Wellness for Life: Mass General for Children’s Commitment to Pediatric Care and Beyond

As the oldest provider of pediatric medicine in Boston, Mass General for Children (MGfC) has been delivering compassionate care to pediatric patients since 1821. MGfC treats more than 170,000 pediatric patients annually, including both primary and specialty care visits across Mass General Brigham.

“Affiliation with a world leader in research and clinical medicine affords our pediatric patients access to cutting-edge research and medical care often unavailable at other children’s hospitals,” says Joanne Wolfe, MD, MPH, chair of pediatrics and physician-in-chief at MGfC. “This empowers us to provide the best possible personalized, compassionate care to children and their families throughout New England.”

Taking Care of Children with the Family at the Center

MGfC’s motto, “Once we start caring, we never stop,” embodies a commitment to patients that can start before birth. Developing long-term relationships creates a comforting environment of trust that allows providers to offer families individualized care that matches a child’s personality and evolving medical needs.

“Caring for the entire family unit is essential, especially where prevention, illness management, recuperation and returning to normal life are concerned,” says Dr. Wolfe.

This family-centered approach includes addressing the global epidemics of obesity and overweight. Such interventions tend to be most effective when begun early and with the involvement of family and healthcare providers. The First 1,000 Days Program and High Five for Kids are examples of MGfC’s history of translating research in these areas into action.

The Raising Healthy Hearts program currently helps children and families make lifestyle changes to address cardiovascular or metabolic risks. In cases where diet and exercise are insufficient, weight-management drugs and bariatric surgery are now options for adolescents. Although still relatively uncommon, MGfC is on track to perform 30 bariatric procedures in adolescents this year, making it the highest-volume center in New England.

Regardless of the condition, Dr. Wolfe emphasizes that family engagement is essential for treatment and preventing recurrence. “Sustaining transformation requires a team effort,” she says.

Specialized Care for Special Patients

Pediatric specialists are acutely aware of the need to manage and care for patients and families as a single unit. According to Allan Goldstein, MD, chief of pediatric surgery and surgeon-in-chief at MGfC, this role is central to their responsibility as medical providers. “When we talk about a patient, we’re really referring to the patient, their family, caregivers, providers and everyone engaged in that child’s life,” he explains. “That degree of investment requires a style and approach unique to pediatrics.”

That style frequently requires imagination. Dr. Wolfe recalls a pediatric therapist transforming a child anxious about a tonsillectomy into one happily driving a plastic car to the operating room while waving goodbye to everyone. “Any childhood experience involving separation from family, interrupted routines, and possible pain and discomfort can be traumatizing,” she says. “We focus on ensuring that patients and their families emerge from a hospital experience as though it was just another day.”

Pediatric surgeons specialize in treating conditions unique to infants, children and adolescents. This care includes seeing patients before they’re born and being able to diagnose and treat congenital malformations or diseases that manifest during development.

“We often treat conditions never seen in adulthood by virtue of how and when they manifest,” explains Dr. Goldstein. These conditions range from complicated craniofacial procedures to rare congenital anomalies of the chest and abdomen to oncology procedures involving tumors that occur exclusively in children.

Conversely, Dr. Goldstein emphasizes that what also sets MGfC apart is its collaboration with adult specialists at Massachusetts General Hospital. Children may face conditions common in adults but rare in pediatric patients. In these circumstances, combining our pediatric expertise with the high-volume expertise of adult specialists is essential. This partnership allows us to offer innovative treatments and surgical techniques that might otherwise be unavailable to pediatric patients, providing seamless access to specialized surgical care adapted for a pediatric setting.

“Many procedures rarely performed in children happen daily in adults at Mass General,” says Dr. Goldstein. “By partnering with those surgeons, we benefit from their skill and experience in addressing conditions infrequent in pediatric patients.”

Pediatric Care at the Cutting Edge

Proximity to the latest research and innovation enhances their ability to go the extra mile when helping a patient. This, combined with an atmosphere that encourages and prioritizes collaboration, leads to new opportunities generated by groundbreaking discoveries.

Dr. Wolfe emphasizes the importance of careful consideration when applying the latest medical breakthroughs to pediatric care.

“Therapies that are effective in adults may not directly translate to pediatric patients,” says Dr. Wolfe. There’s a delicate balance between effective treatment and minimizing unnecessary burden on children. “Our deep understanding of the nuances involved in pediatric care inspires us to research and develop effective therapies and innovative delivery methods that truly benefit our young patients."

Two of the following represent areas of groundbreaking clinical practice and research at MGfC:

Oncology Care

Adolescent and young adult cancers demonstrate tumor-specific similarities with those seen in adults, making proximity to surgical and medical oncologists at Mass General invaluable. The Pediatric and Adolescent Surgical Oncology team at MGfC and the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program at Mass General Cancer Center provide exceptional continuity of care beyond medical and surgical treatment.

“We’re able to leverage our strengths as a children’s hospital within a general hospital to provide the best cancer therapies available,” says Dr. Goldstein. “Fighting cancer with that kind of team, including psychiatrists and social workers, empowers everyone in the patient’s life to successfully navigate the trajectory of the disease.”

Pediatric Neurology

The breadth of specialization within this area ranges from novel treatments for seizure disorders to addressing behavioral health issues that have escalated since the pandemic. Comprehensive care for a spectrum of neurological disorders relies on partnerships with Pediatric Psychiatry and Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine. Their integration provides critical continuity in managing the mental health concerns of patients and families as they confront challenges associated with growing up with these disorders.

The Lurie Center for Autism is a multidisciplinary clinical, research, training and advocacy program dedicated to changing how autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is diagnosed and treated. A major focus of their research concerns strategies to aid pediatricians with accurate diagnosis, which makes an enormous difference in how patients obtain and respond to treatment.

Dr. Wolfe says that the common thread in what MGfC offers is a holistic approach to family-centered care that extends throughout a patient’s life. Whether it’s supporting children with long-term illnesses or helping adolescents with ASD thrive into adulthood, the commitment to their well-being is the same.

“We’re a large community that feels small by virtue of how connected we become to our patients and their families,” says Dr. Wolfe. “Through that connection, they know that we will support them for as long as they need it.”