Inside Pediatrics Fall/Winter 2023-2024

“Eventually, we become health coordinators,” she continued. “For example, if a patient has an emerging cardiac problem, we make sure that they see a cardiologist. And then, we educate the cardiologist, if needed, and bring them up to speed on what might have caused this cardiac problem. If they need an endocrinologist, we follow up on that, and then we bring back all this information to the patient, so they understand and are able to assimilate it properly.”

Hear more from Dr. Bhatia on the Children’s of Alabama PEDSCAST

Clearly, the future lies in specialized, risk-based, lifelong care for childhood cancer survivors, and Children’s is at the forefront of developing this approach. “The most important thing is to do it in partnership with the pediatricians in the community, and as the children grow older, with their primary care providers,” Bhatia said. “Because no one person can take care of all the patients. It’s the village that does it all.”

Smita Bhatia, M.D., MPH

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