Division of Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine
The Division of Pediatric Hospitalist Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson Hospital seeks to advance, advocate, and improve the life of every patient and their families that we treat.
Overview
Our physicians are deeply dedicated to the patient population in our surrounding community, the state of New Jersey, and nationally. All members of our division share responsibility for patient care in the inpatient units of the Children’s Hospital, the newborn nursery, Eric B. Chandler Health (EBC) Center, and the University Medical Group at Somerset.
Clinical Care Services
Inpatient, Nursery, and Outpatient Services
Our inpatient hospital units care for children and young adults, ages 0-21 years, and are divided into two floors within the Bristol-Myers Squibb Children’s Hospital. The fifth-floor unit of the children’s hospital houses babies and children, while our second-floor unit cares for adolescents and young adults.
In the newborn nursery, our physicians care for all babies who are patients of EBC Health Center as well as the babies of all physicians who are not affiliated with RWJ Hospital.
General Care
Our general division accepts all patients from any hospital or institution who desire further specialized care to be given by physicians located at RWHUH facilitated by the Children’s Hospital transport team.
Community Care
The division of General Pediatrics is deeply committed to our community and helping children by providing all-encompassing care during each visit. This includes all aspects of preventative care and immunizations for newborns, infants, and children with attention placed on their development, and social and emotional needs.
Our staff members are dedicated, caring, hardworking physicians who strive to provide warm, friendly, and efficient treatment for patients with family-centered care as our core value.
Primary Care Institute
The Primary Care Institute provides administrative and operational oversight of the pediatric primary care services offered by the Robert Wood Johnson University Medical Group. The institute maintains data on access, patient satisfaction, quality of care, and negotiates managed care issues, and recruits providers for the service sites. New patients are always accepted and welcomed.
Primary Care Pediatrics
Primary care pediatrics provides care to children ages 0-21. Staff members are fluent in English and Spanish. Most insurance is accepted. Appointments are available immediately in urgent cases.
Education
All physicians within the Division of General Pediatrics are involved in the education of medical students, Interns, and Residents.
Our faculty gives lectures at RWJ Medical School to Interns and Residents during their summer lecture series for the Resident noon lecture series and at Grand Rounds. We participate as preceptors at the Resident Continuity Clinic. We serve as facilitators for group case discussions, mentor 3rd and 4th-year students during their clerkships, as well as facilitate OSCE exams for students at all levels of Medical School training.
Community Outreach
The General Pediatric Division serves the community through being members of local community groups as well as through our Resident Education in Advocacy and Community Health (REACH) program headed by Dr. Shilpa Pai
The REACH program provides the opportunity for residents to learn to become pediatricians who:
- Are as comfortable and competent in their role as child advocates as they are in their medical practice
- Effectively advocate for an individual child and family, as well as all children in their community on a city, state, regional, and national level
- Work in partnership with community-based agencies to promote the well-being of children
Throughout this educational process, we integrate and expand focus on community-based pediatrics and advocacy throughout the New Brunswick and New Jersey Communities.
Dr. Chefitz is currently active in the following:
- Chairperson, Asthma Task Force, Healthier New Brunswick
- Center for Great Expectations - direct monthly health education workshops
- Member, New Brunswick Tomorrow Health Task Force
- Member, Acelero Middlesex County Medical Advisory Board
- Member, RWJ Fitness and Wellness Center Medical Advisory Board
Research
Our faculty believes for the comprehensive care of children to be achieved, the division must participate in all aspects of research. Our division’s commitment to clinical research and case studies has resulted in numerous publications.
-
- Elizabeth Yen, MD, and Dalya L Chefitz, MD, Lakshmi P Uppaluri, MD, MBBS, Jon M Burnham, MD, MSCE, Lakshmi N Moorthy, MD, MS Not Just Another Nosebleed Pediatric Puzzler published November 1, 2013 in Contemporary Pediatrics
- Murthy, Kenton K, Chefitz, Dalya L, Cerebral Venous Sin Thrombosis: A Case Report with Review of Diagnosis and Treatment Strategies, Clinical Case Reports 2014, Volume 4 – Issue 5 – 1000354
- doi:10.4172/2165-7920.1000354
- Clark J, Simpson A; Integrating Basic Science into Clinical Teaching Initiative Working Group,
- Clark J, Stanton B, Kamat D, Asmar B, Sudhanthar S, Mehta R, Kanto W, Kramer E, Bostwick B, Gray B, Rabalais G, Shickler K, Boeckman A, Posnansky B, Prakash D, Chefitz D, Friedman A, McPhillips H, Shugerman R. J Pediatr. 2008 Nov;153(5):589-90, 590.e1-2. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2008.07.020.
- PMID 18940345
- Nolfi-Donegan D, Viswanathan A, Chefitz D, Moorthy LN, “ A child with recently diagnosed diabetes mellitus type 1 and subsequent systemic arthritis", The Internet Journal of Pediatrics and Neonatology. 2012 Volume 14 Number 1. DOI: 10.5580/2b7d
- Peng, T, Chefitz D, Gaur S, Pan W, Moorthy LN. Intravenous Immunoglobulin Use in a Child with Kikuchi Disease. Accepted for poster presentation at ACAAI conference November 7-11 in Baltimore 2013
- Weller, Alan; Marcella, Stephen; Adverse Asthma Outcomes in Pediatrics, Eastern Society for Pediatric Research (ESPR) and Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting (PAS): 2008
- Weller, Alan; Marcella, Stephen; Comorbidity Count and Adverse Asthma Outcomes in Children, Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting (PAS): 2009
- Weller, Alan; Marcella, Stephen; Clinical and Non-Clinical Predictors of Diabetic Ketoacidosis in Hospitalized Children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus, Pediatric Academic Societies Meeting (PAS): 20
- Brittany Parlow, Adil Mohiuddin, Theodore Chou, Janice Cato-Varlack, Alexis Boneparth, Lakshmi N. Moorthy, Abdominal Pain, Rash, and Arthritis, Clinical Pediatrics ID CLP-RR-14-569
Our current Research Projects include
-
Early literacy and the pediatrician
-
Post-partum depression - Parenting Support Groups for Spanish-speaking mothers
-
Faculty advisor to pediatric resident projects:
-
"Drawing Play" research project - IRB approval pending
-
"Hookah Education" research project - IRB approval pending
-
"Community Resources" scholarly project
Hospitalist Medicine Faculty
Contact Us
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
One Robert Wood Johnson Place
New Brunswick, NJ 08901
For Appointments: 732-235-7044