By Southern Torch Staff
FORT PAYNE, Ala. — Fort Payne Pediatrics is excited to partner with UAB Department of Pediatrics, hosting pediatric specialists in their Fort Payne office.
The UAB Department of Pediatrics has provided specialized medical care for ill or injured children since 1945. It is housed in Children’s of Alabama Hospital, which is ranked among the best pediatric medical centers in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Both UAB Pediatrics and Children’s of Alabama have played a critical role in allowing children to live happy, healthy lives.
Fort Payne Pediatrics sought out this partnership after witnessing the difficulties patients were having in showing up for specialist appointments far from home, expressing concerns about transportation, cost, keeping their kids out of school, or time off from work to drive to the appointment and back.
This partnership with the UAB Department of Pediatrics will eliminate barriers to good medical care by bringing the specialist to the patient rather than the patient to the specialist, without sacrificing the quality of the medical care the patient is receiving.
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Fort Payne Pediatrics and the surrounding practices to provide pediatric specialty services locally,” states Mitchell B. Cohen, MD, chair of the UAB Department of Pediatrics, ”Our mission is to improve the health of the children of Alabama and beyond. And we recognize that providing care close to home improves access. We are committed to doing what is right for children and families and we value the partnership with have with them and with their primary care providers.”
"I am excited that by hosting subspecialty providers from UAB Pediatrics, we can bring the same quality care to the Northern Alabama population that they would get if they traveled to Birmingham,” says Peter Strogov, MD, Fort Payne Pediatrics.
“If a child from the region is referred to a UAB Pediatric specialist in Birmingham, but would have difficulty traveling there, they may have an opportunity to have that appointment in Fort Payne. We are honored that we can provide a setting that will help bring this specialized medical care to not only patients of Fort Payne Pediatrics, but all the children in our region.”
The first specialty clinic in September with pediatric gastroenterologist, Reed Dimmitt, MD, MSPH, was met with positive feedback from both patients and staff alike.
Current plans include hosting a variety of specialists including a pediatric cardiologist, pediatric neurologist, and pediatric gastroenterologist every few weeks, with hopes of expanding these services in the future.
Dr. Strogov is hoping to expand this model to other specialties in the future. ”We would love to eventually bring in a pediatric endocrinologist, a pediatric pulmonologist, and a pediatric otolaryngologists (ENT).
Those are the subspecialties to which we refer patients the most. If those are the biggest numbers for us, there is a likely need across the region that could be met hosting these specialists locally”.
If you would like more information on the subspecialty clinic or information on how to schedule an appointment, call Fort Payne Pediatrics at 256-997-5900 Monday-Friday 8 am-8 pm & Saturday 8am-4pm.