Pediatric Hospital Medicine

24/7 specialized inpatient care for babies, kids and teens

St. Luke’s team of pediatric hospitalists is available 24/7 to care for your children when they are hospitalized.

What is a pediatric hospitalist?
A hospitalist is a physician whose entire focus is caring for patients in the hospital. They do not see patients in a clinic. A pediatric hospitalist has received special training to care for newborns, children and adolescents who are hospitalized. Essentially, they can be thought of as an expert tour guide through the entirety of your child’s hospitalization.

How is caring for kids different than caring for adults?
Pediatric hospitalists dedicate extra time to each patient so they can make sure kids feel as comfortable and as safe as possible through age-appropriate language and interactions. Simply put, pediatric hospitalists aim to be the most compassionate and caring doctors in the entire hospital for you and your family.

What conditions do they treat?
Pediatric hospitalists treat a wide variety of conditions. They are committed to being on the leading edge of the best hospital-based testing, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric conditions.

Common conditions include:

• Chronic diseases
• Dehydration
• Infections
• Injuries
• Newborn complications
• Recovery from surgeries
• Respiratory illnesses

In what areas of the hospital do pediatric hospitalists work?
A pediatric hospitalist works within multiple areas of the hospital. Examples of what they do in different areas include:

• Caring for newborns in St. Luke’s Birthing Center and the specialized care nursery
• Assisting with c-section procedures
• Consulting on pediatric patients in St. Luke’s Emergency Department
• Caring for children and teens admitted to St. Luke’s Pediatric Inpatient Unit
• Assisting pediatricians, family practitioners, general surgeons and other physicians in treating children who require care within the hospital

When are they available?
At St. Luke’s, there is a dedicated pediatric hospitalist immediately available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. This means your kids will have immediate, safe and attentive care from a specially trained pediatrician the moment they come to the hospital to the moment they leave.