Children's National Health System

TABLE OF CONTENTS Interested in receiving Advancing Pediatrics? Visit www.ChildrensNational.org/PubSignUp or call 202-476-4500 to be added to our mailing list for the next issue! Kurt Newman, MD PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Mark Batshaw, MD EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND PHYSICIAN-IN-CHIEF Susan Muma MARKETING AND PHYSICIAN RELATIONS DIRECTOR Sienna Tomko MANAGING EDITOR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRUE NORTH Haley Johnson ACCOUNT MANAGER Eric Jackson CREATIVE DIRECTOR Victoria Carlson SENIOR DESIGNER Angela Williams COPY MANAGER Thomas Crocker, Michael Ferguson, Valerie Lauer, Melissa Moore, Tiffany Parnell, Colin Stayton, Rachel Stewart, Jonelle Todd, Laura Ward, Jennifer Webster CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Visit us on the Web at www.ChildrensNational.org. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SENDING YOUR PATIENT to us for pediatric specialty care is a big decision. You are trusting us to care for that patient and to communicate with you about the course of treatment. When you make that referral, you are asking us to join your team. At Children's National Health System, we work hard to ensure that we are not only providing the very best care to the patients you send us, but we also are focused on addressing access issues, enhancing communication, and expanding staff to ensure we can provide the very best care. This issue includes several stories about surgery at Children's National. The Aerodigestive Clinic is an example of Children's careful evaluation of each individual case and thoughtful consideration as to the best course of action. The program is designed to allow a variety of specialists to evaluate complex patients in a single visit and, as a team, to determine the best course of treatment for that particular case. Sometimes the answer is going to be surgery, but sometimes not. This kind of individualized treatment, focused on the subtle differences in each patient's needs, is at the core of our service delivery. When surgery is called for, we want you to understand the patient/family experience, so we've included an overview of the surgical experience at Children's National. The support staff around surgery offers enhanced experiences for children and families—including specialty nursing, child life specialists, and concierge services. One of the most important announcements in this issue is the Referring Physician Access Line. This line is part of our plan to improve access and communication with community physicians, and it will be answered by specially trained staff who are solely responsible for connecting you with the answers you need. I hope you enjoy this issue, and I look forward to our continued collaboration as we work to give all kids the best chance at a bright future. Together, we stand for children. Sincerely, Kurt Newman, MD FETAL MEDICINE The Fetal Medicine Institute is one of the only programs in the nation that focuses on identifying abnormalities in both the fetal heart and brain. OPTOMETRY Children's National Health System welcomes Jacqueline Elise Pokusa, OD, pediatric optometrist, to its team of specialists. 14 10 TELEMEDICINE For children dealing with type 1 diabetes, the right care and support is paramount. Children's National Health System now uses telemedicine to improve geographic access to much needed diabetes services. 15 Surgical excellence stems from experience, and surgeons at Children's National Health System perform upward of 18,000 procedures annually. 6 SURGERY VIDEO RESEARCH REFERRAL WEB RESOURCES

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