Kootenai | Kootenai Health | Issue 1, 2018

Hospitalists Devoted to Pediatric Care Special care for your little one Have questions about the pediatric services at Kootenai Health? Visit KH.org/pediatrics . Leila Ford, M.D. By Stacie Jones Children who are hospitalized require special around-the-clock attention. “Children are not small adults; their bodies work differently, and they can’t always say what is bothering them,” said Keri Heilman, pediatric nurse manager at Kootenai Health. “They need doctors who are specially trained in pediatrics to care for them when they are sick or injured.” To better serve these patients, Kootenai has added three pediatric hospitalists who specialize in diagnosing and treating children in the hospital. As board-certified pediatricians who don’t maintain outpatient prac- tices, the new hospitalists are readily available to children and families during their hospital stay—24 hours a day, seven days a week. “Our pediatric hospital- ists are dedicated solely to overseeing the care of hos- pitalized pediatric patients and to responding quickly to their needs,” Keri said. The pediatric hospitalists— Mark McConnell, M.D.; Leila Ford, M.D.; and Randi Edwards, M.D.—work closely with primary care physicians and specialists to ensure seamless care. “By maintaining close working relationships with both the child’s primary care provider and our subspecialty colleagues at Sacred Heart Children’s Hospital, we hope more children in the community will be able to receive needed care here at Kootenai Health without having to travel out of state,” Dr. McConnell said. The hospitalists support pediatric care throughout the hospital. They provide surgical consults, respond to emergencies and traumas, treat newborns, and collabo- rate with behavioral health specialists. They also are instrumental in developing new procedures, protocols and programs designed to standardize and improve pediatric care at Kootenai. “Our goal is to continue to grow and improve our pediatric program so we are able to treat more kids, close to home,” Keri said. Randi Edwards, M.D. MarkMcConnell, M.D. KH . ORG 5