CHILLICOTHE  – Adena Health System and Nationwide Children’s Hospital have expanded an ongoing partnership to now include expert, family-centered clinical care for newborns and children requiring hospitalization at Adena Regional Medical Center in Chillicothe.

Nationwide Children’s hospitalists will begin caring for children who are hospitalized at Adena Regional Medical Center beginning in January 2021. Adena and Nationwide Children’s have been working together in helping to care for the region’s children since 2011.

Adena President and CEO Jeff Graham today praised the plan that will keep families together when a child is hospitalized for illness or recovering from a procedure. “Parents understand the stress and fear that comes with having a child in the hospital,” he said. “Adding an hour drive – each way – to spend time with the child adds another layer to that overall stress. It is our hope that by incorporating Nationwide Children’s hospitalists to the care of Adena’s newborns and pediatric inpatients will give parents and families peace of mind, knowing there are now more opportunities for them to be close to their home and family as their child recovers.”

Expansion of the current partnership comes from Adena and Nationwide Children’s common goal, to give children and families in the south central and southern Ohio region greater access to close-to-home, advanced pediatric care.

“We look forward to working with Adena to expand the quality of pediatric specialty care in the region, and increasing access to pediatric care in and around Ross County,” said Darrell Mosby, vice president of regional development at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Together, we are expanding the quality of care, and meeting our common goal to keep children and their families closer to home as much as we can.”

Other accomplishments related to the existing Adena/Nationwide Children’s partnership include:

• 24/7 in-house newborn and pediatric inpatient coverage and care;
• Onsite pediatric cardiology, hematology, and oncology;
• Neonatal and Emergency Department consulting, ambassador support, and training for Adena’s Level II nursery;
• Nationwide Children’s hospitalists rounding in special care and well-baby nursey;
• Partners for Kids, an Accountable Care Organization collaborating with Adena Pediatrics to ensure quality of care for children enrolled in Medicaid Managed Care;
• Education programs for Adena providers and staff;
• Direct connect lines for transport of newborn/nursery and Emergency Department services; and
• Pediatric patient education materials.

To learn more, visit www.adena.org and www.NationwideChildrens.org.