Biography
Dr. Sebesta received a B.S. in Biology (1987) from Davidson College and a J.D. (1991) from the University of Texas. She earned her M.D. (2001) from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine after which she completed a 3-year pediatric residency at the University of New Mexico. She joined the Department of Pediatric faculty in the Division of General Pediatrics in 2004.
Personal Statement
Dr. Sebesta cares for children of all ages but has a special interest in newborns and helping mothers to successfully breastfeed. After helping to create a room for staff, students, and faculty to express breast milk for their newborns as a young attending, she was asked to participate in education around breastfeeding for residents and students, including helping to create teaching modules used by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She became active in the New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force and helped lead a $1.5 million effort funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to increase the number of Baby Friendly hospitals and birthing centers in New Mexico, including the University of New Mexico which was designated Baby Friendly in 2014 and redesignated in 2019. She has been the pediatric medical director of the UNMH Mother Baby Unit since 2010 and continues to love caring for newborns and their families calling the Mother Baby Unit her "happy place."
Areas of Specialty
General Pediatrics
Newborn Care
Breastfeeding
Key Publications
Sebesta, Emilie, Kong, AS, Vanderbloemen, L, Skipper, B, Leggott, John, Glew, R, Burge, MR, Acanthosis Nigricans Predicts the Clustering of Metabolic Syndrome Components in Hispanic Elementary School-aged Children ,รข€ J Pediatr Endocrinol Metab., 25(11-12):1095-102, Sebesta, Emilie, Ramos, MM, Sebastian, RA, McConnell, AE, McKinney, CR, Missed Opportunities in the Outpatient Pediatric Setting to Support Breastfeeding: Results From a Mixed-Methods Study J Pediatr Health Care , , https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2018.06.004. Sebesta, Emilie, Goens, Rao, S Myers, M, Cardiology in the Young, 1-5doi:10.1017/S1047951120002899, Sebesta, Emilie, Goens, Rao, S Myers, M, Cardiology in the Young, 1-5doi:10.1017/S1047951120002899,
Gender
Female
Languages
- English
- Spanish