In December 2021 the Foundation team spoke with Dr. Jessica Dooley about her role as Consultant Pediatrician and Chief & Medical Director of Pediatrics at the BCHS and the care provided to the youngest patients in our communities.
How does the Pediatric Department at BCHS provide excellent care?
We are a committed group of 9 consultant Pediatricians that provide 24/7 inpatient and outpatient care to children spanning infancy to adolescence. The BCHS has a Level 2 Pediatrics ward with 8 beds and a Level 2b Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) serving infants as young as 32 weeks (or 2 months premature).
Our department also provides outpatient clinics 7 days a week for follow up of infants discharged from the NICU, a Bilirubin Clinic for jaundice treatment, a Pediatric Diabetes Clinic, and an Acute Referral Service to provide same or next day care for children being discharged from the Emergency Department (ED), pediatric ward, or, by referral from a family doctor.
Tell us something you don’t think the community knows about pediatrics at BGH?
We have a Pediatric Quick Care program through which Pediatricians provide early Emergency Department assessment of children that may need admission or specialized pediatric care. We are able to process pediatric patients swiftly, minimizing time spent in the in the ED. From there, if required, we can admit children as inpatients and access subspecialty consultation by phone from McMaster as needed. After discharge, we provide follow up in the in Pediatric Acute Referral Service (PARS) outpatient clinic.
Many of our Pediatricians are parents, and we know how stressful it is to have a sick baby or child. The Pediatric Quick Care program allows children in our communities to access service from the right providers, at the right time, as close as possible to home, with the goal of minimizing the stress of a hospital visit or stay for families.
How will the ED redevelopment project at the BCHS important in relation to the pediatric program?
This redevelopment includes the creation of a pediatric specific area in the ED with space designed for children, limiting their exposure to other stressful events happening in the Emergency Department. Exam rooms and waiting areas will be child-friendly and allow children and parents to receive care in a more comfortable and less stressful environment.
