by Megan Jennings, MD

As you’ve probably noticed, PIP has been making a lot of changes to better serve the needs of our patients and families. We are constantly reviewing the way we provide service and access to our patients and families so that we can deliver the highest quality health care.

Historically, PIP has been involved in coordinating the care for your children both in the clinic and in the hospital. However, as medicine has become increasingly complex, it is difficult for us to be in so many places and be available to provide good care for your children.

So PIP has asked the pediatric hospitalists at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics to care for our patients when they are admitted to Children’s Hospital.

Children’s hospitals around the country are now being staffed by pediatric hospitalists. Hospitalists are specialized pediatricians who concentrate on the care of hospitalized children and are available 24 hours a day in the hospital. They do not work in clinics, only in hospitals.

We have had a close relationship with Children’s Hospital for many years and know that our patients will receive good medical care when admitted to the hospital there. Because Children’s is focused on health care for the pediatric age group, we at PIP have designated it as our preferred site for hospitalization of our patients.

What does this mean? If your child is admitted to the hospital at Children’s, instead of a PIP provider who must visit many hospitals in the morning before returning to clinic, a pediatric hospitalist will be the doctor directing the care during your child’s hospital stay.

Children who are admitted to the hospital tend to have more complicated and serious illnesses. Studies have shown that there is increased patient safety and decreased length of stay when children are under the care of a pediatric hospitalist.

Because the hospitalists are focused on in-patient care only, they can devote more time to patients with complex needs. They can also come back and see patients if necessary later in the day, either to adjust treatment or even to send them home if their condition has significantly improved.

We recognize that communication is an important part of delivering good quality health care. PIP and the hospitalists have devised a program to ensure that there is direct communication between the hospitalist caring for your child and your PIP provider
throughout the hospital stay. This will help to maintain the continuity of care that is so important in your relationship with your doctor.

PIP will continue to see all of the newborns for our practice at Abbott Northwestern, Fairview Southdale and North Memorial hospitals. We will also continue to see pediatric in-patients at North Memorial during this next year while they are building their hospitalist program.

We hope your child never requires hospitalization, but if your child does we are certain that the care you receive by the hospitalists at Children’s Hospital will be the very best.

If you have any questions please feel free to discuss them with your primary care provider.