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Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach Expands Care Deeper in Orange County, Opens Pediatric Specialty Center in Irvine
[December 08, 2016]

Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach Expands Care Deeper in Orange County, Opens Pediatric Specialty Center in Irvine


Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach has opened the Children's Specialty Center - a brand-new pediatric outpatient center in Irvine. With the new Children's Specialty Center, Orange (News - Alert) County families will have increased access to pediatric specialty care physicians close to home.

Similar to a visit with a pediatrician, the Children's Specialty Center will provide sub-specialty care in an outpatient setting from the same pediatric specialists that diagnose and treat kids and teens in Miller Children's. The new center has physicians with expertise in a range of specialties, including gastroenterology, orthopedics, neurology and pulmonology, as well as other specialties being added soon.

"As we embarked on this venture, we met with pediatricians from throughout Orange County to help identify the greatest health care needs of the community," says Laurie Sicaeros, COO, physician integration, MemorialCare Health System (parent company of Miller Children's).

"The specialties they offer are in significant demand for community physicians and will be of great benefit to our pediatric patients who can now access high quality pediatric specialists in an outpatient setting, close to home, and in a reasonable amount of time," says Marnie Baker, M.D., MPH, pediatrician, MemorialCare Medical Group.

Because children are still growing, their health care needs differ from adults. When a child is diagnosed with an illness or injury, their care is best managed by a physician with extensive training in that area of pediatric health care. Pediatric specialists are experts who have gone through advanced training to care for the unique needs of still developing children, using specific techniques to diagnose and treat children and teens.

"The Children's Specialty Center gives families another choice when they're looking to find a specialty care physician to elp manage their child's condition," says Laura Lundquist, VP, Outpatient Specialty Centers, Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach. "A visit to one of our physicians for things like asthma or a sprained wrist could potentially save that family a trip to the emergency department, resulting in less time and out of pocket costs."



If a child's condition worsens to the point that they need hospitalization, they can be seen at Miller Children's by the same physician who has been managing their care at the Children's Specialty Center.

"By using the same physicians in our hospital and outpatient centers, it's easier for families to create trusting and open partnerships with their child's doctor," says Lundquist.


Miller Children's is part of OC-based MemorialCare Health System. The MemorialCare Health System is comprised of five top hospitals; medical groups - MemorialCare Medical Group and Greater Newport Physicians; a health plan - Seaside Health Plan; and numerous outpatient health centers, imaging centers and surgery centers throughout the Southland (Orange County and Los Angeles County).

The new Children's Specialty Center shares a building with a MemorialCare Medical Group primary care office and pediatrician office and a MemorialCare Imaging Center - offering a comprehensive range of care to children and their families all under one roof.

"Our goal was not only to bring specialty care access to kids and teens in the community, but build a one-stop shop for families seeking health care in their backyard," says Sicaeros.

About Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach:

Miller Children's & Women's Hospital Long Beach, part of the MemorialCare Health System, provides specialized pediatric care for children and young adults, with conditions ranging from common to complex - as well as maternity care for expectant mothers - all under one roof. Only five percent of all hospitals are children's hospitals, making them unique not only to children's health care needs in the community, but across the region. Miller Children's is one of only eight free-standing children's hospitals in California - treating more than 14,000 children each year - and has become a regional pediatric destination for more than 84,000 children, who need specialized care in the outpatient specialty and satellite centers. Visit MillerChildrens.org, like us on Facebook.com/MillerChildrensHospital, follow us on Twitter @MillerChildrens and on Instagram @MillerChildrens.


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