Nebraska Pediatric Practice bolsters pediatric care in Nebraska

Approximately 125 physicians have joined the Nebraska Pediatric Practice Inc., (NPP) the new physician group for the UNMC College of Medicine and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center.

The practice group was born out of the 2007 institutional affiliation agreement, which jointly aligns resources of the two institutions to enrich education, research and clinical care opportunities.

“We’ve brought everyone together into a new practice group to ensure that kids get the best care possible,” said John Sparks, M.D., chairman of pediatrics at UNMC and Stokes-Shackleford Professor. “Our goal is to be one of the top pediatric programs in the country.”

The Nebraska Pediatric Practice Inc., (NPP) the new physician group for the UNMC College of Medicine and Children’s Hospital & Medical Center, will enhance pediatric care in Nebraska.

Marrying the academic strengths of UNMC and the clinical strengths of Children’s Hospital & Medical Center benefits the entire community and region, said Dr. Sparks, who has led the effort to implement the affiliation agreement. Already, it’s bolstered recruitment efforts — a boon amid a national shortage of pediatric subspecialists.

While most of the 125 NPP physicians are in pediatrics, others are in such pediatric specialties as surgery, anesthesiology, radiology and orthopedics. The UNMC College of Medicine gained about 60 new faculty members through the affiliation and development of the practice plan.

The NPP is focused on outstanding performance and balanced growth in clinical services, education and pediatric research, Dr. Sparks said. New fellowship programs were added this year in pediatric surgery and genetics; others are being discussed.

“Our goal is to train pediatric specialists and subspecialists for Nebraska so families can get the clinical services they need right here,” Dr. Sparks said. “The affiliation creates bridges that bring people and resources together to do things we couldn’t do in the past.”