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Oklahoma Children's Hospital Pediatric Hospitalist Program

Welcome to Our OU Children’s Pediatric Hospitalist Program Page!

Mission

The mission of the Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine (PHM) is to provide high quality evidence- based medical care to patients who are admitted to The Children’s Hospital at OU Medical Center, actively engage in exceptional medical student and resident education surrounding the care and coordination of care of inpatients, and contribute to the local and national medical community through patient safety initiatives, quality improvement projects, hospital protocol and policy development, advocacy, and clinical research efforts.

Vision

The Section of Pediatric Hospital Medicine aims to be a unified group of physicians and advance practice providers who excel in all aspects of the direct patient care of hospitalized children and their transition from the hospital; is actively engaged in local hospital policy, protocol and care advances; is regularly involved in student, resident, and fellow education through didactic teaching and mentorship; and contributes regularly to the field of hospital medicine as a whole through scholarly endeavors.

Clinical Care

The Pediatric Hospitalist Program at OU Children’s is in its 14th year of service providing inpatient care to children from across the state of Oklahoma (and sometimes beyond).  All our patient care is provided at Oklahoma Children’s Hospital OU Health, Oklahoma’s only free- standing children’s hospital.  

Pediatric hospitalists are board-eligible/board-certified pediatricians who specialize in caring for children admitted to the hospital.  We lead and coordinate all the services our patients need while hospitalized; this may include other subspecialists, nurses, social workers, case managers, nutritionists, and speech, occupational, and physical therapists.  The hospitalist team also communicates with primary care physicians, ensure follow up appointments and discharge needs are met, and prescribes necessary medications.

Pediatric hospitalists have a special skill set to help manage a full spectrum of serious and medically complex illnesses.  Some examples of diseases treated include:

  • Respiratory illnesses such as pneumonia, croup, bronchiolitis, and asthma
  • Urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis
  • Sepsis and meningitis
  • Flu and flu like illnesses along with their complications
  • Gastroenteritis and dehydration
  • Seizures – both new onset and chronic
  • Osteomyelitis, cellulitis and abscesses
  • Toxic ingestions
  • Newborn issues such as jaundice and poor weight gain

We believe that families are an important member of a patient’s team.  We practice family-centered care, where we meet with every patient and family at least daily to review information gathered during the admission, complete a physical exam, and create a plan for the day with family input.