Children’s Hospital expands radiology services through innovative new affiliation with Cleveland Clinic Imaging Institute

eRadiology coverage from the nationally recognized pediatric imaging experts began this month

NEW ORLEANS – Children’s Hospital New Orleans and Cleveland Clinic are pleased to announce a new affiliation to expand access to board-certified pediatric radiology experts for children and families of New Orleans and Louisiana. Through the partnership, a team of 16 Cleveland Clinic pediatric and neuro-radiologists will supplement the existing Children’s Hospital New Orleans pediatric radiology team. The Cleveland Clinic team will work in collaboration with Children’s New Orleans-based board-certified pediatric radiologists so that all Children’s Hospital New Orleans locations have 24/7 access to pediatric fellowship-trained radiologists.

“We are proud to launch our affiliation with Cleveland Clinic, one of the nation’s top healthcare institutions, to ensure that families throughout Louisiana and the Gulf South have access to the very best pediatric imaging expertise close to home through implementation of their innovative teleradiology platform,” said Jonathan Brouk, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer for Children’s Hospital New Orleans. “This means families will know their child’s imaging is read by pediatric experts at all Children’s Hospital New Orleans locations at any time of day, instead of having to rely on adult radiologists or waiting until the next day for a study to be read by a pediatric expert, as is the case at other pediatric facilities in our community.”

All of the Cleveland Clinic radiologists are board-certified and have advanced subspecialty training in pediatrics. The parties are also planning to expand the partnership to include an additional four specialists from Cleveland Clinic to read cardiac MRI images, bridging expertise between imaging and heart care and expanding Children’s New Orleans’ cardiac imaging capabilities.

“Our team is committed to ensuring that patients receiving care at Children’s Hospital New Orleans receive the highest quality imaging available,” said Michael Aquino, M.D., medical director of Overnight Pediatric Radiology at Cleveland Clinic. “From the initial scan to the report results, we strive to deliver an uncompromising level of quality to each and every child and family we serve, along with the entire care team”.

Through the affiliation, Cleveland Clinic’s pediatric radiologists will provide a comprehensive imaging experience: from the development of exam protocols, to rapid, accurate interpretation, to physician consultation. Cleveland Clinic’s eRadiology service provides teleradiology services to hospitals, imaging centers and physician group practices by using high speed, secure internet connections, instant messaging and advanced RIS and PACS (Radiology Information System/Picture Archiving and Communication System) systems. This technology also allows referring physicians with electronic access to their patient’s images and reports via a secure web viewer.

The partnership also supports Children’s Hospital’s pediatric trauma program – the only pediatric trauma program in the region – that recently started accepting trauma patients directly from the scene of accidents. The Children’s trauma program is currently pursuing accreditation from the American College of Surgeons.

The all-new Imaging Center at Children’s Hospital New Orleans opened in April 2020 as part of the hospital’s $300 million campus expansion. The Center combines top experts in pediatric radiology with advanced technology to provide precise and safe imaging for patients, in an environment that is child friendly at every level. Additionally, the Center’s state-of-the-art imaging suites are part of an Adventure Series developed in partnership with GE. Many radiology services are also available at satellite locations throughout the state and region.

To learn more about Imaging services at Children’s Hospital New Orleans, visit www.chnola.org.

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About Children’s Hospital New Orleans

Children’s Hospital is a 257-bed, non-profit academic pediatric medical center that offers comprehensive healthcare services, including over 40 pediatric specialties, delivered just for children. With more than 600 pediatric providers, Children’s offers a comprehensive array of pediatric healthcare services in Louisiana and the Gulf South. In addition to its main campus located in New Orleans, the hospital operates a network of specialty clinics across Louisiana, including in Covington, Baton Rouge, Alexandria, Lafayette, and Bay St. Louis, MS. Children’s offers primary care services at 12 convenient locations and remotely via its Virtual Care for Kids program. Children’s is a proud member of LCMC Health, a Louisiana-based, not-for-profit hospital system which also includes New Orleans East Hospital, Touro, University Medical Center New Orleans, West Jefferson Medical Center, and East Jefferson General Hospital. Learn more at chnola.org.

About Cleveland Clinic

Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S. News & World Report consistently names Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation’s best hospitals in its annual “America’s Best Hospitals” survey. Among Cleveland Clinic’s 72,500 employees worldwide are more than 5,050 salaried physicians and researchers, and 17,800 registered nurses and advanced practice providers, representing 140 medical specialties and subspecialties. Cleveland Clinic is a 6,500-bed health system that includes a 173-acre main campus near downtown Cleveland, 22 hospitals, more than 220 outpatient facilities, including locations in northeast Ohio; southeast Florida; Las Vegas, Nevada; Toronto, Canada; Abu Dhabi, UAE; and London, England. In 2021, there were 10.2 million total outpatient visits, 304,000 hospital admissions and observations, and 259,000 surgical cases throughout Cleveland Clinic’s health system. Patients came for treatment from every state and 185 countries. Visit us at clevelandclinic.org. Follow us at twitter.com/ClevelandClinic. News and resources available at newsroom.clevelandclinic.org.