Inside Pediatrics Spring 2015

Inside the Red Line

Parents face a world of practical challenges in obtaining care for children with medical complexities. Multiple appointments with different specialists, therapy teams, labs and procedures require time off from work and finding child care for siblings. Many travel hundreds of miles to the hospital, adding the extra burden of costs for fuel, meals and sometimes overnight lodging. Add the difficulty of transporting a child who is tethered to medical equipment and a logistical — and exhausting — nightmare for Mom and Dad becomes an all-too- familiar scenario. At Children’s of Alabama, a program introduced in 2012 is alleviating much of that stress by streamlining the entire process. The aerodigestive program is a collaboration of the pulmonary, gastroenterology and otolaryngology divisions headed by pulmonologist Tom Harris, M.D., who serves as co-medical director with ENT Brian Wiatrak, M.D., FACS, FAAP, and gastroenterologist Reed Dimmitt, M.D., MSPH. “The goal is to comprehensively and efficiently evaluate and manage the medical needs of children with complex airway and nutritional problems by coordinating care,” Harris said. Streamlining the evaluation process The process begins in the aerodigestive conference, held twice monthly, where the team reviews the medical history and records of new patients and determines if further assessment via triple endoscopy, including direct laryngoscopy, flexible bronchoscopy and esophagogastroduedenoscopy (EGD), is needed. “We do a complete assessment of the upper aerodigestive tract,” Wiatrak Opposite page: Drs. Tom Harris (left) , pulmonary, and Reed Dimmitt (right) , gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, are slated to join Dr. Brian Wiatrak in presenting to the Alabama Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics this fall.

Dr. Brian Wiatrak, ENT, said Children’s aerodigestive program is the result of a nationwide movement over the past two decades toward a multi-disciplinary approach to caring for complex kids.

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