Training the Next Generation of World-Class Neonatologists
USC Divisions of Neonatology
OVERVIEW
The USC Divisions of Neonatology of the Department of Pediatrics at Keck School of Medicine consists of a comprehensive neonatal academic network. Accordingly, the divisions’ clinical, educational, quality improvement and research activities take place at four sites at Los Angeles General Medical Center, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center. The divisions provide clinical service on 135 licensed neonatal intensive care beds at these four sites. The four sites are organized into two divisions; the Los Angeles General Medical Center Division (the NICU at Los Angeles General Medical Center and the NICU at PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital) and the CHLA Division (the Newborn and Infant Critical Care unit [NICCU] at CHLA and the NICU at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center).
The USC Divisions of Neonatology and the Fetal-Maternal Center (FMC) comprise the Fetal and Neonatal Institute, bringing together the clinical, educational and research activities of the FMC (prenatal fetal diagnosis and treatment program at CHLA and USC) and the Divisions of Neonatology. Faculty of the Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine at CHLA and USC, Department of Obstetrics, Keck School of Medicine of USC provide the highly specialized and family-centered prenatal diagnosis and treatment services in the FMC. Utilizing the comprehensive structure of the Fetal and Neonatal Institute, families receive longitudinal care starting from before and immediately after conception though pregnancy and after the birth of their baby under one overarching structure. In our experience, this arrangement provides the best opportunity to ensure the most appropriate transfer of information and clinical care responsibilities across the disciplines and to all care providers involved in the care of the mother, her fetus and the newly born baby. Thus, the platform provided by the Fetal and Neonatal Institute enables us to provide the highest quality and state-of-the-art clinical care so that and the best outcomes and the highest levels of parental satisfaction can be achieved in this most stressful period of the life of families involved.
Over thirty full-time and part-time academic neonatologists and researchers serve as faculty members in the USC Divisions of Neonatology providing state-of-the-art clinical service to the patients cared for in the 4 intensive care units of the program as well as postgraduate education for USC Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine fellows, a large number of pediatric residents from two residency programs, and a number of general pediatric surgical residents and fellows, and pediatric anesthesiology fellows from the pediatric, surgical and anesthesiology-critical care residency and fellowship training programs of the Departments of Pediatrics, Pediatric Surgery, and Pediatric Anesthesiology and Critical Care at Los Angeles General Medical Center and CHLA. Several members of the faculty are engaged in nationally and internationally recognized basic, translational and clinical research activities funded by federal and private agencies.
The divisions run one of the largest and most active Neonatal-Perinatal Fellowship Training Program in the nation with 18 trainees (6 trainees per year) in the program, providing structured clinical, educational and research training to future academic and clinical neonatologists. Fellows rotate through Los Angeles General Medical Center, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles, PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital, Memorial Care Miller Children’s and Women’s Hospital Long Beach intensive care units for their clinical training.
Los Angeles General Medical Center Division
CHLA Division
In summary, the USC Divisions of Neonatology provides state-of-the-art, multidisciplinary, compassionate and family-centered clinical services for the sickest preterm and term neonates in an academic environment. We believe that our unwavering commitment to serve our patients and their families combined with the experience and knowledge gained from our involvement in graduate and postgraduate medical education and cutting-edge basic, translational and clinical research enable us to provide the best possible care for all critically ill neonates and infants admitted to our units.