Ochsner Expands Pediatric Hospital Services on North Shore

Added on Feb 28, 2007 | Filed Under:

Health System Responds to Growing Demand for Specialized Pediatric Care

NEW ORLEANS, LA As the North Shore population continues to grow, Ochsner Health System is keeping pace by expanding pediatric sub-specialty care at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Mandeville, LA. Ochsner announced today it's growing pediatric sub-specialty staffing in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Delivering a new life into the world can sometimes be difficult and it's been shown that up to 10% of newborns will require neonatal care, said Dr. Matt Cortez, M.D., Head Neonatologist at the Ochsner NICU at Lakeview Regional. Ochsner wants to provide parents with the additional peace of mind that if something does go wrong-we're ready, he says. To give your child the best chance, you need the most specialized care, explains Dr. Cortez. A pediatric subspecialist, such as a neonatologist, can provide critical medical care immediately after delivery. The Ochsner NICU at Lakeview Regional will be staffed by neonatologists and neonatal nurse practitioners with access to sub-specialty care. For example, babies in need of a cardiologist would normally have to travel outside the community, but Ochsner can now interact directly with pediatric cardiologists in New Orleans and make immediate treatment decisions, explains Dr. Cortez. This instant access to additional medical opinions is being made possible through telemedicine technology which allows physicians to run tests at one site and talk to specialists at another. This technology gives our patients almost immediate access to a variety of pediatric sub-specialists. With telemedicine we can work with our colleagues on the south shore to review tests within minutes, says Dr. Cortez. Ochsner has six health center locations throughout the North Shore located in Mandeville, Covington, Hammond, Slidell, and Abita Springs.

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