New leadership in pediatrics
Dr. Catherine Gordon joined Texas Children’s Hospital as our new pediatrician-in-chief and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine on October 1, 2021. She came from Boston Children’s Hospital, where she served as the Chief of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. In this Q&A, she shares her clinical and research interests, her vision for the future and what inspired her to join the leadership team at Texas Children’s.
There are many excellent children’s hospitals in the U.S. Why did you choose to come to Texas Children’s Hospital?
We’ve all heard the phrase, “First impressions are everything.” It didn’t take me long to realize that Texas Children’s Hospital is a very special place. Not only is it ranked as one of the nation’s top five pediatric hospitals for children and women’s health, I could tell that a lot of thought and effort has been put into creating a family-friendly environment. At Texas Children’s, everybody strives to create a positive experience for patients and their families so they can feel as relaxed and comfortable as possible. In addition to our people, Texas Children’s has unique resources such as therapy dogs who help make the hospital a brighter and less stressful place for our patients. I firmly believe that compassion and small acts of kindness mean a lot to families and their children. That’s the culture I want to nurture as the new pediatrician-in-chief and chair of Pediatrics.
What are some of your priorities as pediatrician-in-chief?
As leader of one of the most clinically and academically active teams in the nation, I want to continue to solidify our position as a global leader in children’s health. I am excited about working with leadership to launch new clinical and research programs that advance care for children and adolescents, as well as initiatives that expand diversity and allow for continued strong engagements in our community.
It is important for Texas Children’s and Baylor College of Medicine to focus our collaborative efforts on community outreach. I want to combine Texas Children’s clinical and research interests in outreach to local middle and high schools to help build engagement in the Greater Houston community. We have the opportunity to get young people interested in science and medicine, and we have a ripe opportunity to bring more children in for timely primary and subspecialty services.
What innovations at Texas Children’s are you most excited about?
Today, what we once thought of as adult health issues are appearing in younger and younger people. For example, we are seeing adolescents who suffer from atherosclerosis (premature stiffening of the blood vessels) and reduced bone density. Fortunately, we have highly refined measurement and assessment tools that allow us to diagnose and treat these conditions that could be overlooked elsewhere. We have also learned so much about the genetic foundations of disease, and we have the tools to help us perform improved surveillance for other diseases and health complications. The collaborative environment at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine is integral to this. The strong partnership of clinical and research divisions truly leads to team science and advances the innovative care of children and adolescents.
Our affiliation with Baylor College of Medicine — home to one of the largest, most diverse and successful pediatric programs in the nation — gives us an amazing platform to advance important issues in children’s and adolescent health. We have talented multidisciplinary teams in a variety of subspecialty areas in pediatrics, including many highly respected and world-renowned leaders involved in cutting-edge research to optimize patient care and outcomes.
Certainly, the COVID pandemic has opened a variety of new insights for us around vaccine development. In collaboration with our pharmaceutical partners, Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development, along with other Texas Children’s teams, has been instrumental in bringing new vaccines to market against COVID-19. Texas Children’s is a strong leader in this area, and we have learned much throughout the pandemic.
Can you share your background and clinical / research interests in pediatrics?
I graduated from medical school at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill in 1991. I completed my residency in general pediatrics and fellowship in pediatric endocrinology and adolescent medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital. I later became chief of adolescent and young adult medicine and a faculty member in the Division of Endocrinology at Boston Children’s.
My special clinical interests include reproductive endocrinology and bone health. I am actively involved in research in the area of pediatric bone health — notably, ways to optimize factors such as nutrition and exercise that are important for bone development and osteoporosis prevention. My goal is for all children to enter adulthood with healthy bones. For almost two decades, I have led an independently funded adolescent bone health research group with support from the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Defense and private foundations.
I also enjoy working with adolescent athletes, including helping them through injuries and keeping them healthy. It’s rewarding to help them get back “in the game.” Of course, I was excited that Texas Children’s has an outstanding Sports Medicine Program dedicated to the care, treatment and rehabilitation of our young athletes.
Do you see yourself as a role model for younger generations of female physicians?
Of course, I would be thrilled to be a role model for adolescent girls and young women who aspire to go into medicine or science. However, it is vital that we bring more diverse voices to the table — people who enrich the world of medicine, and the world in general, with their unique backgrounds. These include individuals from various racial and ethnic communities, and with various orientations. Expanding diversity, equity and inclusion will be a priority for me as a new leader.
What do you want referring providers to know about Texas Children’s?
Texas Children’s is one of the nation’s largest and most comprehensive pediatric and women’s health care organizations, recording nearly 4.3 million patient encounters annually. We are not just the neighborhood children’s hospital — we’re that plus much more. Our renowned clinicians and scientists are constantly interacting with their peers on a national and global level.
As an internationally recognized referral center, Texas Children’s collaborates with doctors from Houston, Texas and around the world to help them provide the best care to their pediatric patients – whether they come to Houston or remain at home. We welcome communication from physicians worldwide about research and clinical matters. Whether you are a physician from Asia, Africa or anywhere in the world, or you work just around the corner from us, we look forward to the opportunity to collaborating with you to ensure your patients receive the best care.
Dr. Gordon is one of only three female pediatrician-in-chiefs among U.S. News & World Report Honor Roll hospitals in the country.