Cincinnati Children's, Parkview Health Expand Pediatric Telehealth Collaborative

The collaborative focuses on neurosurgery, rheumatology and drug-resistant epilepsy.

Cincinnati Children's Hosptial and Indiana's Parkview Health have expanded their decade-long collaborative to include remote pediatric specialty care consultations for patients in their service areas, the nonprofit providers announced jointly.

Cincinnati Children's pediatric experts will be available to consult with outpatients at Fort Wayne's Parkview Regional Medical Center as part of a larger plan to eventually connect other medical specialties through virtual care.

"This new collaboration leverages Cincinnati Children's excellence in pediatric neurosurgery, rheumatology and drug-resistant epilepsy with the pediatric expertise and knowledge of Parkview Health medical providers," Ken Tegtmeyer, MD, medical director of the Center for Telehealth at Cincinnati Children's, says in a media release.

"We remain committed to working with Parkview Health and families in the Fort Wayne region to ensure that their children get the specialized care they deserve in a convenient setting and at the most appropriate level."

The health systems, 180 miles apart, began collaborating on trauma services consultations over the past decade. In 2018, they started a telehealth collaboration for cardiology, gastroenterology and general surgery. This latest collaborative broadens the consultations to include pediatric neurosurgery, rheumatology and drug-resistant epilepsy for children living in northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio.

Parkview Health, formed in 1995, operates 10 hospitals, including Parkview Women's & Children's Hospital and a network of primary care and specialty physicians. 

"The goal of our new, enhanced collaboration with Cincinnati Children's is to better meet the needs of our community," says Tom Miller, MD, physician executive, Women and Children's service line, Parkview Health.

"Our collaboration is patient-centered and will increase access to Cincinnati Children's specialty care for Fort Wayne area families. This could reduce or even eliminate the need for travel to receive specialized pediatric care," he says.

"For patients who require care at Cincinnati Children's, a coordinated approach for referrals and local follow-up appointments will streamline the experiences of these families."