Stories Behind the Cover
Editor’s Note
Michael J. Muszynski, MD, FAAP, FPIDS
Editor, The Florida Pediatrician
PUBLISHED Fall 2026 | Volume 46, Issue 4
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The cover of this issue of The Florida Pediatrician features members of the Editorial Board attending the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ (FCAAP) The Future of Pediatric Practice conference, which includes the Resident Forum. Residents from across the state submit abstracts on clinical case reports, original research, and quality improvement projects for competitive review. Selected projects are presented during the poster session, where judges evaluate the submissions and provide constructive feedback. Several Board members served this year as abstract reviewers and poster judges. The on-site judging process, during which resident authors discuss their work alongside their posters, also offers a valuable mentorship opportunity. The Forum has grown substantially in recent years; abstract submissions have doubled since 2023.
Continuing our tradition, this October issue recognizes winning abstracts and celebrates residents’ academic achievements.
We congratulate this year’s first-place winners:
- Case report
Yael Sterental – University of Miami, Holtz Children’s Hospital - Original research
Samuel Mikhail – Nemours Children’s Hospital-Orlando - Quality improvement
Simone Hunter – Memorial Healthcare System, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital
Resident scholarship complements the service of our Editorial Board. Emerging pediatricians bring fresh inquiry into the field, while experienced clinicians provide mentorship and rigorous review. Together, they advance this journal’s mission and broaden the forms of scholarship represented in each judged category.
Also, future Board photographs will include two of its newest members: Tanuja Kothinti, M.D., FAAP, a developmental-behavioral pediatrician, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, and Division Chief of Developmental-Behavioral Medicine at the University of South Florida; and Patricia (Patty) Emmanuel, M.D., FAAP, Professor and Chair Emeritus of Pediatrics at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, and past president of the Hillsborough County Pediatric Society.
Dr. Kothinti also specializes in leadership education and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Emmanuel, a pediatric infectious disease specialist whose research has focused on HIV in children and adolescents, brings extensive experience in academic leadership, clinical research, and medical publishing. She has authored 103 medical articles and seven medical textbook chapters, served on three journal editorial boards, and reviewed manuscripts for seven additional journals. Pediatricians and pediatric specialists throughout Florida and across the country recognize her as a leader in the field.