The PCPI Foundation

An experienced pediatrician and serving as the chief clinical officer of the Nicklaus Children’s Health System in South Florida since 2019. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also holds membership in multiple clinical associations and initiatives, including the PCPI Foundation.

Established by the American Medical Association (AMA) in 2000 as the Physician Consortium for Performance Improvement (PCPI), the PCPI Foundation has evolved into a national leader in the field of medical measurement development. Occupying headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, the organization has operated independently of the AMA since 2017. The PCPI Foundation and its members span a broad spectrum of clinical specialties and medical boards of certification.

Dedicated to crafting and optimizing evidence-based clinical performance measurement resources for medical doctors, PCPI members have initiated more than 350 physician performance measures over the years. These measures have received endorsements from organizations such as the National Quality Forum, and serve key functions in many federal health care programs.

Simulated Mannequins Teach Pediatric Care in a Safe Environment

Serving as senior vice president and chief clinical officer of Nicklaus Children’s Health System in Miami, Florida, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva handles several key responsibilities. One of the departments Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva oversees is the Pediatric Human Patient Simulation Program. This initiative provides health professionals with a consequence-free setting where they can hone their skills.

One of three computer-assisted mannequins, the Pediatric Human Patient Simulator is programmed with complex algorithms that model the bodily responses of a 7-year-old. The device can speak and open its eyes, and also demonstrate respiration of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Users can perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation, administer medications, and immediately see the effects of both. Two smaller simulators mimic the reactions of infants.

The program offers several advantages. Participants can learn new procedures and technology, improve their communication and teamwork skills, practice for emergencies, and engage in bedside decision-making.

The simulations can be adapted to many situations. Medical personnel can practice procedures such as assessing respiration and heartbeat, evaluating neurological health, and starting intravenous infusions. Additionally, educators, caregivers, and parents can discover new coping mechanisms for children with special needs.

What Is the Dyad Model?

A respected presence in the field of pediatrics, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva serves as the senior vice president and chief clinical officer at Florida’s Nicklaus Children’s Health System. As part of his responsibilities, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works closely with the president of the hospital using the Dyad model to ensure efficiency in operations.

The Dyad model is an organizational structure whereby both clinical and non-clinical hospital personnel work together under a defined system of cooperation designed to help medical institutions achieve their goals. The Dyad model has its origins dating back to 1908 at the Mayo Clinic when Dr. William Mayo, a physician, appointed Harry Harwick, an administrator, to assist him in managing business operations and creating a suitable environment for business expansion.

In today’s fast-changing healthcare sector, the Dyad leadership structure creates an enabling environment for partnerships among various departments. Under this structure, clinical leaders with medical expertise work together with their non-clinical colleagues with expertise in operations, human resources, and finance to complement each other and ensure every facet of a hospital’s operations is well-managed.

MetaECHO 2019

 

MetaECHO 2019
Image: echo.unm.edu

As the associate executive director and medical director of quality initiatives for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has spearheaded initiatives such as the creation of the AAP Quality Division. An active member of the field, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has given presentations and participated on panels for events such as the Project ECHO MetaECHO conference.

An initiative of the University of New Mexico, Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) reimagines health care education and provision as a decentralized, demonopolized knowledge-sharing community. By connecting specialist medical educators with primary care providers across the world, Project ECHO hopes to expand specialty medical services to rural and underserved communities.

Each year, Project ECHO brings together members of the global ECHO community, including government officials, medical educators, global health experts, and other health care professionals, for its international MetaECHO conference. Over several days, attendees share ideas, discuss innovative uses of technology, and network in the service of the larger ECHO vision.

MetaECHO 2019 will take place March 13-16, 2019, at the Albuquerque Convention Center & Hyatt Regency in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition to seminars and presentations on topics such as ECHO and the opioid epidemic, ECHO and behavioral health, and methods for evaluating ECHO programs, conferees can attend keynote speeches by prominent figures such as Don Berwick, MD, president emeritus of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

To learn more about the conference, please visit echo.unm.edu/metaecho-2019-conference.

American Academy of Pediatrics Issues New Report on Military Children

 

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva

A physician with a juris doctor and advanced degrees in business, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has worked in the health care field for over three decades. Since 2012, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has served as associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

A recent report issued by AAP provides updated recommendations for physicians who care for children of military families. The report, which appears in the January 2019 issue of the journal Pediatrics, updates 2013 guidelines that identify best practices for meeting the physical and mental health needs of military children who receive care in both military and civilian medical centers.

According to the report, military children move geographic locations as frequently as every two years. Research has shown that these frequent moves can lead to an increase in mental health encounters and emergency department visits. Studies have also shown that some military children are at higher risk of maltreatment and substance abuse.

To better support military children, the recent AAP report recommends that physicians work closely with military programs and community-based resources that help families of deployed service members. The report also recommends that physicians establish clinical processes within their own practices to identify military children and document their parents’ deployment and mental health histories. More information about the report and other recent work from AAP is available at www.aap.org.

