Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/298497
A FTER STARTING AS a day nurs- ery nearly 125 years ago, Akron Children's Hospital is now the largest pediatric healthcare provider in the region. It has also grown to be one of the top 10 children's hospitals in the nation for surgical patient volumes, according to Dr. Robert Parry, Director of Pediatric Surgery. "A kron Children's handled more than 780,000 patient visits and nearly 15,000 surgeries in 2013," he says. "So it's an extremely busy place, and we're still growing." A general pediatric surgeon, Dr. Parry was recruited in 2011, along with Drs. Todd Ponsky and Oliver Soldes, to join Akron Children's General Pediatric Surgery Department. Dr. Mark McCollum, an independent general pediatric surgeon on Akron Children's staff since 2003, joined the team in 2012. Two more general pediatric surgeons – Dr. John Crow and Dr. Aaron Garrison – were recruited in 2013. "John joined us from a private group as Chairman of the Department of Pediatric Surgery," Dr. Parry explains. "We hired Aaron after he completed his pediatric surgery fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital last summer. Cincinnati has one of the top programs in the country, so he was very sought after. We were fortunate to recruit him to help with our growing demand for services." "Pediatric surgeons are difficult to recruit because there are so few of us," says Dr. Soldes. "To bring four on board from outside the area in a span of two to three years is phenomenal — almost unheard of." Explosive Growth According to Dr. Ponsky, the surgery volumes at Akron Children's are exploding. By Alex Strauss and Robert Janek PHOTO COURTESY OF AKRON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL Akron Children's Hospital is the largest pediatric healthcare provider in the region and one of the top 10 children's hospitals in the nation for surgical patient volumes. Pictured here are the six members of Akron Children's General Pediatric Surgery Group (L-R): Aaron Garrison, MD, Oliver Soldes, MD, Mark McCollum, MD, Robert Parry, MD, Todd Ponsky, MD, and John Crow, MD. Growing Strong Pediatric Surgery at Akron Children's: SPECI A L FE AT UR E 1 2 | Cleveland/Akron/Canton MD NEWS ■ M D N E W S . CO M ■ M AY/J U N E 2 0 1 4