February 2026 Pediatric Pulse

Dear Yale Pediatrics Family,

I hope everyone has been able to dig out of our big snowstorm and stay warm during this very cold stretch of winter in Connecticut! We have some exciting content updates, including a brand-new landing page for departmental news! You might have also noticed our updated Grand Rounds email to simplify the event details and information. If not, keep an eye out for next week's reminder.

Later this month, as part of the ongoing YNHHS-YSM alignment effort, YNHHS Marketing & Communications staff will soon start using Beatrix to manage all information for the clinician profiles that appear on the https://www.ynhhs.org/ website and other YNHHS-affiliated sites. We are always trying to improve communications to reduce email fatigue, market our faculty, and improve ease of information finding.

Warmly,

Cliff

Yale University is requiring faculty, staff, trainees, and students to pick up new ID badges by Feb. 16. If you haven't already, pick up your badge by this date. On Feb. 17, all 'old' badges will be deactivated.

Note: If your badge was issued after July 1, 2025, you do not need a new one. Check your badge’s issue date (under the bar code), as pictured at left.

YSM faculty, staff, trainees, and sponsored IDs have a different pick-up location and times than students as outlined below.

YSM Faculty, Staff, Trainees (Postdocs, Fellows, and Residents), and those with Sponsored IDs:

• NEW Pick-Up Location: The Med School ID center (333 Cedar Street, SHM CE-1B)

• Pick-Up Times:
  • Wednesday, Feb. 11 through Friday, Feb. 13: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb. 14: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
  • Monday, Feb. 16 through Friday, Feb. 20: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Saturday, Feb. 21: 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Please Also Note:

• Bring your current Yale ID card to turn in.
• Do not make an appointment at the ID Center for your badge pick-up.
• Badge photos will not be taken.
• Once you obtain your new badge, building access will resume within 15 minutes.
• Employees who use time clocks may experience a delay of up to 24 hours. Managers will ensure there is no disruption to payroll during this transition.

For help, visit the Yale ID Replacement Project website or email ReplacementIDProject@yale.edu.

Every year, Yale School of Medicine (YSM) recognizes outstanding members of our YSM community with prestigious awards at the MD Commencement. We are now accepting nominations for two such awards: the Charles W. Bohmfalk Prizes for Teaching in Basic Sciences and Clinical Sciences, and the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award. We encourage you to nominate deserving faculty and students. Each nomination takes approximately five minutes to complete using the links below. Nominations will close Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. Details about both awards, including eligibility, criteria, and the selection process, can be found below and on the Center for Medical Education website.

Established in 1989, under the terms of the Alice Bohmfalk Charitable Trust and awarded annually to individuals who have made out­standing contributions to the teaching program, one in the basic sciences and one in the clinical sciences. Note: You may nominate only one faculty member in the basic sciences and one in the clinical sciences.

• Submit your Charles W. Bohmfalk Prize Nominations

Established in 1998 by the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey and the Arnold P. Gold Foundation to honor a faculty member and graduating medical student who demonstrate the highest standard of compassion and sensitivity in their interactions with patients. Note: You may nominate only one faculty member and one graduating student.

• Submit your Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Award Nominations

Applications are open for the Yale-Boehringer Ingelheim Biomedical Data Science Fellowship Program. This competitive, three-year fellowship supports some of the brightest and most innovative minds in biomedical data science from diverse disciplines across Yale and around the world. This year’s program has an exciting new theme: Advancing AI-Driven Biomedical Research for Drug Discovery. Applicants are invited to submit research proposals for consideration in the program beginning today, Feb. 2, and until March 30, 2026. This fellowship program, Cohort 5, will start on Sept. 1, 2026. There are two or more Cohort 5 fellowships currently available.

Postdoctoral researchers are invited to submit research proposals for consideration. To learn more or to apply, please visit the fellowship webpage. We encourage all eligible candidates to apply for this exciting opportunity. Please feel free to forward this announcement to any potential candidates. For any questions, please contact: yalebifellow@yale.edu.

Britany Najarian, BSN, RN has accepted the position of assistant patient services manager for the Pediatric Specialty and Infusion Center, Greenwich, and Pediatric Specialty Center, Norwalk, effective January 26, 2026.

Najarian began her career in 2011 as a new graduate nurse on the YNHCH Bridgeport pediatric unit. She then held a position at Children’s Hospital of New York Presbyterian in the Women’s and Children’s Health float pool, staffing the PICU, NICU, pediatric cardiac ICU, pediatric med/surg and pediatric hematology/oncology units. Najarian also held travel nurse assignments at a multitude of children’s hospitals across the country.

After seven years of travel, she returned to Connecticut and rejoined YNHCH last year in the Greenwich PSC and Infusion Center. Najarian’s extensive experience across children’s hospitals, her quiet strength as an informal unit leader, and her proficiency in an integrated delivery network clinical setting gives her a global perspective in nursing practice and operations.

She is well suited to lead our ambulatory locations across a wide regional landscape. Najarian is a graduate of Villanova University and is certified in pediatric nursing (PNCB) and pediatric chemotherapy and biotherapy provider (APHON). She will report directly to Stacey Brassil, PSM, and can be reached at 475-240-8021, or Britany.Najarian@ynhh.org.

The Yale Pediatrics Department’s Award for Clinical Excellence (Yale Peds ACE) recognizes exemplary clinicians who go above and beyond for patients, deliver the highest quality of care and personify healing, innovation and collaboration. This individual embodies the department’s vision as a healer, innovator, and collaborator. January's ACE Award winner was Alexis Rodriguez, MD, IBCLC!

Her nomination stated, "Dr. Rodriguez is an exceptionally talented pediatric hospitalist whose career reflects sustained clinical excellence, innovation, and leadership across multiple care settings. She began her career in general pediatrics and served as medical director of the Well Newborn Nursery at the St. Raphael’s Campus (SRC) prior to 2020. In this role, she led high-quality newborn care, helped standardize clinical protocols, and was a key contributor to the team that achieved "Baby-Friendly" designation at SRC.

As a clinician, Dr. Rodriguez provides outstanding care to well newborns and pediatric inpatients at the York Street Campus and Bridgeport Hospital. She consistently identifies opportunities to elevate patient care and system performance and was the first pediatric hospitalist in the PHM group to pursue IBCLC lactation certification, enabling her to deliver expert, bedside support to breastfeeding mothers. Concurrently, she continues to provide clinical care in the NICU Great Results After Discharge (GRAD) clinic, a comprehensive, multidisciplinary medical and developmental follow-up program designed for infants and young children at risk for medical and/or developmental difficulties due to conditions faced in the newborn period."

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Rodriguez on this recognition!

• Gregory Germain, MD, promotion to clinical professor, voluntary track, effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031
• Catherine Dinauer, MD, reappointment to associate professor (endocrinology), academic clinician track, effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031
• Ian Ferguson, MD, reappointment to associate professor (immunology and rheumatology), academic clinician track, effective July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031
• Susan Walsh, MD, reappointment to associate professor (emergency medicine), academic clinician track, July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2031

• Rozalyn Levine Rodwin, MD, MHS, Hyundai Hope on Wheels - Improving Transitions in Survivorship Care in the HEROS Clinic
  • Project period: 1/1/2026-12/31/26
  • Total awarded to Yale: $100,000