Dr. Christen M. Russo Awarded POSNA Research Award
Christen M. Russo, MD was awarded the POSNA Research Award for her work on promoting bone health. The study, titled "Promoting Bone Health in Communities: Early Use of Calcium and Vitamin D Supplements," aimed to educate the pediatric population regarding the importance of Calcium and Vitamin D from the perspective of community bone health in the pediatric orthopedist’s urban office.
"My grant focuses on bone health in the community, looking at how to reach my patients and effectively educate them on the importance of calcium and vitamin d as part of a child’s lifestyle," said Dr. Russo. "The disparities in health care and in my own patient population are astounding – bone health should not be boutique medical care; I am trying to make is standard for all children in my practice."
Dr. Russo is striving to reach this goal by creating parent and child friendly infographics to help her patient population better understand simple diet and nutrition, supplementation and the importance of adequate Calcium and Vitamin D in the healthy child’s diet. The infographics include:
- Pamphlets with detailed information regarding bone health, Calcium, and Vitamin D
- Specific supplement lists, geared towards children, empowering parents to choose the proper dose with ease
- Magnets depicting foods rich in Calcium and Vitamin D for both children and parents to easily reference
- Office Posters depicting Calcium and Vitamin D rich foods
As a result of Dr. Russo's work, parents and children have expressed satisfaction and have a better understanding of their child's supplement reccomendations.
