Edward G. Shepherd, MD, has been appointed Chief of the Section of Neonatology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Shepherd has served as a neonatologist at Nationwide Children’s since 2005 while also holding a role as assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. In 2010, he was named Interim Section Chief of Neonatology and Interim Program Director of the Comprehensive Center for Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia.
“Dr. Shepherd is the ideal physician leader to support and enhance the delivery of the highest level of newborn care available anywhere,” said Rich Brilli, MD, FAAP, FCCM, Chief Medical Officer at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Having completed his residency and fellowship here at Nationwide Children’s and joining our medical staff six years ago, he has exhibited expertise as a clinician and as a researcher, as well as an outstanding educator. Nationwide Children’s Section Chiefs are highly visible leaders in the hospital’s drive to improve patient safety. Dr. Shepherd has been a tireless and innovative leader in that leadership role to provide the safest possible care to these very fragile infants.”
His clinical interests focus on bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) and developmental care of the vulnerable infants. He is currently involved in several studies of the diagnosis and progression of BPD as well as the best developmental care for infants so afflicted. He regularly presents on neonatology topics, most recently focusing on the presentation, diagnosis and management of infants with congenital anomalies and the ethics of neonatal care.
Dr. Shepherd will lead one of the largest neonatal centers in the United States with 191 beds located at Nationwide Children’s and at satellite nurseries through the region. Patients are referred from throughout the region for Nationwide Children’s specialized care and expertise in extreme prematurity and complex conditions such as BPD and infant feeding disorders.
During his tenure, Dr. Shepherd has been instrumental in developing guidelines for treating extremely premature infants. The Small Baby Guidelines provide a uniform, interdisciplinary approach to family-centered care for the most delicate infants. A few years ago, the survival rate for babies born at 23 weeks was 10 percent. Today, the survival rate at Nationwide Children’s is 63 percent due to the standardized care that these guidelines provide. After implementing the guidelines, a 10-bed small baby pod was created within the Nationwide Children’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) which provides a quiet environment with controlled lighting.
Dr. Shepherd graduated with his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. From there, he came to Nationwide Children’s where he completed his pediatric residency and neonatal/perinatal medicine fellowship. He has authored numerous studies on neonatology topics including BPD, quality outcomes and necrotizing entercolitis (NEC). Dr. Shepherd also serves as Physician co-chair of developmental steering committees at Nationwide Children’s and Riverside Methodist Hospital.
NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Dr. Shepherd is a resident of Columbus, zip code 43220.
Dr. Edward Shepherd, chief of the Section of Neonatology