June 22, 2026, Filed Under: NewsDell Children’s Rehabilitation Program Earns CARF Designation The Inpatient Rehabilitation Program at Dell Children’s Medical Center is thrilled to announce that it has officially earned accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF). CARF is an independent, nonprofit organization that serves as the gold standard for rehabilitation medicine internationally. The DCMC IPR team underwent a rigorous application process followed by an intensive, two-day on-site evaluation with two surveyors in late February. As part of this process, the surveyors spoke with multiple providers, leaders, and staff from across DCMC as well as patients, parents, and caregivers. By achieving CARF accreditation, the inpatient rehabilitation team demonstrated a strong commitment to upholding internationally recognized standards in caring for patients and families. This accreditation places our program in an elite category of pediatric providers. Nationally, only 20 percent of children’s hospitals hold CARF accreditation. Within Texas, DCMC is now the third pediatric inpatient rehab program to achieve this distinction and the only one in Central Texas. During the survey, CARF representatives reported that the inpatient rehabilitation team demonstrated “a strong culture rooted in compassion, teamwork, and community engagement. The inpatient rehabilitation [program] is powered by an exceptional team whose strength comes from true collaboration and a shared sense of purpose. . . . Their collective commitment makes the unit not just effective but genuinely inspiring.” The inpatient rehabilitation team will host a hospital-wide reception on Wednesday, June 24, 2026, to celebrate this achievement.
June 5, 2026, Filed Under: NewsKumar & Rizk Featured in People Magazine Story on Restoring Mobility to Paralyzed Girl In May of 2025, 2-year-old Milah Faciane suddenly became paralyzed due to a spinal arteriovenous malformation (AVM), a complex and rare condition with an incidence rate of just 0.22 per 100,000 children per year. Dell Medical School’s Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, and Elias Rizk, MD, MSc, MBA, of the pediatric neurosciences program identified the cause and led an urgent, eight-hour thoracolumbar laminoplasty to carefully isolate the abnormal vessels and relieve pressure on her spinal cord. “It was a serpentine tangle all around the spinal cord,” Kumar said of the AVM. “Time was of the essence because the longer she had a deficit, the less likely it would be to recover and be permanent. We wanted to move quickly.” Milah’s incredible progress after surgery and rehabilitation is a reminder of what timely diagnosis, specialized expertise, and coordinated follow-up care can make possible for children and their families across Central Texas. Read Milah’s full story, featured exclusively on People.com.
June 4, 2026, Filed Under: NewsIt’s Not Too Late to Register for the IMPRES Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery Conference There’s still time to register for the third annual Innovative Minds: Pediatric Research in Epilepsy Surgery (IMPRES) Conference, hosted by the Dell Children’s Comprehensive Pediatric Epilepsy Center in collaboration with the Lurie Children’s Epilepsy Center. The conference will be held from Friday, June 26, to Sunday, June 28, 2026, at Hotel Van Zandt in downtown Austin. The keynote address will be given by Carter Snead III, MD. Featured speakers are listed below. Register now by scanning or clicking on the QR code. For additional information, visit the event website or email dcmcepilepsy@ascension.org. This conference gave me a lot to think about and remember. In addition to the medical knowledge that was presented, the physicians I spoke with told stories that inspired the way I think about advocating for patients who are disadvantaged, which I hope to sustain when it comes to making clinical decisions with my team. AMAZING conference. Inspiring, educational, and enriching in so many different ways. Great speakers. Great program. Dr. Clarke was an excellent host and organizer. Topics were very well selected. Many speakers had international experience and provided a global flair offering different points of view or vision. Featured Speakers Keynote Speaker: Carter Snead III, MD, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto; Scientist Emeritus, SickKidsDave Clarke, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterJim Riviello, MD, Texas Children’s HospitalZachary Grinspan, MD, MS, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical CenterAhmed Abdelmoity, MD, Children’s MercyBernice Martin Lee, CEO, Epilepsy Foundation of AmericaIlene Miller, JD, LLM, Director, Rare Epilepsy NetworkM. Omar Iqbal, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterRosalia Costello, PsyD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterHoward Weiner, MD, Texas Children’s HospitalMonika Jones, JD, CNP, Pediatric Epilepsy Surgery AllianceRana Said, MD, Children’s Health/UT SouthwesternSteven Wolf, MD, Boston Children’s Health PhysiciansDaniel Freedman, DO, Dell Children’s Medical CenterJorge A. Vidaurre, MD, Nationwide Children’sRosario DeLeon, PhD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterElysa Widjaja, MD, Lurie Children’sLiberty Hamilton, PhD, University of California, BerkeleyGabrielle Conecker, MPH, SCN8A Alliance, DEE-P Connections, and The Inchstone ProjectAlison Kukla, MPH, Partners Against Mortality in EpilepsySandi K. Lam, MD, MBA, Lurie Children’sSookyong Koh, MD, Children’s NebraskaRaheel Ahmed, MD, PhD, University of Wisconsin–MadisonJorge Gonzalez-Martinez, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh Medical CenterDhruve Jeevan, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterChelsey B. Ortman, MD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterKaren Evankovich, PhD, Dell Children’s Medical CenterJanet Wilson, APRN, CPNP-PC, Dell Children’s Medical CenterAllie Melendez-Zaidi, MD, PhD, El Paso Children’s HospitalEmily Ramirez, DO, Dell Children’s Medical CenterAmmar Kheder, MD, Corewell Health
June 3, 2026, Filed Under: NewsBridges Receives 2026 SIOP Young Investigator Award Please join us in congratulating Rachel Bridges, PhD, on being selected as a recipient of the 2026 Young Investigator Award from the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP). Dr. Bridges was one of just 15 international awardees selected from more than 2,000 abstracts submitted for presentation at the 2026 SIOP annual congress, reflecting the significance and impact of her work. Through her leadership and scholarship, Dr. Bridges has played a pivotal role in expanding neuropsychology-focused research within pediatric neuro-oncology and hematology/oncology. Her efforts have strengthened our understanding of the cognitive, behavioral, and quality-of-life outcomes that matter most to children and families navigating cancer and neurological disease. This recognition highlights both her individual achievements and the growing contributions of our multidisciplinary pediatric neurosciences team. Congratulations, Dr. Bridges, on this well-deserved international honor. We look forward to seeing the continued impact of your work.
