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Mercy Hospital First in Twin Cities' Suburbs to Offer Advanced Health Care for Children and Teens

Posted on: Tuesday, 9 August 2005, 15:01 CDT

This week, Mercy Hospital became the only Twin Cities' suburban community hospital to provide pediatric hospitalists 24-hours a day, seven days a week. A pediatric hospitalist is a board-certified pediatrician whose practice is devoted to caring for children while they are in the hospital.

"This new service greatly increases our capabilities for caring for sick children here in the north metro - instead of referring them to other facilities," said Jill Funk, M.D., Pediatric chair of Mercy & Unity Hospitals. Mercy's pediatric hospitalists are also available by telephone for consultations regarding young patients at Unity Hospital in Fridley.

The hospitalist--common in adult hospital care--works hand-in-hand with the child's primary physician to coordinate care and consult on the best treatment options for the child. The hospitalist keeps parents informed on their child's condition and supervises all services provided to the child, such as radiology, lab, surgery, medications and diagnostic procedures, while in the hospital. The hospitalists are also available for pediatric emergency department consultations, often reducing the time that families spend in the emergency department.

"With the addition of our pediatric hospitalists, we now have greatly expanded our services for treating and preventing children's illnesses in a caring and child-friendly environment," said Mary Peterson, R.N., director, Women's and Children's Services of Mercy & Unity Hospitals.

Mercy's pediatric hospitalist service includes four full-time physicians, who started this week:

Daniel Farber, M.D., FAAP

Dr. Farber was a pediatric hospitalist with Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, Penn., before coming to Mercy Hospital. He is an expert in diabetic disorders and specializes in treating children with endocrine problems.

Suchitra Rondla, M.D.

Dr. Rondla recently completed her pediatric residency at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. She has conducted research on variety of pediatric health issues and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Chi Huynh, M.D.

Dr. Huynh received her medical degree from the University of North Dakota and recently completed her pediatric residency at the University of Minnesota Medical School. She has a special interest in caring for children with asthma and is also involved in child advocacy.

Andrew Peik, M.D.

Dr. Peik received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School in 2002. He also completed his pediatric residency at the University and has presented papers on pediatric medical issues at various conferences. Dr. Peik has a special interest in children with developmental disabilities.

Mercy's part-time pediatric hospitalists include: Drs. Mary Illions, Susan Lim, Ilene Rubowitz, Fadel Sakkal and Sonja Tarrago.

Mercy & Unity Hospitals, located in Coon Rapids and Fridley, are non-profit hospitals that serve the northern Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area. The hospitals, which are part of Allina Hospitals & Clinics, cared for 250,000 patients in 2004. More information is located at www.mercyunity.com.

Source: Business Wire

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