Councilor for the South
Tim Lotze, MD
Tim Lotze, M.D. is a Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology with tenure at Baylor College of Medicine. He is originally from Houston and received a degree in Physics from Texas A&M University. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, followed by training in General Pediatrics at Ohio State University where he served as the Chief Resident after completing his categorical training in 1999. He then returned to Houston to train under Dr. Marvin Fishman in Child Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine. Following completion of this training in 2002, he joined the Baylor faculty. Dr. Lotze’s clinical interests include neuromuscular disorders and neuroimmunology. He established the neuromuscular program at Texas Children’s Hospital in 2004 and directs the MDA Comprehensive Care Center along with related research activities. In 2004, he additionally established the neuroimmunology program at Texas Children’s Hospital and in 2016 created a related fellowship program. The neuroimmunology program has included collaborative research and educational activities through its membership in the US Network of Pediatric MS Centers (NPMSC), for which Dr. Lotze has also served as a chair. Dr. Lotze has been the Child Neurology Residency Program Director at Baylor since 2005 and has built the program to be one of the largest in the country, training seven residents in each class year. He has been recognized for his leadership in this position by the AAN in 2016 and the PECN in 2022. Dr. Lotze has served as the Chair for the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Neurology from 2021-2024. The Section is involved in the creation, review, and dissemination of educational materials and care recommendations for general pediatricians, as well as other subspecialties affiliated with the AAP. The Section of Neurology additionally works with the Child Neurology Society and the American Academy of Neurology in addressing issues related to child neurology. Dr. Lotze has been a member of the Child Neurology Society since 1999 and has been actively involved with the Professors and Educators of Child Neurology (PECN) since 2004. He has served as both a councilor (2016-2018) and president (2018-2021) of the PECN.
What key experiences within the CNS or other professional organizations have been most impactful or rewarding for you, and how have these experiences influenced your vision for advancing the strategic goals and direction of the CNS?
My membership in the Professors and Educators of Child Neurology over the past two decades has been one of the most impactful experiences in my career as a clinician educator. Having served as a councilor and president for this group certainly deepened my engagement and my commitment to its ongoing development. It has been wonderful to see the evolution of this organization from a somewhat exclusive membership to one that has become highly inclusive for all CNS members, especially for those with career interests in clinical education. I think that the ongoing growth of the partnership between the CNS and the PECN will be a key means by which the CNS becomes the principal organization for clinician educators in the field as well as a key voice for the ongoing evolution of training curricula for child neurology and neurodevelopmental disability residents.
Having been both a CNS Annual Meeting attendee and a presenter over the past years, I have had valuable experiences in networking with our members in a variety of formats to include poster sessions, special interest groups, and general sessions. These have also been opportunities for me to mentor students, residents, and junior faculty in presenting their research. Further outreach efforts and mentoring to these individuals, along with new efforts to reach those in related specialties, could further expand the breadth of the Society’s expertise. Ongoing development of the website, social media presence, and the Annals of the Child Neurology Society would all be important aspects of this effort.
Other impactful experiences for me have been my leadership roles in organizations to include the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Section of Neurology, the US Network of Pediatric MS Centers (NPMSC), and as the residency program director at Baylor College of Medicine for almost 20 years. Each has provided me with opportunities to collaborate, to build, and to learn how to navigate the expected challenges associated with the leadership role. My work in the AAP as Chair of the Section of Neurology taught me how to work within a large organization in collaboration with other pediatric specialists in the development of policies and guidelines. My tenure as the Chair of the NPMSC has included work in developing collaborative research projects, as well as in expanding the membership and educational outreach efforts of that group. Finally, being a residency program director has given me a multitude of experiences, which are all centered on a mission to advocate for and to develop the best training program for our residents.
In my role as Councilor for the South, I would look to use my cumulative experiences to help carry out the Strategic Priorities of the Society to further advance the field and improve the lives of our patients and their families.
What are the most challenging issues facing child neurologists today, and how would the CNS, under your leadership, help its members meet those challenges?
Three of the most challenging areas for our field are: (1) workforce development, diversification, and retention, (2) escalating costs of care and complexities of insurance authorization requirements, and (3) wellness and career satisfaction. The Child Neurology Society is the best organization to address these threats to child neurology.
Through its membership, the Society can work to expand the visibility of child neurology and neurodevelopmental disabilities to students through organized outreach and engagement with neurology and pediatric student interest groups at medical schools. These efforts must include a representation of our diversity as well as strategies to become even more diversified and inclusive. The CNS can also advocate for financial support of expanding residency programs. This may come through advocating for greater state grant funding for this needed specialty. Opportunities to improve the overall workforce needs for child neurology could also come through further development of CNS partnerships with the Association of Child Neurology Nurses (ACNN) and the American Association of Nurse Practitioner Neurology Specialty Practice Group. The CNS also has a critical role in advocating for neurology training for general pediatricians during residency through the AAP and the American Board of Pediatrics. Another barrier to recruitment is the overall length of training. Ongoing discussions regarding the number of years for training in pediatrics and adult neurology should be pursued to create a training curriculum that best meets the future needs of the field.
The CNS serves an important role in advocating for members’ value to healthcare systems, for their appropriate compensation, and for reducing administrative demands on physicians. Further advocacy is needed to reduce time spent on insurance authorization and other tasks that would be more efficiently managed by support staff. Communications directed to department administrators of academic practices might be of benefit in this regard. The CNS also has a role to play in position statements related to the rising costs of medications and access to best treatments for all children. This is particularly important with the advent of gene therapies for the many rare pediatric neurological diseases.
The CNS will need to continue to identify strengths and weaknesses in child neurology that affect the well-being of its members and capitalize on opportunities that could reduce burnout. Addressing the above-noted challenges will be one method to improve the wellness and career satisfaction of CNS members. Despite the challenges faced by the specialty, child neurology is a highly satisfying career for the majority of those practicing. The CNS has been a significant part of this through connections with colleagues at the annual meeting, as well as other communications throughout the year. It would be a privilege for me to serve in the role of councilor to help in identifying and developing opportunities that would move the field forward through current and future challenges.