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Epilepsy affects 1% of the US population. Healthcare disparities are well-studied among adults with epilepsy but less so among children. We examined whether children with epilepsy (1) have lower income than or (2) utilize the emergency department (ED) differently from children without epilepsy, and (3) if income moderates ED utilization. Data from the 2016-2019 National Survey of Children's Health were used to identify children with active "epilepsy or seizure disorder". Children with versus without epilepsy were compared. Income and ED visits were modeled with logistic and Poisson regressions. This analysis included 131,326 children; 835 were diagnosed with epilepsy. Estimated population prevalence of epilepsy was 0.6%. Children from higher-income-households were less likely to have epilepsy (aOR: 0.7). Children with epilepsy were more likely to visit EDs (aOR = 10.2), see healthcare professionals (aOR: 2.7), and receive care from specialists (aOR: 10.3). Income moderated the relationship between having epilepsy and ED visits. 7.7% of children with epilepsy did not receive needed healthcare. Some barriers were acquiring appointments (aOR: 3.9) and transportation (aOR: 4.7). In conclusion, children with epilepsy were more likely than children without epilepsy to live in lower-income-households, visit EDs, see healthcare professionals, and not receive needed healthcare. Barrier-specific policy interventions may improve medical access for children with epilepsy., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: International medical graduates play a significant role in meeting U.S. health care needs, and contribute to a more diverse provider workforce. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, characteristics, and academic productivity of plastic surgery international medical graduate faculty., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare characteristics of international medical graduates against domestic medical graduates including demographics, trainings, academic ranks, leadership positions, number of publications and citations, and Hirsch index., Results: International medical graduates represent 10.3 percent of all 918 academic plastic surgeons in the United States, with the majority having graduated from India (16.8 percent), Brazil (8.4 percent), and the United Kingdom (8.4 percent). International medical graduates were more likely to have graduated from independent programs (OR, 5.7; p < 0.0001) and to have completed research fellowship (OR, 2.1; p = 0.0001) and burn fellowship (OR, 6.5; p < 0.0001). Programs led by international medical graduate chairs employed more international medical graduate faculty (21 percent versus 9 percent; p < 0.0001). International medical graduates had comparable Hirsch indices, number of publications, and citations, but received less National Institutes of Health funding ($32,020 versus $223,365). International medical graduates also had comparable rates of attaining leadership positions such as fellowship director and chair but required fewer years of experience to become residency director (8.3 years versus 17.3 years)., Conclusions: The contribution of international medical graduates in academic plastic surgery was evident based on research productivity, academic ranks, and leadership positions. International medical graduates are more likely to be employed in programs led by international medical graduate chairs. This study may help guide aspiring international medical graduate academics and aid in hiring decisions at academic institutions., (Copyright © 2022 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons.)

Dr Dorothy Klenke Nash (1898-1976) became the first female neurosurgeon in the United States in 1928 and maintained her status as the country's only female neurosurgeon until 1960. She graduated with her medical degree from the Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1927 and then trained at the Neurologic Institute of New York under Dr Byron Stookey. During her training, she contributed to the advancement of neurosurgical practice through academic research. In 1931, she married Charles B. Nash, and together they had 2 children, George (1932) and Dorothy Patricia (1937). Dr Nash became a senior surgeon at St. Margaret's Hospital in Pittsburgh in 1942. Shortly thereafter, she joined the inaugural University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurosurgery led by Dr Stuart N. Rowe and became an instructor of neurosurgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. In acknowledgment of her advocacy for public access to services for mental health and cerebral palsy, Dr Nash was recognized as a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania (1953) and honored by Mercy Hospital (1957), Bryn Mawr College (1960), and Columbia University (1968). She retired from neurosurgical practice in 1965, at which time she devoted herself to her grandchildren and her Catholic faith. She died on March 5, 1976 at the age of 77. With unwavering tenacity, Dr Nash paved the way for all women in neurosurgery., (© Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2021.)