2024 Children's of Alabama/UAB Annual Report

collaboration with specialized teams across the hospital ensure that the Teal Team also offers outpatient care through its Teal Clinic, which opened its doors in May 2024. The clinic helps coordinate care for children with complex conditions by partnering with pediatricians and specialists. This approach ensures that families know and feel they have a unified care team supporting them and their child. Currently, the clinic is staffed by Marie A. Pfarr, M.D., and Andrew Watson, M.D., who oversee the comprehensive care plans for each patient. “The Teal Team really allows for better, more in-depth, personalized coordination of [her] care during her stay,” said one parent. Another family shared, “The familiar faces and knowing that the team actually knows

[my child] and not just his medical history makes hospitalization (which is always anxiety-ridden) that much easier.” A third family noted, “Everyone on the team seemed engaged, invested and genuinely bonded to our child and his well-being.”

The program has received significant philanthropic support from the Meads Miracle Foundation for two consecutive years, which has been instrumental in expanding services and supporting new hires. The foundation’s donations have allowed for the addition of a case manager to support both inpatient and outpatient teams as well as a second nurse practitioner for the Teal Team in the past year. Looking ahead, UAB and Children’s plan to continue expanding the Teal Program’s reach and impact. Over the next few years, the team aims to grow its services, continuing to strengthen partnerships with COA subspecialty care teams and enhance collaboration with local and state organizations. “Building a patient and family-centered program is integral to our mission,” said Pfarr. “We will ensure patient and family voices are represented in every step of our continued development.”

Marie A. Pfarr, M.D.

Andrew Watson, M.D.

2024 Academic Annual Report

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