Pediatric hospitalist updates

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.”

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

“We are excited to offer these muchneeded services to our community,” said Michelle Logan-Owens, chief executive officer, Tuomey Hospital. “Many families have a hard time finding transportation, gas money and the time it takes to travel to Columbia and back. Having a pediatric hospitalist program here is alleviating a lot of the stress and strain these families would otherwise face.” Logan-Owens

Gaymon

Pediatric Nursing Director Susan Gaymon agreed: “The children in our community deserve to have care provided in their local hospital whenever possible, to keep them close to their families. We felt strongly that a community this size could and should try to meet those needs.”

In the first 90 days of operation, the Sumter hospitalists treated an array of conditions, including asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, cellulitis, sickle cell and syncope. In more complicated cases, they are in touch with pediatric subspecialists in Columbia to evaluate and monitor children’s conditions. Pediatric patients who require in-person subspecialist care not available in Sumter can expect a timely transfer to Children’s Hospital–Midlands.

“Key to the success of this service is partnership with our local pediatricians and family physicians who provide hospital follow up and the majority of the child’s medical and preventive care,” said Dr. Taylor. “To ensure collaboration, we have established a committee representative of those physicians to advise us on their patients’ needs and how our new services can best serve them and their patients.”

Admission type July–December 2019

Well baby exams 548

Level II NICU 160

General Pediatrics 167

Studies have shown that family support and proximity during an illness can significantly impact healing time.

The complex, specialized care needed for inpatient pediatric medicine has led the American Board of Pediatrics to introduce a subspecialty board certification in Pediatric Hospital Medicine.

Prisma Health Children’s Hospital congratulates these seven Upstate pediatricians now board certified in this specialty area:

• Sara Clark, MD • Gretchen Coady, MD (Med-Peds) • Carley Howard Draddy, MD • Allison Ranck, MD • Liz Shirley, MD • Elizabeth Tyson, MD • Miranda Worster, MD

Look for more board-certified Pediatric Hospital Medicine names to come!

OPENING SOON: The state’s first pediatric rehab unit!

Hospitals earn prestigious Baby-Friendly status

This past fall, Laurens County Hospital became Prisma Health’s latest facility to gain BabyFriendly status, which means it offers optimal care for breastfeeding moms and their babies. Redesignated in FY19 was Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital. One other Prisma Health hospital achieved Baby-Friendly status for the first time last year: Baptist Easley.

In addition, Baptist Easley Hospital renovated its women’s center. The newly remodeled Garnet and Polly Barnes Women’s Center includes 13 birthing suites and two hydrotherapy tubs, midwifery services and a Special Care Nursery.