Note: The above photos were taken before the COVID-19 pandemic.
It’s going to be an exciting year ahead for CHoR! As we continue to grow and prepare to open the Children’s Tower for inpatient, emergency and trauma care in April, two leaders have taken on new roles to help ensure we exceed our community’s expectations.
The team is made up of extremely dedicated people who want to ensure we are providing the best and safest care possible to our patients while also providing cutting edge research and education.
What are you most looking forward to about the new Children’s Tower?
Having a building that is completely dedicated to the care of children will be an amazing next step for Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU. It will also allow us to join our outpatient Children’s Pavilion with the inpatient tower and provide seamless care in those environments. However, we will still be connected to the medical center by a bridge that will allow us to continue leveraging that positive partnership in many ways.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at the hospital?
Spend time with my family and friends.
In medical school I was drawn to pediatrics in part because children are more vulnerable when compared to adults. With respect to pediatric urologic surgery, it was more that I could make a big impact on the trajectory of the child's life when certain conditions are diagnosed and addressed at a very early age.
How do you approach care when you’re meeting a new patient/family?
My approach to the child/family is unique for every patient. The support systems, resources available and general medical knowledge differ with everyone. The overarching message is the same though in that your child will be the center of our attention when we are caring for them.
What does the role of surgeon-in-chief mean to you?
Being selected as surgeon-in-chief is a great honor and I value deeply the confidence of leadership in me to carry out the duties required to achieve our mission. It is very exciting to lead the children's surgery program as we open the Children’s Tower in the spring. Our vision is to be the leader for the mid-Atlantic in comprehensive surgical care of the pediatric patient and to be a destination hospital for the Commonwealth for tertiary and quaternary care. Integral to this is maintaining strong relationships with our community throughout Richmond as well the surrounding markets.
What do you want families to know about your approach to overseeing surgical care at CHoR?
Their child will be at the center of all decisions regarding resources needed to make CHoR the safest location for surgical care, be it minor outpatient procedures or multi-team complex surgical interventions. In addition, stakeholders involved in the care of your child will have pediatric competencies and timely communication will equally be a top priority. Our Level I Children’s Surgery Center verification underscores the team’s commitment to quality and safety, but it’s not a one and done achievement. We continue to focus on providing the best surgical care for every child, every day.
What are you most looking forward to about the new Children’s Tower?
What I am most looking forward to is the consolidation of pediatric services in one location. This will streamline services and offer opportunities to enhance quality improvement as we increase efficiencies by combining emergency, outpatient and inpatient services. Furthermore, it will allow for pediatrics to be the solitary focus in the delivery of care to our patients.
What’s your favorite thing to do when you’re not at the hospital?
Spending time with my significant other, Suzanne, catching up with my adult children, Oliver, Sam and Katie, attending the Final Four to watch UNC play basketball and on occasion running the Boston Marathon.