F E AT U R E S TO RY
Pediatric hospitalist program launches.
In-house physicians hold permanent, full-time positions in Sumter. A pediatric hospitalist service has been established at Prisma Health Tuomey Hospital (pictured) in partnership with Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands. The service began July 2019 and has already seen positive outcomes and growth in patient numbers during its first six months (see table on Page 5). “Families in Sumter County can have every confidence their child will receive the same level of care at Tuomey Hospital that he or she would have received at our Children’s Hospital in Columbia,” said R. Caughman Taylor, MD, senior medical director of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands. “Not only are we keeping children in their community as much as possible, but we’re also creating more capacity at the Children’s Hospital in Columbia.”
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Families with children who remain at Tuomey Hospital for inpatient care can expect: • Standardized care consistent with that at Children’s Hospital • Pediatric hospitalists specifically trained to provide inpatient care to children • Support from a pediatric pharmacy and nutrition therapy • Level II nursery care allowing smaller infants and newborns needing extra attention to remain close to home • Support from pediatric subspecialists via telemedicine
