CHOP Autism Expert Honored with Prestigious Award during 2017 AAP Conference

CHICAGO, Sept. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Susan E. Levy, MD, MPH, Director of the Autism Integrated Care Program at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), is this year's recipient of the Arnold J. Capute Award, given by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The award was presented to her on Sept. 16 at the AAP Conference in Chicago.

The Arnold J. Capute Award is presented each year to an AAP member for outstanding contributions in the field of children with disabilities. The award is named after Arnold J. Capute, MD, FAAP, who has been credited as one of the founding fathers in the field of developmental pediatrics and neurodevelopmental disabilities. Dr. Levy met Dr. Capute when she was a fellow at Kennedy Krieger Institute in 1982.

"I am truly honored to receive the Arnold J. Capute Award, particularly given the outstanding character and accomplishments of previous awardees," says Dr. Levy. "It has given me the opportunity to look back on my career to draw insight about the road I have traveled, and appreciate all who have contributed to the health and wellbeing of children with disabilities." 

Dr. Levy has practiced at CHOP for over 30 years, spending her entire professional and academic career in the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics. In 1999, she launched the Hospital's Autism Integrated Care Program, which evaluates more than 300 new patients for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) every year. Dr. Levy is also a professor of Pediatrics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), and a member of several organizations focused on treating children with disabilities, including the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) where she serves as Chair of the Quality and Patient Safety Committee, working closely with DBP fellows and other divisional staff on division-based quality improvement activities to improve care and safety of children with developmental disabilities.

Dr. Levy also works with the Center for Autism Research, the Center for Public Health Initiatives at Penn, and the Institutional Review Board of CHOP. Her research includes early identification of children with ASD, epidemiology of ASD, clinical shared decision-making, and complementary and alternative medical treatments of ASD. She is also Chair of the Autism Subcommittee for the Council on Children with Disabilities of the AAP.

"We are extremely proud of Dr. Levy's contributions to understanding the diagnosis, treatment, and epidemiology of autism spectrum disorders," says Nathan Blum, MD, Chief of the Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at CHOP. "Dr. Levy has spent her career focused on improving the health and well-being of children with disabilities. She is an international leader in autism clinical care and research, and her work has improved the lives of countless children with autism and their families."

About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 546-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu.

Contact:
Natalie Virgilio
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
267-426-6246
virgilion@email.chop.edu

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SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia