Washington, DC ─ A delegation from the National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD) in Tokyo, Japan, is spending several days with Children's National Medical Center counterparts to advance ongoing dialogue around best practices in pediatric care and research.
"We are honored to meet with our distinguished colleagues who are dedicated to caring for children and adolescents in Japan and around the world," said Kurt D. Newman, MD, President and CEO, Children's National. "We look forward to fostering our relationship with such internationally renowned pediatric clinicians and researchers."
“We are pleased to meet our colleagues here in Washington, DC to continue the dialogue about best practices in pediatric care and research,” said Takashi Igarashi, MD, PhD, President and CEO, NCCHD and President, Pediatric Society of Japan. “Bringing together leaders in pediatrics will serve children worldwide, as we all seek to improve the health, safety, and well-being of our most vulnerable citizens.”
The NCCHD delegation includes:
- Takashi Igarashi, MD, PhD, President and CEO, NCCHD and President, Pediatric Society of Japan
- Akihiro Umezawa, MD, PhD, Deputy Director, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, NCCHD
- Makiko Okuyama, MD, PhD, Head, Department of Psychosocial Medicine, National Medical Center for Children and Mothers, NCCHD
- Rintaro Mori, MD, PhD, MSc FRCPCH, Head, Department of Health Policy, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, NCCHD
- Keiji Hashimoto, MD, PhD, Chief, Division of Rehabilitation Medicine and Developmental Evaluation Center, National Medical Center for Children and Mothers, NCCHD
- Tatsuhiro Yamanaka, MD, PhD, Director Ryokuen Children's Clinic and representative from the Digital Human Research Center
The relationship between NCCHD and Children's National grows out of collaboration underway in Japan initiated in response to the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear accidents. Initial efforts have focused on the need to improve pediatric and adolescent mental health care infrastructure, especially as it relates to disaster preparedness and recovery. Paramjit Joshi, MD, Chair of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, Children's National, has worked closely with her Japanese partners in designing an overall educational effort to improve capabilities in this area.
The dialogue between NCCHD and Children's National is now expanding to collaborations in research and specialized clinical care.
Delegation highlights include:
- Grand Rounds presentations by Drs. Igarashi and Okuyama on contemporary child health issues in Japan and mental health care for children and adolescents after the 2011 disaster.
- Meetings with Children's National leaders in surgical care, oncology, neurology, cardiology, emergency medicine, injury prevention, and the full complement of translational research encompassed within the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Surgical Innovation.
"We are pleased to continue the exchange with our distinguished colleagues, and look forward to opportunities to partner in advancing clinical care and research for children in the United States, Japan, and around the world," said David Wessel, MD, Chief Medical Officer, Children's National. “We all recognize the importance of working together to improve the mental health and physical well-being of our most vulnerable patients and their families."
Media Contacts: For Children's National: Paula Darte or Emily Hartman: 202-476-4500.
National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD) in Tokyo
The National Center for Child Health and Development (NCCHD), based in Tokyo, Japan, is one of five national government medical centers in Japan; the only one dedicated to pediatrics and maternal health. The NCCHD is fully sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare, and is comprised of the National Medical Center for Children and Mothers (which includes the National Children’s Hospital) and the National Research Institute for Child Health and Development. For more information, visit NCCHD.