Pediatric allergic diseases — food, drug, seasonal allergies — and anaphylaxis, a potentially life threatening allergic reaction, are on the rise and researchers are working furiously to understand, prevent and treat these conditions.

Adam Esbenshade, M.D., MSCI, assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology, has been awarded a $50,000 Hyundai Hope on Wheels Impact Award. Esbenshade plans to use data to create a risk prediction model to predict blood stream infections in pediatric cancer patients.

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has added seven new rooms to its Emergency Department (ED) to help increase the speed with which the team assesses and treats pediatric patients for minor emergencies.

Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt recently launched a chapter of Project ADAM (Automated Defibrillators in Adam’s Memory), a national organization committed to preventing sudden cardiac arrest in children and teens through education and life-saving programs.

Michelle Alvarez, center, served as patient ambassador for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt at the recent Nashville Predators Hockey Fights Cancer Night.

The American College of Surgeons (ACS) Committee on Trauma has verified Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt as a Level I pediatric trauma center, recognizing the hospital’s commitment to provide the highest level of care for injured pediatric patients.