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Our NICU


As the region’s only top ranked Level IV NICU, we provide the highest level of care every day to more than 80 fragile newborns. We provide advanced treatments like ECMO and therapeutic whole-body cooling that only the leading programs can offer.

Your clinical experience


Fellows train at one Level IV NICU and three metro area Level III NICUs.

Inpatient

Fellows are exposed to a variety of pathophysiology including patients with extreme prematurity, congenital anomalies, surgical conditions, and bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

ECMO

Our ECMO program launched in 1987, making it one of the highest-volume of neonatal and pediatric programs in the country. The fellow provides primary care to the ECMO patients in the NICU. The neonatal home ventilator program allows fellows to participate in the care of these infants in the NICU and also in the home ventilator clinic as outpatient.

Fetal Health Center

The Fetal Health Center provides experience with fetal therapies and delivery room management of newborns with complex pathology.

Clinic

The Neonatal Follow-Up Clinics consist of extremely low birth weigh clinic; the NEON clinic includes care of patients with congenital heart disease, HIE, CDH and the home ventilator clinic.

More about your clinical experience and rotations

Didactics series


Fellows participate in divisional conferences and didacts as well as hospital wide educational opportunities.

  • Weekly NICU education conference
  • Bi-monthly research
  • Monthly board review
  • Monthly case conference
  • Monthly faculty and fellows conference
  • Monthly journal club
  • Monthly neonatology research meeting
  • Monthly NICU M&M conference
  • Monthly pathology conference
  • Monthly perinatal conference
  • Quarterly NICU/Neuro conference
  • Quarterly special care conference
  • Quarterly transport conference
  • Annual fellow retreat

Simulation exercises

  • First-year fellows participate in a multidisciplinary "Boot Camp" facilitated by the Children's Mercy simulation center on a wide range of skills.
  • They also must complete a required, three-day ECMO course, followed by yearly simulations.
  • Monthly simulations focus on communication and advanced resuscitation.

More about the academic curriculum

Research opportunities


Each of our trainees is expected to complete a minimum of one scholarly project during the course of their fellowship, resulting in the submission of a manuscript to a peer-reviewed publication.

This is done through abundant exposure to clinical, basic science and translational research opportunities.

More about our research

Apply for the program

The NPM fellowship participates in the Fall Pediatric Subspecialty Match through the NRMP. Applications are accepted via ERAS.

Special opportunities at Children's Mercy

For those interested in clinical pharmacology, global health and health care administration, learn more about our special opportunities.

Our NPM Fellowship leadership team

Jotishna Sharma, MD, DCH, MEd
Program Director
(816) 802-1177

Charisse Lachica, MD
Associate Program Director
(816) 802-1177

Sarah King, MS, C-TAGME
Program Coordinator
srking@cmh.edu