The Inner Circle Acknowledges, Paul Delbert Winchester, MD as a Top Pinnacle Neonatologist

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May 13, 2024, 15:00 ET

BARGERSVILLE, Ind., May 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle, Paul Delbert Winchester, MD is acknowledged as a Top Pinnacle Neonatologist for his contributions in Neonatology.

Dr. Winchester, an esteemed neonatologist with a career spanning over four decades, has made significant contributions to the field of neonatology and pediatric care. His dedication to the well-being of infants and children has earned him recognition as a leading expert in the field.

Currently serving as the Professor of Neonatology at the Riley Hospital for Children at Indiana University Health in Indianapolis, and attending Neonatologist at St. Francis Hospital, Indiana, Dr. Winchester has been at the forefront of neonatal acute care since 1981.

Dr. Winchester is renowned for his innovative and comprehensive approach to clinical care. His emphasis on understanding patients' medical histories and a strong focus on preventive measures has set him apart as a practitioner who goes above and beyond to ensure the well-being of the young patients under his care.

His educational journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in experimental psychology from Stanford University in 1970. He continued to excel academically, earning a Master of Arts from the University of Michigan in 1972 and a Doctor of Medicine Internship and Residency in pediatrics in 1979, and Fellowship in Neonatology 1981 at the University of Colorado Medical Center in Denver. The board-certified physician is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is currently affiliated with Indiana University School of Medicine as a Clinical Professor and Riley Hospital, Eskenazi Hospital, Francis Hospital, Indianapolis, as medical staff. The doctor is board-certified in pediatrics and neonatal and perinatal medicine; is a PALS provider; and is an NRP Instructor/provider.

Throughout his career, Dr. Winchester has achieved several remarkable milestones. Notably, he holds the distinction of being the first neonatologist to practice outside of Denver, Colorado. He developed the first Level III NICU outside of Denver in Colorado in 1981, which tripled survival rates in very low birth-weight babies in 6 months; developed Neonatal Nurse Practitioner Program with Marsha London, RN at Beth-El School of Nursing, Colorado Springs; was a member of the First Neonatal Transport Team for Fort Carson Army Mast Helicopters, as well as Mayo Fixed Wing medical transports; Neonatal Fellowship (Beth Murdoch) program with Bill Haye, MD CUMC; Resuscitation and intubation labs for Southern Colorado Family Practice Program in Pueblo, Colorado.
Dr. Winchester has made several significant contributions to the field of neonatology making him a world-renowned physician. Dr. Winchester developed the first High Frequency Ventilator in Colorado with designs incorporated into commercial HFJV now in use; introduced High Frequency Ventilation to Colorado, Kansas and New Hampshire; was awarded a March of Dimes grant to begin the first Prematurity Prevention Program in Colorado in 1982 along with Maria Carlos and Robert Creasy MD; had the first reported use of prenatal steroids in preterm labor mothers <28 weeks gestation, which doubled survival rates and cut severe IVH rates in half; was the first to use post-natal steroids to treat BPD in Colorado which was adopted by Gordon Avery Washington Children's Hospital; helped develop ultrasound as a diagnostic test for neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage along with Carol Rumack, MD; developed clinical care flow sheet which is under the Baby's Benefit copyright; and discovered that preterm birth is heritable. Dr. Winchester adds that he developed Paul's three rules: 1) if you have it you've always had it 2) if you have it, your family has it 3) if you have it you "marry" it, (choices of place to live, place to work, profession, likes and dislikes, are all informed by your genome).

Among his great accomplishments, Dr. Winchester, along with colleague Rodney Levine NIH, is credited with making the groundbreaking discovery in Kansas City that a phenol-based germicide used to clean bassinets was a cause for newborn jaundice. He also organized mentorship programs for Blue Valley High School and Shawnee Mission School District and entered into a congressional agreement with manufacturers (Merk) to not market to newborn care facilities.

In New Hampshire, he discovered that prenatal steroids influence the post-menstrual day of discharge from the NICU by accelerating physiological maturity with Robert Darnell Dartmouth Medical Center. During his time in Indiana the doctor discovered that the two leading causes of Infant Death (birth defects and preterm birth) both peak in the months of peak pesticides in US surface waters and went on to discover that 93-99% of pregnant Hoosier mothers are exposed to the weed killer glyphosate (GLY) (aka Round Up), and that higher levels of glyphosate shorten pregnancies, which leads to premature birth in some and reduces fetal growth. After Winchester and colleagues finding that a majority of US Women are exposed to glyphosate, the CDC and other investigators confirmed the findings and added additional adverse effects to the list including the additional impact of AMPA (the main metabolite of glyphosate), masculinization of female genitals and predisposition to fatty liver disease.

With collaborator Mike Skinner from WSU, Dr. Winchester found that GLY induces epigenetic changes in exposed offspring which translated into "heritable" diseases such as obesity, perinatal mortality, and multiple disorders and has contributed numerous abstracts and presentations for more than 20 years to the annual Academic Society for Pediatrics, formerly SPR. He has a plethora of grants that have made much of his research possible. Dr. Winchester's work history includes serving as the Director of Neonatology at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs from 1981 to 1990 and a faculty role at the University of Colorado, where he shared his expertise by teaching clinical pediatric coursework from 1985 to 1986. He has more than 40 years practicing in Neonatology, founding two level III NICUS at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs, Colorado and Overland Park Regional Medical Center in Kansas where he directed four NICUS including one at Elliot Hospital, NH and St. Francis Hospital, IN.

