Boston Children’s Hospital, Baystate Health Collaborate on Specialized Pediatric Care

SPRINGFIELD — Boston Children’s Hospital and Baystate Health have formed a collaboration that will improve patient access to highly specialized pediatric care and strengthen the coordination of care between Boston Children’s and Baystate Children’s Hospital in Springfield.

The collaboration will provide patients throughout Western Mass. with improved access to pediatric specialty care at Baystate Children’s Hospital, and it will streamline care planning among providers at Boston Children’s and Baystate Children’s. The collaboration anticipates that the two hospitals will jointly develop pathways to ensure that children and adolescents get the right care in the right setting. In some instances, Boston Children’s clinicians will be available to provide care at Baystate Children’s.

“As the leading children’s hospital in Western Massachusetts, Baystate Children’s has long partnered with the community to advance the health and well-being of all children from prevention to critical care,” said Dr. Mark Keroack, president and CEO of Baystate Health. “We are delighted to build upon our exceptional care for families through a collaboration with the much-respected Boston Children’s Hospital, which will provide additional clinical expertise when needed for our young patients.”

Dr. Charlotte Boney, chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Baystate Children’s Hospital, added that “this collaboration acknowledges and strengthens the close working relationship with Boston Children’s Hospital that we have enjoyed for many years. This collaboration will facilitate our continued ability to keep specialty care local so that children and families have access to a broad range of high-quality, affordable services right here in Western Massachusetts. We look forward to exploring other opportunities that will strengthen our collaboration to serve our mutual missions of patient care, medical education, and community service.”

The two hospitals already work collaboratively in cardiology, neurology, and dermatology, and by enhancing medical education, remote consults, information technology, and other initiatives, the two institutions will be better able to coordinate care for their patients.

“At Boston Children’s, we are committed to providing comprehensive pediatric care — close to home whenever possible — to patients and families throughout Massachusetts,” said Sandra Fenwick, CEO of Boston Children’s Hospital. “This collaboration will strengthen the ability of two great institutions to improve access to the highest-quality care for the patients and families we look forward to serving together.”