Nemours Celebrates Ten Years of Service To The Community

Pensacola, Florida
Wednesday, January 10, 2007 @ 02:20 PM EST
by: Cortney Owens
(850) 505-4739
cowens@nemours.org

The pediatric specialists of Nemours Children's Clinic in Pensacola, FL have treated nearly 60,000 children for chronic illnesses since opening its doors 10 years ago. Nemours mission is to restore and improve the health of children through care and programs not readily available with one high standard of quality. Nemours currently employs 26 pediatric specialty physicians in 11 clinical areas with 106 support staff.

"We are so fortunate to have the support of the Nemours Foundation to further our mission for children in Pensacola and Northwestern Florida," stated William Blanchard, MD, Medical Director and Pediatric Cardiologist of Nemours Children's Clinic. "Our region covers a vast amount of territory with a more rural population base, and without the support of Nemours, we would not be able to provide specialty care to the children we treat at Nemours and Sacred Heart Children's Hospital. We look forward to continued growth and services for the children in our area."

Nemours in Pensacola has seen tremendous growth over the last decade and has become the leading resource for pediatric specialty health care.

In 1997:

Nemours opened its doors with four pediatric specialty physicians in three clinical areas.

In 1998:

Nemours surgeons from the Departments of Orthopedics and General Surgery performed the Panhandles first laparoscopic anterior spinal fusion.

In 1999:

Nemours established new programs such as the pediatric dialysis unit at Sacred Heart Children's Hospital, the introduction of minimally invasive surgery for children, and a satellite clinic for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. >

In 2000:

Nemours relocated to a new six-story building on the Sacred Heart campus.
Nemours pediatric Surgery Department established a surgical procedure area in Sacred Hearts Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that improved outcomes for pediatric patients.

In 2001:

Nemours transitions from patient charts to electronic medical records.
The Pulmonology Department established the pulmonary function testing program.

In 2002:

Nemours enhances its echocardiography services.

In 2003:

Remote Monitoring program initiated for children with respiratory illness.

In 2004:

The fetal cardiac ultrasound program was initiated to provide images of the fetal heart in the womb as early as 15 weeks gestation, allowing for early detection of complex defects and more effective treatment.

In 2005:

A new multidisciplinary program using a Transcranial Doppler was implemented to screen sickle cell patients for risk of stroke.

In 2006:

A satellite clinic was opened on the campus of Sacred Heart Hospital on the Emerald Coast in Destin, Florida.

February 2007:

Nemours will be adding a new pediatric specialist and a new clinical area, Pediatric Urology (which brings the total to 27 pediatric specialty physicians in 12 clinical areas).

Nemours remains committed to education and research, while continuing to attract new physicians and launch new services.

"Long ago, we realized that our hospital needed strategic partners if we were going to meet the needs of children and families in our region," said Patrick J. Madden, President and CEO of Sacred Heart Health System. "Our partnership with Nemours is tremendously valuable to the community. I cant say enough about the quality of Nemours physicians, their depth of knowledge, and the solid relationships these doctors have built with community pediatricians."

Celebration Event:

Proud of providing a decade of service, Nemours is hosting a celebration in the Clinic lobby on Thursday, January 11 at 10:30 am. Media are welcome. For more information about Nemours history, pediatric specialists and services, please call (850) 505-4700 or visit www.nemours.org.

modified: Monday, August 06, 2007 @ 02:21 PM EDT
created: Monday, August 06, 2007 @ 02:21 PM EDT

About Nemours

Nemours, one of the nation’s largest pediatric health systems, is dedicated to achieving higher standards in children’s health. Nemours offers an integrated spectrum of clinical treatment coupled with research, advocacy, and educational health and prevention services extending to all families in the communities it serves. Starting with Alfred I. duPont’s bequest over seventy years ago, Nemours has grown into a multi-dimensional organization offering personalized clinical and preventive care focused on children.

Nemours owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and major children’s specialty clinics in Delaware (Wilmington), Florida (Jacksonville, Orlando and Pensacola), Pennsylvania (Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr) and New Jersey (Atlantic City and Voorhees). Having recently received preliminary approval from the State of Florida, Nemours will establish a new full-service children’s hospital as part of an integrated pediatric health campus in Orlando. KidsHealth.org, the world’s most visited pediatric health care Web site for parents, kids and teens, is a project of Nemours.

Nemours employs over 4,400 individuals, including 430 pediatric physicians, specialists and surgeons who cared for approximately a quarter of a million children in 2007. The organization’s goal is to align with parents, physicians, community leaders, children’s advocates and elected officials to ensure optimal wellness for every child. Additional information about Nemours can be found at www.nemours.org.