Councilor for the Midwest
Jorge Vidaurre MD, FCNS, FAES, FACNS
Dr. Vidaurre is a Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology at Nationwide Children’s Hospital – The Ohio State University. He is the current Director of the Pediatric Clinical Neurophysiology Program and EEG Laboratory. He serves as Chair of the Education Task Force for the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and as the International Education Advisor for the International Child Neurology Association (ICNA). He previously served as Chair of the International Affairs Committee for the Child Neurology Society (CNS) from 2015 to 2023. Under his leadership, he fostered long-term collaborations between ICNA and CNS to establish international outreach programs and educational training programs across various world regions, including Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean. Dr. Vidaurre has also served multiple times on CNS- ICNA scientific committees.
Dr. Vidaurre is deeply involved in international collaborative programs. He has extensive experience in planning educational and training initiatives for limited-resource regions. With the continuous support of ICNA and CNS, Dr. Vidaurre has participated in collaborative efforts focused on building infrastructure, such as establishing EEG laboratories and training EEG technicians. As chair of the ILAE Education Task Force, he is developing a practical, interactive basic EEG curriculum in Spanish to be implemented in Latin American Countries.
Dr. Vidaurre actively serves in various positions within national and international societies. He is a member of the Executive Board and Scientific Committee for the Ibero-American Child Neurology Association. His roles have included Regional Leader for Latin America and member of the ILAE Global Task Force; Chair of the Global Health Special Interest Group; and member of the Scientific Program Committee for the American Epilepsy Society (AES), as well as the Advocacy Committee and Clinical Research Committee for the American Clinical Neurophysiology Society (ACNS). He received the 2022 Gold Humanism Award from the Child Neurology Society (CNS) and has been nominated as a Top USA Doctor by Castle Connolly 2023-2025.
Dr. Vidaurre has authored and published multiple peer-reviewed journal articles and has editorial experience. His research interests focus on pediatric epilepsy and global health. His study aimed at decreasing administration time for second-line therapy in status epilepticus was one of the first to demonstrate the importance of quality improvements in the treatment of neurological emergencies. He participated in the creation of the new BASED score 2021, which is used to evaluate treatment response in children with infantile spasms. The score is now used nationally and internationally. Dr. Vidaurre has published several articles on the global situation of child neurology and the importance of collaborations between high-income and low-income countries. He currently serves as an advisor for the international National Institute of Health (NIH) “Center Without Walls” Grant on antiepileptogenesis in traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Vidaurre has delivered more than 130 international lectures. Nationally, he has been an invited speaker at multiple national societies, presenting at over 20 conferences. He participates in the Professional Development Mentorship Program at ACNS and the Fellow-Mentor Program at AES. One of his primary goals throughout his academic career has been the mentoring and teaching of younger generations of child neurologists.
What have been your most important or rewarding experiences in your years with CNS or other professional organizations, and how have these experiences shaped your vision of the direction CNS might take under your leadership?
One of my most gratifying experiences as a member of the CNS was the opportunity to serve as Chair of the International Affairs Committee from 2015 to 2023. During that period, the Society facilitated the development of both short- and long-term international outreach programs aimed at supporting low- and middle-income countries. It also fostered collaborations between CNS and other international societies, such as the International Child Neurology Association and Ibero-American Child Neurology Society. I was fortunate to have the support of many members who actively participated in numerous training programs across different regions, including Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean. These projects were instrumental in building infrastructure and improving neurological care for children living in resource-poor settings. Throughout this work, I quickly recognized the strong ethical and professional values of our members and how fortunate I am to be part of this organization.
A recent survey we published in collaboration with the International Child Neurology Association demonstrated that 73% of low-income countries lack adequate access to child neurologists and that training capacity remains insufficient (Wilmshurst JM, et al. Neurology. 2023 Oct 31;101(18):798-808). Therefore, if given a second chance, I will continue to advocate for the development of international collaborations between our CNS members and colleagues practicing in these regions. I will also promote initiatives aimed at increasing our international membership.
What are the most challenging issues facing child neurologists today, and how would the CNS, under your leadership, help its members meet those challenges?
I am convinced that one of the most difficult challenges we face as child neurologists is the rapidly changing environment of our workplace. We have entered an era of megacorporations, and the health care system—both for-profit and nonprofit—is no exception. Large medical centers continue to expand, and these changes have direct implications for the practice of child neurology, with the potential to increase the already high incidence of physician burnout. Contributing factors include excessive clinical and administrative workloads, as well as insufficient time and resources to appropriately care for patients. These challenges directly affect work-life balance and psychological well-being. Additionally, it may become increasingly difficult for child neurologists working within centrally governed corporate systems to voice their opinions or suggestions. Child neurologists require long and intensive training, which makes addressing these challenges even more critical. It is important for the Society to monitor the ongoing work environment and the level of career satisfaction among its members and colleagues. The Child Neurology Society has taken steps in the past to survey the workforce of Child Neurologists (Kang PB, et al. Neurology. 2016 Sep 27;87(13):1384-92),
If elected, I plan to continue supporting the Society’s efforts to assess the current work environment in our field and to identify potential challenges and solutions. Additional surveys should carefully analyze the many factors that directly affect physician well-being and job satisfaction, including revenue systems, availability of resources, time allocation for clinical, administrative and research activities, and the degree of physician involvement in the decision-making process. I also believe our Society should provide members with a safe space to openly discuss these prominent issues. I would advocate for the creation of a Special Interest Group to raise awareness of the current situation and to address potential challenges child neurologists may face in this rapidly changing work environment, including new economic pressures and adoption of innovative technology.