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OCEAN MEDICAL CENTER DEBUTS NEW PEDIATRIC HOSPITALIST PROGRAM
By Keith Hagarty
 | | Physicians and administrators from Ocean Medical Center celebrate the launching of their new pediatric hospitalist program and facilities during Monday's ribbon-cutting ceremony. |
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Being treated in a hospital can be a nerve wracking experience for anyone, let alone for a young child.
With that in mind, Ocean Medical Center unveiled its new pediatric hospitalist program and kid-friendly facilities this week.
Pediatric hospitalists are pediatricians who primarily work in the hospital, taking care of children who do not have a physician, or whose primary care physician prefers to have an on-site medical team in charge of coordinating care.
Launching the new pediatric program on Monday was a proud day for the 241-bed nonprofit community hospital, said Peter Daniels, president of Ocean Medical Center.
"We were first approached with this idea about a year ago," said Daniels. "The pediatric staff and everyone involved here at the hospital have shown great commitment to this program, and have really done a wonderful job."
 | | Regina Foley, RN CHE, vice president and chief nurse executive of the hospital, shares a laugh with David Neckritz M.D., medical director of the emergency department. |
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Having the pediatricians spend their workdays in the hospital and readily available for patients seven days a week is key to the new program, said Dr. Yaalon Zamel, medical director of the hospital's pediatric program.
"The goal of the pediatric hospitalist program is to provide improved and better comprehensive pediatric care for the children here at Ocean Medical Center, and in Ocean County in general," said Zamel.
Above all, Zamel said the new hospitalist program is designed to increase the acuity of the level of care of pediatric patient care in the hospital.
"We're here to respond quickly and effi- ciently to any changes in a patient's status," said Zamel. "We're here so we can check labs efficiently and really communicate with the parents on an ongoing basis."
Keeping Brick's youngest patients close to home, right in their own community, instead of having to send them away to similar facilities outside of the area, was an overriding emphasis in creating the new program, according to Zamel.
"That's a big triumph for this hospital," he said. "It's much more comfortable for the pediatricians and for the families."
Pediatric hospitalists closely work with the emergency department team, specialists and the child's pediatrician and family physician to provide the highest quality care.
Another significant aspect of the pediatric hospitalist program includes the opening of the new children's waiting area and exam rooms.
Realizing that hospital visits can be an intimidating place for kids, the new specially designed children's waiting area and exam rooms are intended to provide patients and their families with a child friendly atmosphere. The waiting area has been segmented and decorated with vibrant colors and a kid friendly motif with tables, chairs and videos suited to the hospital's youngest patients. The exam rooms continue the consistent children's theme.
"In developing this program, we first wanted to improve the patient experience in the emergency room by creating a separate child-friendly waiting area and treatment rooms for children," said Shrikrishna Mate, chair of the hospital's pediatric department. "We feel that we have achieved that goal, and with the new pediatric hospitalist program, children and families will be more comfortable during their stay at Ocean Medical Center."
Zamel agrees, saying he's excited to now have the pediatricians on the premises dedicated to continual on-site patient care.
"There's no clinical responsibilities outside of what we do in the hospital," he said. "We're available 24 hours, seven days a week, to dedicate to the care of children."
The pediatric hospitalists are present at the hospital from 3 p.m. to 1 a.m.
"We're physically in the hospital from the busiest times in the emergency room," said Zamel. "The rest of the time, we live locally, so we can be here within a half an hour, and come to respond to the needs of the pediatricians and emergency doctors in this area."
In the end, it's all about making hospital visits an easier, more comfortable experience for child patients and their families, according to Mate.
"The hospitalist program is a benefit to our patients, along with the pediatricians and primary care physicians," he said. "Having pediatric hospitalists at Ocean Medical Center allows the pediatricians and primary care physicians to devote more time to their patients in their offices, knowing that they have a line of communication to the physicians at the hospital."
Zamel thanked all of the hospital's administrators for enthusiastically supporting the project through completion, as well as the positive, insightful feedback from his fellow colleagues, and the assistance of all the pediatric nurses.
"These are by far the best group of nurses I've ever worked with. They're really top notch," said Zamel. "We're very lucky to have such great nurses that will take care of our children."
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