Mike A. Gittelman, MD

Biography

I’ve wanted to be a pediatrician since I was 11 years old and emulated my own pediatrician. During my residency, I was very interested in pediatric emergency medicine. I realized one of the most satisfying aspects of medicine was to care for the sickest patients and diagnose problems children were facing in the moment.

As a pediatric emergency medicine physician, I have a special interest in injury prevention. I also co-direct the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center at Cincinnati Children’s.

When children are ill, or parents are concerned about their child, they seek answers for how best to care for them. It’s my job to make sure families are well informed and their children receive the best clinical care in an efficient manner. After more than 20 years in pediatric emergency medicine, I have seen many different pediatric cases. This experience gives me a wide array of expertise to diagnose patients effectively and in a timely fashion.

During my career, I have been fortunate to win several honors that highlight the injury prevention research I’ve accomplished and the injury prevention programs I have led. These awards are for local, regional and national accomplishments, such as:

• A state-wide bicycle helmet intervention
• A gun safety program in the pediatric office setting
• A hospital-based safe sleep quality-improvement program
• An injury quality-improvement program for practicing pediatricians

The two awards that I am most proud of include the Cincinnati Children’s Advocacy Award for community work, where I helped lead a team to reduce injuries in one Cincinnati community by more than 40 percent. The national award is the American Academy of Pediatrics Fellow Lifetime Achievement Award for Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention. This was awarded to me by my peers for the injury prevention work I have accomplished over my career.

I served as the chairperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section on Injury and Poison Prevention. I am a board member and past president of the AAP’s Ohio Chapter. Currently, I serve as the vice chair for District V of National AAP overseeing AAP chapters in Michigan, Indiana, Ontario and Ohio.

In my research, I focus on the number one cause of morbidity and mortality to children —intentional and unintentional injury. The majority of these injuries are preventable, and I would like to reduce them so children may grow up to live healthy and productive lives.

During my free time, I enjoy playing ice hockey, which I have played since I was 5 years old.