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Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health enhance collaboration on world-class specialty care

New agreement focuses on neurosurgery, rheumatology and drug-resistant epilepsy

Thursday, August 10, 2023

Cincinnati Children’s is ranked the No. 1 pediatric health system in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

Parkview Health comprises 10 hospitals, including Parkview Women’s & Children’s Hospital, plus a network of primary care and specialty physicians.

Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health, which have collaborated for more than a decade to improve health and outcomes for kids and their families in the Fort Wayne, Ind., region, have reached a new agreement to provide easily accessible consultations with world-class experts in pediatric neurosurgery, rheumatology and drug-resistant epilepsy.

In August 2023, Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health will launch telehealth clinics to enhance care in those specialties for kids who live in the areas of northeast Indiana or northwest Ohio.

The consultations with Cincinnati Children’s experts will be available to outpatients at Parkview Regional Medical Center, which will work closely with community and hospital-based providers to coordinate care and support services for children and their families who will benefit from these specialty medical services.

Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health plan to eventually expand their relationship to introduce additional medical specialties accessible through a virtual care center. The health systems, which are about 180 miles distant, initially began working together to enhance trauma services. In 2018, the two systems developed a telehealth collaboration focused on improving pediatric expertise in cardiology, gastroenterology and general surgery. The successful relationship between the two organizations has paved the way for further collaboration.

Parkview Health comprises 10 hospitals, including Parkview Women’s & Children’s Hospital, plus a network of primary care and specialty physicians.

Cincinnati Children’s – which each year cares for patients from all 50 states and dozens of other countries, including many children with complex or rare disorders – is ranked the No. 1 pediatric health system in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.

“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,” said Ken Tegtmeyer, MD, medical director of the Center for Telehealth at Cincinnati Children’s. “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 goal of our new, enhanced collaboration with Cincinnati Children’s is to better meet the needs of our community,” said 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. 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.”

“Parkview Health is dedicated to helping the patients and families in our region by providing excellent care via our talented physicians, co-workers, advancements in innovation, research and successful relationships with other leading medical institutions such as Cincinnati Children’s,” said Ray Dusman, MD, president, Physician and Clinical Enterprise, Parkview Health.

Under the new agreement, Cincinnati Children’s and Parkview Health will continue to share best practices and treatment protocols, and advance innovations that are based on Cincinnati Children’s world-class research. This collaboration will include members of the Parkview Health and Cincinnati Children’s teams spending time on each other’s campuses in Fort Wayne, Ind., and Cincinnati, Ohio, as the organizations work toward expanding the delivery of specialty care for patients in the Fort Wayne region.

About Parkview Health

Parkview Health is a nonprofit, community-based health system serving a northeast Indiana and northwest Ohio population of more than 1.3 million. With more than 15,000 co-workers, Parkview Health is the region’s largest employer. Parkview has been serving the region since its early beginnings as Fort Wayne City Hospital in 1878. Parkview Health was formed in 1995, and its heritage of care and compassion continues today with 10 hospitals and a network of primary care and specialty physicians.