in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and an X-ray showed she had fluid in her lungs. Hufford oversaw the infant’s care, and later Foster-Wendel was involved with Erin’s discharge. “We were in the hospital a little longer than planned because of Erin’s situation, but the level of care and attention from everyone was outstanding,” Bauer says. “We were really impressed by the level of communication from the nurses and all the doctors. They were concise and straightforward and helped us understand everything that was happening. Both doctors Hufford and Foster-Wendel commented on now cute Erin was too. As a proud father, I appreciated that a lot.”
“We also provide consults to other departments and identify needs throughout the hospital that will allow us to care for kids better. Expanding the program would allow us to monitor our patients even more closely and provide a higher level of expertise,” Hufford says. “Our ultimate goal is to improve the overall quality of care our pediatric patients and their families receive, and this program is a huge step in the right direction.”
Help for Families The pediatric hospitalist program has many benefits for patients, including helping keep their care close to home. “Sometimes really sick kids have been transferred to another hospital and that’s tough on families,” Hufford says. “Because we specialize in those more serious pediatric issues, our hope is that those kids can stay closer to home during an illness.” A pediatric hospitalist is present in the hospital from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. There are plans to eventually expand staffing to 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Mary Greeley Medical Center Hospitalists
Alex Danielson gets cozy with his daughter, Liv, while Hufford checks the girl’s heartbeat.
Pediatric Hospitalists
Dr. Laura Hufford
Dr. Kathleen Foster-Wendel
Adult Hospitalists
Dr. William Barry
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Dr. Karen Carlson
Dr. Jotesh Chug
Dr. Richard Glenn
Dr. Patrick Tracy