He is an esteemed member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics where he is distinguished as a Fellow; District VIII Perinatal Medical Society; Subspecialty Board Neonatology at the American Academy of Pediatrics; and was a clinical instructor at the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado and the University of Kansas (KUMC). Dr. Winchester has also received numerous distinctions and awards during his illustrious career including: Stanford Management Intern (SNIP) of the Year Award in 1968; graduated with honors from Stanford University in 1970; is a recipient of the Franklin P. Gengenbach Award for Best Pediatric Student in 1974-1975; March of Dimes "Make a Difference" Award in Greater Kansas City in 1991; Red Shoes Award at Riley Hospital in 2005; Indiana Public Health Association's Tony and Mary Hulman Achievement Award for Health Science Research in November 2013. The Top Doc Award in the Indianapolis Monthly Magazine in 2014, 2016-2021; Castle Connolly Top Doctor Award in 2016.

Dr. Winchester is a highly sought-after professional and expert in the field and has served in many other capacities during his career including being a member of the NAS Multi-disciplinary Task Force at St. Francis Medical Center; founded and supported the Annual Perinatal Conference "Growth and Challenge" in Colorado Springs, Colorado; and supported as Clinical Advisor Research Fellowship by Amira Bastawisi, MD-Risk Factors for Premature Birth in Colorado Research tool developed by P.S. Winchester and Elizabeth Kyre. He has been an invited lecturer at numerous conferences including The Iowa Governor's Conference on Public Health where he was the keynote speaker and the Indianapolis Healthy Babies Consortium Meeting as a featured speaker. As a renowned researcher, with presentations from 2001-2024 at annual Academic Pediatric Society Meetings, Dr. Winchester has countless IRB's adding to the body of work supporting neonatal care and other medically relevant studies. He is both a mentor to numerous trainees, students and professionals and at the forefront of Pediatric and Neonatology research and development, saving countless lives and improving the odds for hundreds of infants and mothers.

The doctor is a consummate supporter of the community including Greenwood High School Honors Biology Research Program with Becky Kehler (now in Sarasota County Schools, Fla). He worked with the Marion County Prosecutor's Office as a consultant and has supported Johnson County 4-H Fair as a Grand Champion in Artistic Painting.

Looking ahead, Dr. Winchester envisions a future filled with continued growth and success in the field of neonatology and pediatrics. He is pursuing the next steps in protecting pregnant women from unwanted chemicals now contaminating them while pregnant. He explained, "Our discovery of glyphosate in most pregnant women is just one of a litany of chemicals now found in every life form on the planet. The capacity of these chemicals to alter the DNA of our offspring, inducing diseases across generations, is the next big challenge which we heretofore weren't aware of. Infertility is the worst of these chemicals' effects since it will lead to the inability of the human race to reproduce naturally if not altered." The doctor added that, "The privilege of treating sick newborns comes with the responsibility to find the origin of their diseases: preterm birth, birth defects, fetal growth restriction and their impact of cognitive and physical development of our children. Most chronic diseases today have their origins in ancestral environmental contaminants through epigenetic fetal changes. We are perfecting the means of keeping preterm babies alive, but they should never have to be born premature or sick in the first place. Our next big step is to provide the pharmacological, proteomic, probiotic, nutritional and medical, and psychological means to prepare women and their spouses for an optimal state of health before they become pregnant. This will include chemical surveillance, epigenetic and genetic surveillance and counseling, and may, one day, include modifiers for both genetic and epigenetic risk variants." Dr. Winchester's current primary research focuses on the role that prenatal herbicides impact the pregnancy, fetal development and long-term neuro-psychological development of exposed offspring including the potential role these contaminants have on childhood conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention, anxiety, depression disorders. His other research interests also include Physiological Maturation of the Neonate and Readiness for Discharge; III Neonatal Data Systems, Computerization of OB/Neonatal Data Base; and Sleep Study Program at Overland Park Regional Medical Center.

Aside from Dr. Winchester's incredible career and influence in the medical field, he is a former athlete excelling in many sports including football where he was an All-State Athlete at Bozeman Senior High School and Division Champion in wrestling for Pacific Coast Small Colleges in 1967 at Lewis and Clark. He grew up on Winchester Angus Cattle Ranch in Bozeman, Montana. The doctor has more than 4 decades of extraordinary experiences, collaborating with national and international professionals. He has lived in Ankara, Turkey, studied in Tours, France and Edinburgh, Scotland, and speaks French, Spanish, and some German. While Dr. Winchester's professional achievements are indeed noteworthy, he considers his most gratifying accomplishment to be the extraordinary success of his four children, 3 grandchildren and counting, and wife, Deb, who remains his most important partner in life.

Reflecting on his journey, Dr. Winchester acknowledges the influence of his parents, Burl Winchester and Carolyn Winchester; Mark Winchester MD (brother); Band director Percy Bronson; 4th grade teacher Mrs. Knoll; Wrestling and Football Coach Tom Le Prouse; Bozeman Senior High School; Del Weber, former President of California Teachers Association; Gordon Bower PhD Professor, Stanford University; Cy Gilbert director, Plans Programs American Airlines; Robert Bjork PhD Professor UCLA; Patrick O'Meara MD and Sharon Langendorfer MD at the University of Colorado Medical Center; Thomas Bouchard, University of Minnesota (Minnesota Twin Study); Ernie Beal MD Elliot Hospital; William Edwards MD, Dartmouth Medical School; James Lemons MD , former Chief Division of Neonatology Riley Hospital for Children and Indiana University School of Medicine, and early teachers who encouraged his pursuits. He also pays tribute to Dr. James A. Lemons, MD, the Chair of the Neonatal Department at the Indiana University School of Medicine, as a significant mentor who shaped his career along with his wife, Deb Winchester.