Changes to Adirondack Pediatrics coming this summer.

Adirondack Pediatrics, PC was started by husband and wife pediatrician team John and Kathy Braico way back in the 1970s. They were joined by Jim Fuchs a few years later. Over the next two decades, a few more partners came, some went, and at the turn of the 21st century, their little practice had grown to six full time board-certified pediatricians and three nurse practitioners at the current location at 84 Broad Street in Glens Falls.

Kathy and John decided about a year apart that it was the right time to retire and they did so, and have been happy and doing well. Replacing them (they truly WERE irreplaceable, and we all knew that) proved more difficult than expected. It turned out that there had been a distinct change in the training of medical students and residents. The focus is now directed toward training for either outpatient or inpatient pediatrics. The NEW paradigm is the separation of outpatient and inpatient pediatrics, a phenomenon that began in internal medicine more than a decade ago in this area.

Although Adirondack Pediatrics was able to attract Dr. Lauren Meilhede a few years ago, we are about to lose Dr. Fuchs, who is reducing his office hours and will no longer be on hospital call as of July 2015. We have spent two years interviewing candidates and the ones we wanted all said they would (and could) get jobs without hospital call. If our practice is going to survive, we have to change with the times. In March 2015 we and Glens Falls Pediatrics met with the hospital administration and a representative of HHHN (the third pediatric group in the area) and said that we were going to relinquish our hospital privileges by July 1. Negotiations are ongoing to start a pediatric hospitalist program at Glens Falls Hospital.

That decision has proven to be integral to our growth as a practice. We are pleased to announce that Dr. Matthew Tarello, has accepted a position with us as a pediatrician since that decision was made.

A while ago, a patient’s parent gave one of us a plaque that said “When the winds of change blow, adjust your sails. We will provide quality outpatient care in our office and the hospitalists will provide quality in patient care in the hospital. This also means that we will not be called away from the office during the day to go to the hospital which will make for less disruptions and more timely visits.

Moving forward: if you are expecting a baby you can still deliver at Glens Falls Hospital. Another pediatrician will care for your baby while in the hospital. We will see your child upon discharge about 1-3 days after. The same will be true if your child needs to be admitted to the hospital. We plan to foster good communication with the pediatric hospitalists for smooth transitions and good, quality care.