Montefiore Einstein Physician-Researcher Awarded $4.2 Million National Institutes of Health Grant to Advance Asthma Care

July 28, 2016–(NEW YORK)– Marina Reznik, M.D., M.S., attending pediatrician in the department of pediatrics (general pediatrics) at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, (CHAM) and associate professor of pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, has been awarded a $4.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to launch a five-year research study to increase adherence to national asthma management guidelines and improve clinical outcomes for children with the chronic illness.

Marina Reznik, M.D., M.S.“Asthma disproportionately affects low-income, minority children living in inner cities such as the Bronx,” said Dr. Reznik. “The use of national guidelines by healthcare providers reduces asthma-related complications by 70 percent, yet these guidelines are not used consistently. The goal of this effort is to elicit an in-depth conversation between providers and patients/families that will enable us to more effectively manage children’s asthma and curb care inconsistencies.”

The new NIH grant will allow Dr. Reznik to lead a rigorous randomized trial in 20 Montefiore Medical Group outpatient sites to find out why national asthma management guidelines aren't being used. The goal is to improve clinical outcomes of children ages 2-12 years old with persistent or uncontrolled asthma. The study, which launches this month, will use new Electronic Health Record software to alert doctors, through enhanced computer prompts, to ask a nationally recognized set of questions to assess asthma severity and control. The prompts will also guide physicians in their decision-making process on how to best address and control the patient's asthma. In addition, caregivers of children with persistent severe asthma will receive enhanced education, care coordination and support to overcome barriers to guideline-based care.

“Dr. Reznik is an exceptionally talented physician-scientist who excels in both her clinical and academic roles,” said Philip O. Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D., chief operating officer at Montefiore and professor of pediatrics and of epidemiology & population health at Einstein, who has served as a mentor throughout Dr. Reznik’s career. “We are privileged that she continues to advance her career at Montefiore and Einstein.”

"The goal of this effort is to elicit an in-depth conversation between providers and patients/families that will enable us to more effectively manage children’s asthma and curb care inconsistencies."

– Dr. Marina Reznik

The team-based project aims to help providers adopt asthma care guidelines more effectively and efficiently. The project will also assess whether a practical system change might help children and caregivers in urban areas adhere to the guidelines.

Dr. Reznik, who emigrated from the Ukraine in 1990, is a prolific researcher who has authored more than 50 articles, book chapters, and editorials on the development and evaluation of community and school-based interventions to improve healthcare services and outcomes for medically underserved children. The study funded by this NIH grant builds on a breadth of asthma research conducted by Dr. Reznik and the team at CHAM, including 2013 research published in the journal Asthma, which found that caregivers often administer asthma medication improperly, which can lead to continuing or worsening symptoms.

Dr. Reznik graduated from Einstein in 2000 with Alpha Omega Alpha honors, followed by her masters of science in clinical research with distinction as part of the Clinical Research Training Program at Einstein. Dr. Reznik completed her residency in social pediatrics at Montefiore in 2003 and her clinical research fellowship in 2005. She has advanced her clinical and research career at Montefiore and Einstein with mentorship and guidance from leaders at both institutions.