среда, 26 сентября 2012 г.

Schuylkill Health Welcomes Pediatric Hospitalist - Republican & Herald (Pottsville, PA)

The Schuylkill Health System started a Pediatric HospitalistProgram at Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street on Friday,creating a consistent presence of pediatric care in the hospital.

Angela Zawisza, D.O., will serve as the center's pediatrichospitalist, a pediatrician dedicated solely to treating children ina hospital setting.

Zawisza will work closely with all local pediatricians on staffat the medical center, seeing patients in the emergency room as wellas children in the maternity, pediatrics and adolescent behavioralhealth units. She will also care for patients of local pediatricianswhile they are in the hospital, as well as attend births, includingC-sections, and will be available to provide sedation for childrenundergoing simple procedures.

The position is a collaborative effort between Schuylkill HealthSystem and Janet Weis Children's Hospital, Danville.

Zawisza, a St. Louis, Mo., native, has ties to Schuylkill County.Her father-in-law, Dr. Michael Zawisza, is a local physician who hasbeen practicing family medicine in Schuylkill Haven and NewPhiladelphia since 1988.

Her husband, Joseph, is a doctor of internal medicine/pediatricsat Geisinger clinics in Sunbury and Montoursville.

Angela Zawisza earned her medical degree in 2007 from Des MoinesUniversity College of Osteopathic Medicine, Des Moines, Iowa. Shecompleted a pediatrics residency in 2010 at Janet Weis Children'sHospital, where she has since served as pediatric chief resident.

'I wanted something hospital-based and this opportunity came atjust the right time,' Zawisza said.

She said she likes working in a hospital rather than an officesetting.

'I enjoy taking care of kids that are a little bit sicker. In-patient medicine is more of a challenge,' Zawisza said. 'We will nowbe able to provide continuity of care in the hospital. Currently, adifferent pediatrician is on call every day. I will be here 8 to 5Monday through Friday and on call as well.'

Zawisza said she is also able to bring more recent training tothe county.

'Because of my training, I'm more comfortable handling a higherlevel of care,' she said. Zawisza said she, along with Paula Jacobs,CRNP, a nurse practitioner for Maternal/Child Health at SchuylkillMedical Center, will see all newborns in the nursery and handle allchildren admitted to the hospital as well as pediatric patientscoming into the emergency room.

'Hopefully, in the future we can bring more specialists to thecounty to save travel time and keep kids closer to home a littlewhile longer,' she said.

Renee Magdeburg, the hospital's director of maternal childhealth, said local pediatricians are excited about the addition of ahospitalist to the medical center.

'They will not be called away from the office for C-sections oremergencies and can now spend more time seeing patients,' Magdeburgsaid.

'Welcoming Dr. Zawisza to our team will not only help relieve thedemands on local physicians rounding in the hospital daily, but willalso create a consistent, full-time physician presence within thehospital for pediatric patients,' John E. Simodejka, president/chief executive officer of Schuylkill Health, said in a newsrelease. 'We are excited to partner with Janet Weis Children'sHospital to provide this added value to our youngest patients.'