Quality Health Care For Children

The region's most comprehensive team for meeting children's health care needs joins together under one roof as University pediatrics opens its new office at the Marshall University Medical Center. The office incorporates the practices formerly known as Pediatrics Incorporated, Helping Hands Development Center, Pediatric Specialty Center and Children's Medical Center. "We have about everything covered that could go wrong with a child," said Joseph E. Evans, MD, clinical director. "We have 22 doctors right now, some of whom offer well-child visits and others who are specialist in such areas as delayed development or premature infants. We also have the area's only board-certified pediatric surgeon," In addition to nine physicians providing general pediatric care, three neonatologists and a pediatric nurse practitioner, the center has the region's only specialists in adolescent medicine, developmental pediatrics, and pediatric cancer care, infectious disease, endocrinology, gastroenterology, cardiology, critical care, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. "Being under one roof will make it very easy to handle follow-ups and referrals, and it will be especially helpful for children with multiple problems, Dr. Evans said, "also will be nice to have all of the child's charts right here: If we need to know something about a child's heart problem and that doctor is out of town, we can just get the chart and check it ourselves." "Another indirect patient benefit is that as physicians, we'll be working closely with one another day to day, sharing the latest treatment and medical information," he said. University Pediatrics' patient-centered philosophy shows in its evening and weekend hours. "We want to make it easier for working parents'" said Dr. Evans.