Riley Pediatric Hospitalists provide 24/7 care at IU Health Bloomington

The South Region is pleased to announce that a team of pediatric specialists from one of the nation’s top-ranked pediatric hospitals, Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, will now be available at IU Health Bloomington hospital.

With dedicated, around-the-clock care now available on-site, the hospital continues to find new ways to deliver excellent care for each patient, closer to home. This addition has also opened access in primary care offices for Riley pediatric doctors to see more patients where they are most needed.

“Each newborn and pediatric patient now has a pediatrician readily available, providing parents with greater access to expert care," says Director of Clinical Operations, Nikki Benich. "With 24/7 in house pediatric hospitalists, there’s a higher chance we can keep our pediatric patients close to home, should they need hospital admission."

Much of the program’s success is credited to Angela Dietrich, MD, Medical Director (pictured to the right), by her team members. She explained that before the expansion to 24/7 care, there were early, limited time windows for patients and parents to meet with a pediatrician. With pediatricians no longer on call to the hospital and instead stationed within, patients and parents can feel more at ease, knowing they are going to be treated sooner than ever before.

“Our team is in the hospital day and night,” says Dietrich. “Which allows us to be immediately available at bedside when it matters most.”

Her leadership, along with the work of her team, has been instrumental in ensuring that families receive consistent and near-immediate pediatric care, close to home. August Boeglin, MD, (pictured to the left) Bloomington native, has worked as a doctor all over the country. He recently returned to Indiana to take part in this program and give back to his community.

"I've lived all over the country—most recently in Hawaii, Philly and New York—but nowhere ever felt like home the way Bloomington did," says Boeglin. "Thanks to Dr. Dietrich's leadership and a dedicated team, we've transformed this program into one that provides round-the-clock care, allowing us to manage complex cases locally. It's been challenging, but incredibly rewarding."

This team of specialists is equipped to care for newborns who aren’t in need of the NICU, as well as pediatric-aged children who do not require specialist care. They also treat conditions such as gastroenterology issues, cellulitis, skin infections, urinary tract infections and more. In the past, if severe enough, these conditions would have been treated in Indianapolis.

“We’re happy to give access back to the community,” says Dietrich. “For both inpatient and outpatient care.”