Commitment to Excellence in Quality and Safety
As the stewards of care for children hospitalized at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, our faculty and staff believe there is nothing more important than the health and well being of your child. Pediatric hospitalists are dedicated to making the inpatient environment safe and will work with you and your family to ensure your child receives the highest quality of care.
Current and Ongoing Programs
Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome (NOWS)
Infants born to mothers with maternal opioid use disorder often experience withdrawal symptoms after birth; this is known as neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). Historically, these infants would be managed with medication therapy resulting in a lengthy hospital course. In 2019, we piloted a new assessment and care tool, ‘Eat, Sleep, and Console’ (ESC), to improve management and outcomes for these infants by optimizing non-pharmacological interventions for NOWS. We successfully demonstrated a decrease in infant length of stay and hospital costs by >50%. After receiving a highly competitive grant in 2022 to improve discharge safety for infants experiencing NOWS, we showed a 40% increase in warm hand-off to providers, a >60% increase in referrals to community-based services, and an 80% increase in referrals to services for unmet needs of birth parents with opioid use disorder. We continue to work with our local community medication-assisted treatment program to optimize pre-, peri-, and postnatal care for this vulnerable population.
Asthma
Asthma is a common respiratory disease characterized by chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing. Asthma affects approximately 25 million people, including over 4.6 million children under the age of 18 years. Pediatric asthma is the most prevalent chronic illness and the leading cause of emergency department visits, missed school days and healthcare expenditures, making it a significant public health concern. At the University of Florida, Shands, Gainesville we take a multidisciplinary approach in caring for patients with asthma. The pediatric asthma center for excellence (PACE) group includes representatives from pediatric emergency room, pediatric hospitalist team, pulmonary specialties, nursing and respiratory specialties. The main goal is to promote teamwork between families and providers to have a better understanding of the disease and treatment modalities and fill any knowledge gaps. Our focus is on implementing the bedside asthma action plan which is an educational tool that further helps prevent readmissions and emergency room visits. We have noticed a decrease in length of stay by 20% by optimizing patient/parent education regarding proper medication use and preventive care.
Quality Academy
Our team has developed a list of training opportunities, resources, and a platform for UF faculty, staff, and providers to share their experiences. Use the link below to explore the Department of Pediatrics Quality Academy website.