CHLA Health Network: Community Pediatricians, Top Specialists, and a Seamless Continuum of Care for Local Families

Dr. Kathryn Stiles of the CHLA Health Network checks on baby Clayton during a recent office visit with his parents, Jorge and Jamie. PHOTOS COURTESY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL LOS ANGELES

Jorge, a Conejo Valley father, remembers first noticing the sign in the office of his family’s pediatrician announcing that her practice was part of the CHLA Health Network.

“We already liked our doctor, Kathryn Stiles,” he said, “but knowing that she was connected to Children’s Hospital Los Angeles gave me an even better feeling about her practice.”

As it turned out, Jorge and his wife Jamie would benefit directly from the CHLA Health Network, a group of 140 pediatricians representing 37 medical practices across the Los Angeles region. The Network is the only physician-led network of its kind in Los Angeles, providing care for more than 150,000 patients. It brings together community-based pediatricians committed to a continuum of care that spans from the pediatrician’s office to CHLA’s partner hospitals and outpatient centers as well as to its main hospital in the heart of Los Angeles — California’s top-ranked pediatric facility.

Jorge and Jamie came to fully appreciate the Network’s benefits after their second child, Clayton, was born one month premature, spending his first week in a neonatal intensive care unit. When Clayton was healthy enough to be discharged, a specialist advised the parents to have their pediatrician follow up on a blood test that indicated a potential concern.

That wasn’t difficult since Dr. Stiles is a CHLA Health Network provider. After Clayton’s first well-baby visit, Dr. Stiles ordered blood work. No problem: the parents took him to the CHLA Encino Outpatient Center for the laboratory work.

“Not only was the location convenient, but we also felt comfortable knowing that the lab was part of CHLA, so they had plenty of experience handling infants,” said Jorge.

When the results revealed Clayton was anemic — possibly an indication of a serious condition — Dr. Stiles referred the parents to Jacquelyn Baskin, MD, a nationally known hematologist at CHLA. Within two days Dr. Baskin saw Clayton, ordering follow-up lab work the family was able to again take care of at the Encino center.

“Again, it was so convenient to do the lab work in Encino, and have access to a top specialist,” Jorge said. The parents accessed the lab results online on the CHLA secure patient portal, and Drs. Baskin and Stiles continued monitoring Clayton for two months until his blood levels settled into a normal range, alleviating concerns.

“I was very pleased with how everything transpired,” said Dr. Stiles. “Having the child checked out by a CHLA specialist was reassuring to the parents—and to me, too.”

Such positive experiences start with top-quality community pediatricians, said Dr. Bhavana Arora, MD, medical director of the CHLA Health Network. “We look for pediatricians who are well known in the community for the care they provide—who are patient-centered and family-centered,” she said. The Network gives families like Clayton’s the advantage of ready access to top-quality care at every turn: from primary care to specialist to hospital.

Fortunately, Clayton’s condition resolved itself without need for intervention, but all along, the parents felt assured their son was in excellent hands. “When you have concerns about your child’s health, it feels good to know that your pediatrician is talking to specialists who are training the next generation of top pediatricians in the world,” said Jorge.

Now enjoying their healthy toddler, the parents are thankful they’re part of the CHLA Health Network. “We’re grateful for the doctors’ great bedside manner, their attention to detail, and their quick follow-up,” Jorge said. “All of that made what could have been a difficult experience so much better.”

To find a CHLA Health Network pediatrician in your community, go to CHLA.org/HealthNetwork