May 29, 2026, Filed Under: NewsBosques and Jülich Promoted Congratulations to our faculty members on their new positions! Effective August 15, the promotions recognize their continuing contributions to Dell Medical School’s broad commitment to exceptional patient care, education, discovery, and service. Glendaliz Bosques, MD, Professor, Department of Neurology Kristina Jülich, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Neurology
May 18, 2026, Filed Under: carousel, Lead Story, NewsKumar Recognized as Austin Under 40’s Medicine & Healthcare Winner Join us in congratulating pediatric neurosurgeon Kevin Kumar, MD, PhD, the 2026 Medicine & Healthcare winner for Austin Under 40. Kumar joined the faculty of Dell Medical School as an assistant professor of neurosurgery in 2024 after completing his MD and PhD at Vanderbilt University’s National Institutes of Health-funded Medical Scientist Training Program, his residency in neurological surgery at Stanford University, and his pediatric neurosurgery fellowship at Stanford. His research lab at UT Austin is dedicated to advancing the field of pediatric neurosurgery, with a primary focus on brain tumor research and development of cellular therapeutics. He was awarded a K12 in Clinical & Translational Science in 2025 and was recently appointed surgical director of Pediatric Neuro-Oncology at Dell Children’s.
May 16, 2026, Filed Under: News5 Faculty Members Named Texas Super Doctors Glendaliz Bosques, MD Jane Edmond, MD Leah Ferrante, MD Daniel Freedman, DO Louisa Keith, MD Five pediatric neuroscience faculty members—Glendaliz Bosques, MD (pediatric rehabilitation), Jane Edmond, MD (pediatric neuro-ophthalmology), Leah Ferrante, MD (fetal & neonatal neurology), Daniel Freedman, DO (epilepsy and functional disorders), and Louisa Keith, MD (general neurology, NICU and cardiac follow-up)—have been named Texas Monthly magazine’s 2026 Texas Super Doctors, a distinction awarded to physicians who have earned a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selected through a rigorous nomination and evaluation process, Texas Super Doctors represent approximately 5 percent of physicians across the state who are recognized by their colleagues for excellence in patient care, clinical expertise, research, leadership, and service. Ferrante, Freedman, and Keith were also named Super Doctors Rising Stars, which represent less than 3 percent of Texas physicians. This honor reflects the outstanding contributions of these five faculty members and underscores their commitment to advancing health care and improving outcomes for patients in Texas and beyond.
April 15, 2026, Filed Under: NewsTuberous Sclerosis Clinic Designated Center of Excellence The Tuberous Sclerosis Clinic at UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s has officially been recognized as a Center of Excellence by the TSC Alliance. The clinic is one of only three pediatric centers in Texas and the only pediatric center in Central Texas to hold this designation.Earning this distinction highlights the strength of our multidisciplinary approach and our commitment to advancing care for patients with tuberous sclerosis complex. This is an incredible milestone. Congratulations to the entire TSC team on this outstanding achievement!
April 2, 2026, Filed Under: NewsRegister for the 7th Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium UT Health Austin Pediatric Neurosciences at Dell Children’s invites you to the 7th Annual Practical Pediatric Neuroscience Symposium. Designed for pediatricians and other practitioners involved in the care of children, this event will feature interactive presentations by several of our faculty members. Each presentation will provide specific techniques and evidence-based recommendations for diagnosis and management of neurological conditions commonly encountered by the general pediatrician. Registration for this hybrid CME event (in-person or virtual attendance) is free. Register here or scan the code below.
March 24, 2026, Filed Under: NewsPavitt Appointed Chief of Pediatric Neurology Sara Pavitt, MD Join us in congratulating Sara Pavitt, MD, who has been appointed Chief of Pediatric Neurology. Dr. Pavitt will provide strategic and operational leadership for the pediatric neurology service, working closely with pediatric neuroscience co-chiefs Drs. Steve Roach and Elias Rizk to advance clinical excellence, research growth, faculty development, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Pavitt joined the Dell Medical School Department of Neurology faculty in 2021 after graduating from Chicago Medical School and completing a residency in child neurology at Stanford University and a fellowship in pediatric headache at The University of California, San Francisco. Over the past five years, she has served as Associate Chief of Pediatric Neurology, built a nationally recognized pediatric headache program and fellowship, expanded our program’s clinical trials portfolio, advanced educational innovation, and created a thriving wellness program for the pediatric neurosciences faculty and staff. Dr. Pavitt is the recipient of a Dell Children’s Excellence in Teaching Award and a Dell Med GME Clinical Learning Environment Award. She was named 2025 Clinician of the Year in the category of pediatric leadership by Ascension Medical Group and was elected to the Dell Children’s Pediatric Leadership Board in July 2025.
