Our Mission is CLEAR. Yale Pediatrics provides:

C linical care that is outstanding;
L eadership for the global pediatric community;
E ducation for physicians, allied health professionals, patients, and families;
A dvocacy that promotes childhood health and development; and,
R esearch that is innovative, insightful, and state-of-the-art.

Clinical Care

Our faculty and staff are uncompromising in their commitment to the welfare of children and adolescents. The Department of Pediatrics is a regional and national center for referral and consultation that provides comprehensive pediatric care. We are the market leader in the State of Connecticut. Many of our physicians are internationally recognized for their innovative approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of childhood conditions such as arrhythmias, cystic fibrosis, childhood cancers, diabetes, dyslexia, hemoglobinopathies, infectious diseases, and complications of prematurity, as well as many other disorders. The Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital encompasses 94 beds on its pediatric units, including 53 general in-patient beds, a 19-bed pediatric intensive care unit, 13 beds for oncology patients, and a 6-bed respiratory care unit. A 48-bed newborn special care unit provides ECMO and other innovative measures in the care of premature infants. Patients on research protocols are accommodated in our General Clinical Research Center. More than 9,000 patients are discharged annually, with 55,000 visits to our primary care and subspecialty clinics and 27,000 visits to our pediatric emergency room.

Leadership

Faculty of the Department serve as elected members of council for the Society of Pediatric Research and the American Pediatric Society. Three faculty have served as presidents of these organizations; one is a past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Four faculty have been honored by election to the Institute of Medicine.

Education

Our commitment to excellence in the education of pediatricians encompasses our fully accredited medical school, residencies in pediatrics and medicine/pediatrics and 14 subspecialty fellowships. Students at Yale University School of Medicine are introduced to pediatrics in small group tutorials and patient simulations in clerkship years one and two; in years three and four, our dedicated teaching attendings precept medical students on ward rotations, community experiences, and sub-internships. Our popular hospitalists play a critical role in our in-patient curriculum. Our exceptional community pediatricians participate in our educational endeavors at every level, and our distinguished faculty are eagerly sought as lecturers in medical schools, pediatric departments, and national scientific forums.

Advocacy

Residents in the Department participate eagerly in the "Adopt-A-Doc" program, a unique University-community partnership that places pediatric residents in the homes, schools, and churches of New Haven's inner ring communities. Pediatric faculty lead state initiatives in child abuse, accidental poisoning, and the establishment of medical homes. Nationally, Yale Pediatric faculty are spearheading innovations in patient safety, developmental/behavioral pediatrics, toxicology, and cardiology through membership on NACHRI, AAP and ABP committees.

Research

Basic, translational, and patient-oriented research flourish among our faculty. Despite our relatively small size (80 faculty), we have ranked in the top five for NIH funding among all departments of pediatrics in the nation for the past several years. Our current NIH portfolio encompasses more than 50 research awards totaling more than $23 million, with substantial foundation support as well. Designated as a Child Health Research Center by NIH in 1990, we are currently the oldest and longest funded of these programs, which focus on the development of the next generation of leaders in pediatric research.

We are proud to contribute to the vitality of Yale University School of Medicine and the Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital. We welcome you to our Web site and hope that this introduction to the Department of Pediatrics excites your interest and involvement in our dynamic pediatric enterprise. Please do not hesitate to contact me or any member of the Pediatric faculty for further information.

Margaret K. Hostetter, M.D.
Jean McLean Wallace Professor
Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Physician-in-Chief, Yale-New Haven Children's Hospital