News

ImproveCareNow Clinical Director Shehzad Saeed, MD, FAAP, AGAF, NASPGHAN-F has announced that he will step down from his role as Clinical Director of ImproveCareNow in Fall 2026. To facilitate a smooth leadership transition and the continued momentum of ImproveCareNow, a Leadership Search Committee has assembled with representation from all ImproveCareNow stakeholder groups. The Committee has released a detailed job description and opened recruitment for a .4 FTE ImproveCareNow Clinical Director.  

The ImproveCareNow Board of Directors has announced that Clinical Director Shehzad Saeed, MD, FAAP, AGAF, NASPGHAN-F has made the decision to transition from his current role as ICN Clinical Director this fall.

ImproveCareNow (ICN) has had extraordinary success since it began 19 years ago,  increasing remission rates for thousands of young people with IBD, transforming how pediatric IBD care is provided, enlightening and exciting clinicians and other care providers, and engaging patients and parents in a shared purpose and effort. We are pleased to share our ImproveCareNow 2025 Annual Update, which includes highlights and achievements from 2025 and plans for our continued work to improve health, care, and costs for young people with IBD in 2026 and beyond.

ImproveCareNow (ICN) is excited to share that findings from a years-long observational study, Effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in pediatric Crohn's disease: Results of the REALITI study are now published in the March 2026 issue of the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. The study aimed to assess the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab in real-world clinical settings for children with Crohn’s disease, and showed that the effectiveness and safety of ustekinumab treatment were similar in pediatric patients and young adult patients. You can read more about these findings here.

Thank you to the following for mentioning and continuing to spread the news about ImproveCareNow and our work to transform the health, care and cost for kids and youth with IBD. 

According to the 2025-2026 U.S. News & World Report (USNWR) rankings, ImproveCareNow (ICN) care centers are among the best children’s hospitals in the nation, ranking at the top of the Honor Roll and in the Gastroenterology & GI Surgery specialty. USNWR rankings are based on a reputational survey sent to pediatric specialists and a data survey that is sent to a handpicked set of hospitals.

We are pleased to announce that the ImproveCareNow (ICN) Data Operations Committee has prepared and released the ImproveCareNow 2024 Data Report. This report aims to present a brief summary of patient data captured in the ICN Outcomes Registry - a pediatric IBD-specific, enhanced health registry built by and for the ICN Network.

Together, these data [in this report] showcase the vast knowledge we have all gathered. By sharing it, we hope to inspire new innovations and accelerate research into pediatric IBD. As you review this report, we encourage you to ask: What hasn't been studied yet that could help us improve remission and quality of care for children with IBD?

- Charles Samson, MD & Melanie Miner, Co- Leaders, ICN Data Operations Committee

ImproveCareNow’s (ICN) Board of Directors is pleased to kick off their FY 2026 term starting July 2025. 

For this fiscal year, the Board remains focused on key strategies for long term sustainability. At the upcoming September Board meeting, they will explore strategies presented by members of a working group convened this past February.

The Board will also review progress on the FY25-28 Strategic Plan and consider additional goals in partnership with ImproveCareNow's new Executive Director, Becky Johnson Rescola. Becky has been meeting with all of our stakeholders to listen and learn from them, and we are grateful for her leadership of the network.

The ImproveCareNow Board of Directors has announced that Becky Johnson Rescola has accepted the position of Executive Director of ImproveCareNow. Becky will begin her new position on June 2, 2025 and will be working closely with current ImproveCareNow Executive Director, Kristin Howe, as she prepares to step down by July.

ICN Incoming Executive Director, Becky Johnson Rescola

ImproveCareNow (ICN) has had enormous success since it began 18 years ago, increasing remission rates for thousands of young people with IBD, transforming how pediatric IBD care is provided, enlightening and exciting clinicians and other care providers, and engaging patients and parents in a shared purpose and work. We are pleased to share our ImproveCareNow calendar year 2024 Annual Update, which includes highlights and achievements from 2024 and plans for our continued work to improve health, care, and costs for young people with IBD in 2025 and beyond.