Get to Know Dr. Guy Young, Pediatric Hematologist

Bozeman Health is proud to offer the new service line of pediatric hematology, led by Dr. Guy Young. For questions or to schedule an appointment, please call Bozeman Health Pediatrics at 406-414-4900.

Q: What is pediatric hematology?

I specialize in taking care of children and young adults with disorders of the blood. It is a highly specialized area of medicine; in the U.S. there are less than 2,000 such physicians, and they are usually concentrated in large cities. There are only three pediatric hematologists besides me in the entire state, and none in southwest Montana, meaning patients previously had to travel to receive care. I have a deep desire to become a contributing member to the local community, and I am excited to start the pediatric hematology service line for Bozeman and the surrounding area!

Q: What kinds of conditions does a pediatric hematologist treat?

Our blood is composed of three types of cells:

1. White blood cells, which help prevent and fight infection.

2. Red blood cells that carry oxygen to our organs.

3. Platelets, which are small cells that help our blood clot. The liquid portion of our blood called plasma contains proteins that are important for proper blood clotting.

So, what can go wrong? Children can have situations where they have either too many or too few of the different cells.

1. Too many white blood cells could indicate a serious infection or can even be the sign of a blood cancer, called leukemia. Too few white blood cells could lead to frequent and severe infections.

2. Too few red blood cells, called anemia, is common in children and has many causes that a pediatric hematologist could diagnose and treat.

3. If there are too few platelets, that could lead to bleeding symptoms such as prolonged nose bleeds, large bruises or even excessive bleeding. There are also rare conditions that lead to too many platelets.

Tell us about yourself

I live in both Los Angeles, California and Livingston, Montana. My wife and I absolutely love it here for all the usual reasons—beautiful scenery, the proximity to numerous outdoor activities but, most importantly, we really love the people. Whether someone is a transplant like us or a native Montanan, we find the people here to be warm, friendly, kind, helpful and genuine.

How often are you seeing patients at Bozeman Health?

I will maintain my job in Los Angeles and, to start, I will be seeing patients at Bozeman Health once per month. However, I will be available to see hospitalized patients more often than that. I have committed to the care team at Bozeman Health and to the patients in this community to be available for phone calls or consultations at any time. Beyond enjoying living here, I also knew that I wanted to contribute to the Montana community and realized that the best thing I could do was offer my medical expertise as this is an area of need.