Program Director
Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Walburn attended the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) from 1969 to 1973. He completed residency training at UNMC from 1973 to 1975 and the University of Kansas Medical Center from 1975-1976. Upon completion of his training, Dr. Walburn worked in a private clinic before taking the position of Section Chief for General Pediatrics in 1983. He has been board-certified by the American Academy of Pediatrics since 1977 and is a member of such organizations as the Ambulatory Pediatric Association, Association of Pediatric Program Directors, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Metro Omaha Medical Society. You can contact Dr. Walburn at:
982168 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE. 68198-2168
(402) 559-2263
jwalburn@unmc.edu
Associate Program Directors
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Snyder is Associate Residency Program Director at Children's Hospital in Omaha and Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at UNMC. She is volunteer clinical faculty at CUMC. She attended undergraduate at Creighton University in Omaha, from 1993-1997. She went on to medical school at UNMC from 1997-2001. From there she completed residency in Pediatrics at the combined UNMC/CUMC/Children's residency program. She also completed a Chief Resident year. Initally, Dr. Snyder practiced in Plattsmouth Nebraska in a rural UNMC outreach clinic. In 2007 she joined the hospitalist program at Children's Hospital in Omaha. She has been board certified by the AAP since 2004. She is involved in many community projects and organizations including Sarpy/Cass County Safe Kids, Metro Omaha Medical Society, Nebraska Medical Association, LB 1184 Plattsmouth group, and Free school physical clinic. You can contact her at:
8200 Dodge Street
Omaha, NE 68114-4113
(402) 955-4496
shsnyder@childrensomha.org
Sheryl Pitner, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Pitner received her M.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine in 1990. She then completed a 3-year Pediatric residency and a fourth year as chief resident in the Creighton-Nebraska Universities Health Foundation Joint Pediatric Residency Training Program. After a year on staff in the Pediatric clinic at UNMC, Dr. Pitner completed a fellowship in Academic General Pediatrics and earned an MPH at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio from 1995-1997. She has been back on staff at UNMC since 1997. Dr. Pitner has been board certified in Pediatrics since 1993 and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Ambulatory Pediatric Association, Association of Pediatric Program Directors, and the Metro Omaha Medical Society.
Cristina Fernandez, M.D.
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Dr. Fernandez received her M.D. from the Universidad Libre, Cali, in Colombia, South America . She completed her residency training in the Creighton-Nebraska Universities Joint Training Program in 2004. Dr. Fernandez joined the faculty at the Creighton University Medical Center Department of Pediatrics as a general pediatrician upon completion of her training. She is actively researching obesity and asthma in children. Dr. Fernandez is board certified in Pediatrics and is also a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association.
Department Chairmen
John W. Sparks, M.D.
Stokes-Shackleford Professor and Chairman of UNMC Pediatrics
Dr. Sparks received his undergraduate degree from MIT, and his medical degree from the Harvard Medical School. He completed residency in Pediatrics and fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine, both at the University of Colorado. His second year of that fellowship was spent at the Laboratoire du Physiologie du Development, College de France, Paris. Dr. Sparks served on the faculties at the University of Colorado and the University of Texas Medical School - Houston before coming to the University of Nebraska in 2008 as department chair.
Dr. Sparks is a highly respected researcher in the area of Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine. His research interests include metabolism, nutrition and growth of the fetus and newborn. He has many clinical interests, including neonatal nutrition and medical ethics. Dr. Sparks has also been recognized for his teaching of medical students, residents, and fellows.
Terence Zach, M.D.
Professor and Chairman of Creighton Pediatrics
Dr. Zach is the chief of the Joint Division of Newborn Medicine in the Department of Pediatrics at Creighton University Medical Center and the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Dr. Zach is also a professor in the Joint Division of Newborn Medicine at Creighton University Medical Center where he serves as the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics.
Dr. Zach received his medical degree from the University of Nebraska and completed fellowships in pediatric infectious disease and neonatology at the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Zach has published extensively and is a well-respected lecturer on a wide-range of neonatal issues. Additionally, he has served as the principal investigator on several privately- and federally-funded research studies.