AAP and the Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units

Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units
Image: aap.org

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva works as a pediatrics professor at the Medical College of Wisconsin in tandem with his role as associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). At AAP, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has led initiatives in a number of areas, including environmental health.

For more than six decades, AAP has been addressing pediatric environmental health issues such as lead poisoning and water and air pollution. Over the years, the organization has expanded its efforts to focus on other topics, including the health effects of mold, BPA and PCB exposure, and climate change.

Today, AAP works in partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Environmental Protection Agency, and American College of Medical Toxicology to oversee a national network of Pediatric Environmental Health Specialty Units (PEHSUs). The North American PEHSU network helps health care providers, parents, government agencies, and community organizations protect children and adolescents from environmental hazards.

For its part, AAP establishes and supports PEHSUs in federal regions 1-5, which cover the eastern United States from Wisconsin and Mississippi to Florida, Virginia, Maine, and other states in between. In addition to addressing questions regarding the health impacts of various environmental factors, AAP and PEHSUs across the country provide guidance during natural disasters, health news events, and community hearings.

AAP Studies Marijuana Use by Pregnant and Breastfeeding Mothers

 

Marijuana Use
Image: webmd.com

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva has spent the past 30 years serving in leadership and research roles at institutions throughout the country. In his current position, he serves as executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics, the leading organization behind some of the most important research and advances in pediatric care.

A recent report issued by AAP urges continued research into the effects of marijuana use on childhood development. With more states legalizing the drug for recreational use, research indicates that tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)–the mind-altering chemical found in marijuana–is transmitted to the fetus through the placenta and present in breastmilk as well. These facts are particularly germane given research that indicates women are using marijuana more and more to deal with the effects of morning sickness.

Researchers have found that THC can have a negative effect on neurotransmitters that are responsible for developing networks of nerve cells in children. More research is needed to study the overall effects of marijuana on childhood development, but even so, the AAP says that women should refrain from using the drug while pregnant or breastfeeding.

Common Causes of Sleeplessness in Children

 

Sleeplessness
Image: webmd.com

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva functions as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva also serves as a professor of pediatrics, critical care, and sleep medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Children can experience sleeplessness or insomnia for several reasons, ranging from unhealthy lifestyles to more complex medical issues. In certain cases, insomnia in children may be caused by something as simple as poor sleep habits that are upheld by parents or guardians. A child who does not exercise regularly and drinks soda or other caffeinated beverages shortly before bedtime will likely experience a myriad of sleep-related health issues. Similarly, children should have a fixed sleep schedule, as opposed to being able to go to bed and wake up at their discretion.

At the other end of the spectrum, a healthy, well-raised child can still experience difficulty sleeping due to underlying medical conditions, such as sleep apnea, also known as sleep disordered breathing (SDB). Children with severe SDB will develop obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a condition where most or all of the child’s airway becomes blocked, resulting in loud snoring, unrestful sleep, and constant waking up throughout the night.

Typical symptoms of insomnia in children include sudden mood swings, difficulty with memory, and a decreased attention span. If an adult believes a child is struggling with sleeplessness, he or she should discuss the situation with a trusted pediatrician.

The AAP’s Child Safety Seat Recommendations

 

Child Safety Seat
Image: aap.org

Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva earned a bachelor’s in medicine from the Armed Forces Medical College in India and a PhD in epidemiology from the University of Texas School of Public Health. Now with more than 30 years of experience in medicine, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva serves as the associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics in Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

Child safety seat recommendations have evolved over the years with the improvement of safety technology and insights gained from crash data. Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics updated its list of recommendations for parents. Among these recommendations, the organization urges parents to place their infants and toddlers in rear-facing seats until they reach the maximum height and weight, rather than turning them around to front-facing when they reach a certain age.

When children grow enough to switch to front-facing seats, they should be secured by harnesses for as long as possible. Children can still be harnessed in most seats until they reach around 65 pounds. After that, parents should put them in booster seats that allow the normal seat belt to fit properly.

Once children are able to use the seat belt normally, without assistance from a booster, they should remain in the backseat until they are at least 13 years old.

AAP Recommends Flu Shots

 

Flu Shots
Image: webmd.com

A distinguished pediatric professional with more than three decades of experience, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva serves as associate executive director of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In this role, Dr. Ramesh Sachdeva helps support policy initiatives and oversees education outreach efforts.

The AAP recently recommended that children over the age of six months get the flu shot. The severity of the 2017-2018 flu season saw the most pediatric deaths in recent memory. Vaccination remains the most effective method of preventing the flu, a disease that can have a devastating effect on even healthy children. The vaccine also provides “herd immunity,” in that it protects immunocompromised children who, for one reason or another, can’t receive the vaccine.

Nasal sprays are also an option, though in recent years they have not been as effective against the A/H1N1 strain of the infection. In the interest of having the most people vaccinated, the AAP and the Centers for Disease Control support the use of nasal sprays, but still urge the shot as the most comprehensive form of vaccination.

To read the AAP’s recommendations in full, visit pediatrics.aappublications.org.