PROVIDENCE - The Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) recently presented Dr. James Padbury with its Newborn Screening Recognition Award. This award is presented to individuals in Rhode Island who have made exceptional contributions to the practice of newborn screening.
Dr. Padbury is the William and Mary Oh - William and Elsa Zopfi Professor of Pediatrics for Perinatal Research and Vice Chair for Research, Department of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and Pediatrician-In-Chief at Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island. He has chaired Rhode Island's Newborn Screening Advisory Committee since its inception, guiding the program to ensure that the state evaluates and implements screening for new conditions at the earliest possible point to improve the health outcomes of Rhode Island's smallest citizens.
"HEALTH depends on the support of many public health partners to provide these critical screenings," said Michael Fine, MD, director of HEALTH. "Dr. Padbury is a newborn screening champion who understands how important these screenings are to public health. Under his guidance, the Newborn Screening Program continues to expand to better serve all babies born in Rhode Island."
Newborn screening aims to identify and treat health conditions as early as possible to prevent death or disability, and to enable children to reach their full potential. Rhode Island law requires birthing hospitals to screen newborns for 29 conditions, including hearing loss. The American College of Medical Genetics recommends screening for all of these conditions.
Visit www.health.ri.gov/newbornscreening for more information about newborn screening in Rhode Island.
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