Valley Children’s awarded $1 million

Residency program gets honor

Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency program, affiliated with Stanford University School of Medicine, has received one of four national Advocacy Training Grant awards from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

As part of the honor, two program leaders — Dr. Jolie Limon and Dr. Janae Barker — represented Valley Children’s at last week’s AAP Legislative Program in Washington, D.C. The grant recognizes residency programs seeking to strengthen advocacy training within their institutions.

“With our new residency program and the state of the health of our local children, there is tremendous opportunity for teaching advocacy to our residents and creating awareness around our faculty,” said Limon, chief of pediatrics and executive director of medical education.

Valley Children’s Pediatric Residency Program also received a $1 million gift from the Richard Berberian family of Fresno. This gift established the Richard and John Berberian Chief of Pediatrics Endowed Chair and the Richard and John Berberian Pediatric Residency Program Endowment.

The Endowed Chair, filled by Limon, is a position structured to lead Valley Children’s entire Medical Education program. The Residency Program Endowment will specifically fund the needs of Valley Children’s Residency Program. The first class of 13 residents arrives in June.

“As Valley families, we have been the recipient of their high standard of care that is provided in a loving, joyful and caring atmosphere,”said Barbara Berberian, speaking for the Berberian family. “We are thankful to have the opportunity and are honored to become a contributing member of this very special place called Valley Children’s Hospital.”

The Richard Berberian family’s gift is in honor of the late Richard and John Berberian. John, one of Richard’s sons, died in 2005 at the age of 29 days from his graduation at Tulane University School of Medicine. He was set to go to Georgetown University for a residency in neurosurgery. The family established the endowment to enhance the mission of the residency program.

Valley Children’s faculty-resident team will kickoff an educational project in collaboration with its AAP chapter by hosting a Central Valley Healthcare Disparities Panel Discussion on July 13 at the hospital. It will focus on healthcare disparities in Central California.

The Central Valley is one of the poorest areas in the nation and is severely underserved in terms of pediatric physicians, critical to the 1.3 million children Valley Children’s serves, according to the hospital.

For information, visit www.valleychildrens.org.