Medscape names Dr. Stephen Kingsmore a best physician of the year

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - FEBRUARY 1, 2013 - Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics announced today that Stephen Kingsmore, M.B., Ch.B., D.Sc., FRCPath, Director of the Center for Pediatric Genome Medicine at Children's Mercy Hospital, has been named one the best physicians of the year by Medscape.

Medscape highlights his "life-saving discovery," which allows babies with genetic diseases to be diagnosed in a couple of days, instead of weeks or months.

"I am humbled by this honor and thankful to be recognized," said Stephen Kingsmore, M.B., Ch.B., D.Sc., FRCPath, Director of the Center for Pediatric Genome Medicine at Children's Mercy in Kansas City. "My hope for this technology and for the Center is to help bring innovative genomic medicine into practical clinical application to diagnose and treat children."  

Dr. Kingsmore and his team from the Center for Pediatric Genome Medicine reported a proof-of-concept process in Science Translational Medicine, called STAT-Seq®, which uses rapid whole genome sequencing to diagnose critically ill infants in 50 hours. Children's Mercy is currently the only hospital with this capability.

"Dr. Kingsmore's leadership has transformed how genetic diseases can be diagnosed and treated in children," said Randall L. O'Donnell, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer of Children's Mercy. "Children's Mercy is proud of his and his team's accomplishments and dedication to bringing pediatric genomic medicine to the forefront. Their research is making a real difference for children and their families."

About Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics

Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, located in Kansas City, Mo., is one of the nation's top pediatric medical centers. The 354-bed hospital provides care for children from birth through the age of 21, and has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as one of "America's Best Children's Hospitals" and recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center with Magnet designation for excellence in nursing services. Its faculty of 600 pediatricians and researchers across more than 40 subspecialties are actively involved in clinical care, pediatric research, and educating the next generation of pediatric subspecialists. For more information about Children's Mercy and its research, visit childrensmercy.org or download our mobile phone app CMH4YOU for all phone types. For breaking news and videos, follow us on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

About The Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine at Children's Mercy Hospital

The first of its kind in a pediatric setting, The Center for Pediatric Genomic Medicine combines genome, computational and analytical capabilities to bring new diagnostic and treatment options to children with genetic diseases. The STAT-Seq test was named one of TIME Magazine's Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2012. For more information about diagnostic tests and current research, visit http://www.pediatricgenomicmedicine.com.

 

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