Maryland’s Health Matters - St. Joseph - Winter 2018 - 12

SPOTLIGHT:

Dr. Carissa
Baker-Smith

Dr. Sunjay
Kaushal

"We came to University

Dr. Ryan
Miller

Dr. Teresa
York

family learned how to care for

of Maryland because

him at home, administering

we've always had a great

insulin and monitoring his diet.
For Ben and his family,

experience in their pediatric
ER," says Ben's mother,

type 1 diabetes has been

Katie Roelofs. "The staff

a major lifestyle adjustment.

are always competent and

For example, heat and

prompt. After diagnosing

anxiety can affect blood

Ben with type 1 diabetes,

sugar, so figuring out how

they admitted him imme-

much insulin he needs is

diately, and Dr. Miller came

not always a simple cal-

down from UMMC Midtown

culation. He has quarterly

Campus to meet with us in

appointments at UMMC

our hospital room."

Midtown Campus and

Ryan Miller, MD, assistant

wears an insulin pod.
"It's difficult for a 7-year-

professor of pediatrics at
UMSOM and a pediatric

old boy to go through this.

endocrinologist at UMCH,

But he's doing great and

educated the family about

taking everything in stride,"

Ben's treatment plan. They

his mother says.
Now that Ben's type 1

also met with a diabetes
educator and a nutritionist.

diabetes is under control,

Because Ben's pancreas does

he can focus on doing the

not produce enough insulin

things he loves: science

to regulate his blood sugar,

experiments. Ben wants to fol-

his family would have to do

low in his father's and grand-

the work of his pancreas.

father's footsteps and become

During Ben's three-day

a scientist when he grows up.
"I'm going to cure diabe-

hospital stay, the diabetes
team made sure that the

tes!" Ben says.

AFTER HOURS CARE
FOR CHILDREN
When your child spikes a fever and gets sick
after your pediatrician's office hours or has an
emergency, it's good to know there's a walk-in
Pediatrics After Hours (PAH) Emergency Care
service at UM St. Joseph Medical Center with
board-certified pediatricians.
Located past the Emergency Department
at the back of UM SJMC, PAH is open from noon
to midnight seven days a week, for care when
your pediatrician isn't available. The center takes
patients on a walk-in basis, though parents can
call ahead to get an estimated wait time.
"Most of the time, children are seen fairly
quickly," says Brandi Ibarra, nurse manager of
Pediatrics/PAH. "There are five patient exam
rooms, and generally children don't even have to
wait in our waiting room. Our goal is to get them
back home comfortably as soon as possible."
Ibarra says if children need to be watched, they
can stay next door on the Pediatrics Unit. "For
example, if they are dehydrated from a gastrointestinal illness or the flu, they may need to stay for
a number of hours. We carefully watch and tend
to them. Our pediatric nurses love children and
specialize in connecting with them," she says.
Note: Pediatrics After Hours Emergency Care
bills insurance as an emergency visit with a co-pay.

LEARN MORE

Visit st.josephtowson.com/healthy to meet
other kids like Ben, Amari and Gabbi through
online stories and videos.

To find out about wait times or for more
information, call 410-427-2066.

MARYLAND'S HEALTH MATTERS

http://st.josephtowson.com/healthy

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Maryland’s Health Matters - St. Joseph - Winter 2018