New leadership team at Children's Hospital Colorado to lead largest Down syndrome center in U.S.

Denver, Sept. 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) and Children’s Hospital Colorado (Children’s Colorado) are pleased to announce the appointment of Nicole Baumer, MD, MEd, as the new director of the Anna and John J. Sie Center for Down Syndrome (Sie Center) at Children’s Colorado, the largest pediatric healthcare center for patients with Down syndrome in the United States. The Sie Center, an affiliate of GLOBAL, provides specialized Down syndrome care to more than 2,500 patients from 32 states, Puerto Rico, and 11 countries. Dr. Baumer will also serve as an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

“The future of the Sie Center is bright, and we are excited to expand our world-class research and expertise, providing even better care to our patients and their families,” said Jena Hausmann, President and CEO of Children’s Colorado. “Through collaboration and research, we hope to transform medical and therapeutic intervention for children with Down syndrome and pave the way for a bright future.”

At the Sie Center, Dr. Baumer is responsible for managing and growing a multidisciplinary team that includes Dr. Karen Kelminson, recently promoted to Medical Director overseeing clinical care, Patricia C. Winders, Director of Therapies, and Dee Daniels, RN, MSN, CPNP, Program Director. Dr. Baumer is also responsible for establishing the Sie Center as a national and international leader in clinical research.

“Dr. Baumer is exactly what the Sie Center needs during this renaissance of Down syndrome research driven by GLOBAL’s government advocacy,” said Michelle Sie Whitten, GLOBAL’s president and CEO. “We were very fortunate and grateful to have had the brilliant Down syndrome expert, Dr. Francis Hickey, on staff for over a decade, growing our subsidiary into the largest pediatric Down syndrome center in the U.S. Now, Dr. Baumer can build on that and realize his dream and our goal of extending life and significantly improving health outcomes.”

“I am thrilled to join the incredible team at Children’s Hospital Colorado,” said Dr. Nicole Baumer. “My vision is to develop a world-class clinical and research center for Down syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado. As director of the Sie Center, my focus will be on expanding clinical care, advancing clinical research, and integrating clinical, research, and advocacy efforts. It is a great honor to work with GLOBAL, the Crnic Institute, and our other affiliates and to have their support.”

As a nationally recognized physician-scientist, Dr. Baumer specializes in the treatment of individuals with Down syndrome, autism, ADHD, and other neurobehavioral disorders. Her research includes the characterization and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental profiles in Down syndrome, and the investigation of educational, behavioral, and medical interventions in neurodevelopmental disorders. She currently holds several National Institutes of Health (NIH) INCLUDE Project grants, including one investigating medical and early developmental profiles in Down syndrome, and another investigating mobility interventions for infants with Down syndrome.

“We are delighted to have Dr. Baumer in Colorado. She brings a wealth of clinical experience, strong research qualifications, and an excellent connection to the Down syndrome community,” said Joaquin Espinosa, MD, Executive Director of the Linda Crnic Down Syndrome Institute. “We look forward to many collaborations to advance biomedical research in the service of people with Down syndrome.”

Prior to joining the SIE Center, Dr. Baumer served as a child neurologist and neurodevelopmental disabilities specialist at Boston Children’s Hospital and as an adjunct professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School. At Boston Children’s Hospital, Dr. Baumer led and significantly developed the multidisciplinary Down syndrome clinical and research program.

“We are grateful for the shared commitment of the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation and GLOBAL to improving the lives of people with Down syndrome,” says Jennifer Darling, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation. “Their partnership and dedication enabled Children’s Colorado to hire a leading leader in the field of Down syndrome who will ensure exceptional care and support for patients and their families.” Dr. Baumer’s appointment as director of the Sie Center strengthens the joint mission and collaborative network among GLOBAL’s affiliates: GLOBAL, the Sie Center, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center, all on the Anschutz Medical Campus. A $4.6 million multi-year gift from GLOBAL and the Anna and John J. Sie Foundation will support Dr. Baumer’s vision to provide exceptional care to the Sie Center’s Down syndrome patients while leading research that will translate into significantly improved health outcomes for a larger and more diverse Down syndrome patient population. This brings total support to the Sie Center to more than $10 million, underscoring GLOBAL’s commitment to advancing Down syndrome research and treatment.

Dr. Baumer has over 15 years of leadership experience in the healthcare field. She currently serves as President of the Down Syndrome Medical Interest Group-USA (DSMIG-USA), Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Down Syndrome Congress, a member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board of GLOBAL, and represents DSMIG on the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Down Syndrome Consortium. Dr. Baumer has a sister with Down syndrome and brings a wealth of lifelong personal experience to her leadership role at the SIE Center.

Dr. Baumer earned her medical degree from Harvard Medical School, completed her pediatric training at Massachusetts General Hospital, and then trained in neurodevelopmental disabilities at Boston Children’s Hospital. She also holds a master’s degree in education from Harvard University’s Graduate School of Education and was a fellow in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disorders program at Boston Children’s Hospital.

For more information about the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, please visitwww.globaldownsyndrome.org

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About the Global Down Syndrome Foundation

The Global Down Syndrome Foundation (GLOBAL) is the largest U.S. nonprofit working to save lives and dramatically improve health outcomes for people with Down syndrome. GLOBAL has donated more than $32 million to establish the first Down syndrome research institute supporting more than 400 scientists and more than 2,500 Down syndrome patients from 33 states and 10 countries. Working closely with Congress and the National Institutes of Health, GLOBAL is the leading advocacy organization for Down syndrome research and treatment in the U.S. GLOBAL has a membership of more than 100 Down syndrome organizations worldwide and is part of a network of affiliates: the Crnic Down Syndrome Institute, the Sie Down Syndrome Center, and the University of Colorado Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center, all on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

GLOBAL’s widely circulated medical publications include Global guidelines for the care of adults with Down syndrome, Information on prenatal and neonatal Down syndromeand the award-winning magazine Down syndrome in the world TMGLOBAL also organizes the Be beautiful Be yourself Fashion showthe largest fundraiser for Down syndrome in the world. Visit globaldownsyndrome.org and follow us on social media Facebook, X and Instagram.

About Children’s Hospital Colorado

Children’s Hospital Colorado is one of the nation’s largest and largest nonprofit pediatric health care systems with a mission to improve the health of children through patient care, education, research and advocacy. Founded in 1908 and ranked among the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado has established itself as a pioneer in the discovery of innovative, breakthrough treatments that are shaping the future of pediatric health care around the world. Children’s Colorado offers a full spectrum of family-centered care at its urgent, emergency and specialty care centers throughout Colorado, including an academic medical center at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, hospitals in Colorado Springs, Highlands Ranch and Broomfield, and outreach clinics throughout the region. For more information, visit www.childrenscolorado.org or connect with us on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.