Issue link: https://viewer.e-digitaledition.com/i/808278
PEDIATRIC INTERVENTIONAL R ADI- OL O GY ( I R) i s a relat ively new a nd evolv i n g s ubspe ci a lt y. W h i le a du lt inter ventiona l radiolog ists have been in practice for ma ny yea rs, the number of physicians fellowship trained in this subspecia lt y rema ins relatively low — less tha n 200 worldwide. For pediatric hospita ls wa nting to ex pa nd their IR ser vices, this is a problem. T h a t w a s t h e c a s e f o r A k r o n Ch i ld ren's Hospit a l wh ich , pr ior t o 2014, pa r tnered with a g roup of adult inter ventiona l radiologists from A kron G enera l Medica l Center (AGMC) to prov ide ped iat r ic I R ser v ices on a n as-needed basis. While the partnership made IR services available, it also had its limitations, according to Michael Rubin, MD, Chairman of Radiology at Akron Children's. "The AGMC IR physicians were not always readily available because of their busy schedules, so some procedures went to the operating room instead of being done by interventional radiology because it was more expedient for the patient," he explains. "As the demand for these services increased, it became apparent that a chil- dren's hospital of our size needed a dedicated and comprehensive in-house pediatric interventional radiology program." That need was met with the recruit- ment of Janice McDaniel, MD, two years ago and completion last year of a new IR procedure suite, remodeled OR space, a nd new equ ipment — a $ 4 m i l l ion investment. Today, Dr. McDaniel directs A kron Children's IR division. " We are the only hospital in Northeast Ohio with a dedicated pediatric inter- ventiona l radiolog ist," says Dr. Rubin. " Wit h Dr. McDa n iel's t ra i n i n g , a nd t he adva nced technolog y of our new inter ventiona l radiolog y suite, we ca n now of fer ou r patient s a w ide ra n ge of ne w t r e a t ment op t ion s t h a t a r e less invasive." EXPANDS INTERVENTIONAL RADIOLOGY SERVICES BY JO DONOFRIO PHOTO COURTESY OF AKRON CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL akron Children's Janice McDaniel, MD, joined Akron Children's in 2014 to develop a pediatric interventional radiology program. Dr. McDaniel is a fellowship-trained pediatric interventional radiologist — reportedly the only one in NE Ohio and one of less than 200 in the world. 0 6❱❱❱❱❱ C O V E R S T O R Y