Jess Iyer, P Dietz. Anticipatory Guidance for Safety in New Immigrant Population. 2023 NNEAC Summit Oral Presentation.
- Annie Batten, A Buczkowski. Inpatient Food and Diaper Insecurity Screening and Mitigation, 2023 NNEAC Summit Poster Presentation.
- Paolo Tavares, M Afari. Community Hands-only CPR Training, 2023 NNEAC Summit Poster Presentation.
- Rachel Coffey, J Fritz. Relationship between ACEs and Pediatric Functional GI Disorders, 2023 Maine AAP Spring Conference Poster Presentation.
- Bela DeOliveira, M Jackson. Improving AAP CPG Adherence for Well-Appearing Febrile Infants. 2023 Maine AAP Spring Conference Poster Presentation.
- Amanda Gagnon, A Coates, N Diminick. Educational Intervention to Improve Inter-Rater Reliability of HASS. 2023 Maine AAP Spring Conference Poster Presentation.
- Jess Iyer, J Fey, A Coates. A Perfect Cloudy Storm. 2023 Maine AAP Spring Conference Poster Presentation.
- Maria Libertin, Mitch Peterson, D Thyssen. Navigating Parental Notification and Confidentiality in Perinatal HIV Exposure: A Case Study Analysis. 2023 Maine AAP Spring Conference Poster Presentation.
- Hannah Yeomans, M Jackson. Scurvy: A Case of a Child with Autism and Refusal to Bear Weight. 2023 Maine AAP Spring Conference Poster Presentation.
- Rate of Recognition and Referral in Early-Onset Severe Obesity. Doctor D, Dedekian M. Costas Lambrew Research Retreat, Portland, ME. May 3, 2023. Poster
- A Perfect Cloudy Storm. Iyer J, Mathes J, Doctor D, Coates A, Fey J. Maine AAP Spring Conference, Rockport, ME. April 29, 2023. Poster.
- Caregiver perspectives on Telemedicine for children with medical complexity. Doctor D, Murray L, Payne A. APA Region 1 Meeting, Waltham, MA. March 27, 2023. Poster.
- Gettin’ By is Tough: Poverty Training Increases Understanding of Individual and Structural Patient Barriers. Doctor D, Yeomans H, Riddell L, Buczkowski A. Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting, Washington, DC. April 27, 2023 & Association of Pediatric Program Directors Conference, Atlanta, GA. March 29, 2023. Poster.
Maria Libertin, M Ferguson, M Zubrow. Heart Rate Variability Differentiates Expertise Level in Point-of-Care Lung US Interpretation. Critical Care Medicine. 14 Dec 2023, 52(1): p S323.
Doctor, D. “Treating Adolescent ADHD with Medication.” ADHD in Adolescents: A Comprehensive Guide, edited by Alison Schonwald, Springer, 2021, pp. 27–36.
Coffey, Rachel; Melendi, Misty; Cutler, Anya K.; and Craig, Alexa K. (2022) "Telemedicine Consultation to Assess Neonatal Encephalopathy in Rural Community Hospitals and Tertiary Care Centers," Journal of Maine Medical Center: Vol. 4 : Iss. 1, Article 7. https://doi.org/10.46804/2641-2225.1115
Sagaser A, Pilon B, Gheller A, Lemon M, Craig A. (2022) Parent Experience of HIE and Hypothermia: A Call for Trauma Informed Care, American Journal of Perinatology: 13;10.1055/a-1739-3388. doi: 10.1055/a-1739-3388.
Kusari, A., Reiley, H. and Seiverling, E. (2021), A lesion on the abdomen in an infant. Pediatric Dermatology, 38: 117-118. https://doi.org/10.1111/pde.14725
Brown, A., Chaleff, S. (2021). Anaplastic astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma presenting as simultaneous primary brain tumors in a pediatric patient: The first known report of a rare condition. Neuro-oncology, Volume 23, Issue Supplement_1, June 2021, Page i41. https://doi.org/10.1093/neuonc/noab090.166.
Brown, A., Bennett, S., Hayman, J. (2021). Purulent pericarditis in the setting of disseminated community-acquired methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus infection: a rare condition in children. SHM Converge 2021. Abstract 759. Journal of Hospital Medicine. https://shmabstracts.org/abstract/purulent-pericarditis-in-the-setting-of-disseminated-community-acquired-methicillin-resistant-staphylococcus-aureus-infection-a-rare-condition-in-children/.
Craig, A; Deerwester, K; McAllister, L; Noubary, F; Hourihan, M. A Pilot Randomized Control Trial of Safety and Feasibility of a Delayed Rewarming Intervention for Infants Following Cardiopulmonary Bypass Surgery. Pediatrics and Neonatal Medicine, 2021 (pre-publication status).
Hoffman, S; Buczkowski A; Mallory, L; McGovern L; Porter, S; Douglass, A; Correia, R; Long, L; Taylor, C; Homes, R; Poulin B, McElwain, L. Addressing Transportation Insecurity Improves Attendance at Post-Hospitalization Appointments. Pediatrics, 2021 (pre-publication status).
Newborn with Hemorrhagic Skin Reaction. Katherine Redford and Gina M. Trachimowicz. NeoReviews 2020; 21;e49. DOI: 10.1542/neo.21-1-e49
Craig A, Deerwester K, Fox, L, Jacobs J, Evans S. Maternal holding during therapeutic hypothermia for infants with neonatal encephalopathy is feasible. Acta Paediatrica, 2019 Sep; 108(9):1597-1602.
Mallory L, Diminick N, Bourque J, Bryden M, Miller J, Nystrom N, Lord M, McElwain L. Pediatric Patient-Centered Transitions From Hospital to Home: Improving the Discharge Medication Process. Hospital Pediatrics, 2017 Dec; 7 (12) 723-730.
Stepp A, Folker C, Tanzer M, Hayman J, Reynolds T, Mallory L. Autoimmune voltage-gated potassium channelopathy presenting with catecholamine excess. Ped Neurology, 72 (2017); 86-89