05/30/2024

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Expands Pediatric Services, Launches New Hospitalist Program

DOVER, NH – Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, a part of Mass General Brigham, has expanded its pediatric services, launching a new hospitalist program for children through a collaboration with Mass General for Children (MGfC).

Wentworth-Douglass patients under the age of 18 will now have access to a pediatric hospitalist onsite, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“We are absolutely thrilled to bring this enhanced level of care to families in our Seacoast community,” said Nicole Pendenza, assistant vice president of Women’s and Children’s Services at Wentworth-Douglass. “Wentworth-Douglass has always been recognized for its excellence in children’s care. This initiative is the natural evolution of Mass General Brigham’s ongoing commitment to elevating care throughout our region, so that children can receive medical care locally – from birth through adulthood.”

Launched May 1, the program provides families increased access to specialized care, allowing them to remain in their community for treatment instead of being transferred to another hospital and alleviating barriers to care such as travel. Children admitted through the emergency department will now be cared for by the same hospitalist during their inpatient stay, providing important continuity of care.

“We are providing a level of care that families in the Seacoast region could not get before,” said Dr. Derek Trapasso, medical director of the Pediatric Community Hospital Medicine Program at Wentworth-Douglass. “In recent years, hospitals have had to make a choice to either discontinue pediatric care or find a partner who could help support their efforts. Wentworth-Douglass chose to remain committed to our pediatric patients and their families. The team at WDH takes its responsibility to care for children very seriously. MGfC has been a great partner and is fully invested in the program.”

“This expansion is an exciting opportunity to provide greater access to unique, child-centered expertise through MGfC and significant resources available through MGB, allowing the skilled team of local pediatricians [at Dover Pediatrics] to focus more fully on the patients in their practices,” said Dr. Joanne Wolfe, physician-in-chief at Mass General for Children. “With pediatric specialty services spanning sixteen locations in Eastern Massachusetts, Southern New Hampshire, and Maine, children receive the highest quality treatment and can remain close to their support systems during acute admissions or be followed by specialists in their communities.”