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The medical director of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital, on the art of “treating children as if they were our own”

by Jessica Jones-Gorman Photos By Amessé Photography

As Dr. Samuel Thomas walks the halls at K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center, consulting with families and making rounds with his staff, the pediatrician’s main purpose is to always place the needs of his young patients first.

“Our main goal is to provide a patient-centered approach to medical care,” noted Dr. Thomas, who serves as the hospital’s medical director of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. “I know that’s a big catch phrase these days, but here, in this setting, what it really means is having the families present. They’re here during our presentation and during our rounds, which creates a higher level of comfort because we’re sharing our assessments and plans with the family in real time.”

K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital is the first and most comprehensive provider of pediatric care in Monmouth and Ocean counties, and serves as the heart of Meridian Health Pediatric Network. It includes a pediatric emergency department and acute care units supported by over 100 pediatric subspecialists. Both complex surgeries and treatments for chronic conditions are handled by a team of physicians, nurses, and caregivers in a family-focused setting.

“We’ve created a supportive environment where the focus is on the patient…and close, constant communication with the family is key,” Thomas said. “All team members are present during our daily rounds and everyone is expected to have response and input to patient care, from the nurses and residents to students and pharmacists. We are a teaching facility, so our discussions are open, and then all of that shop talk is translated so the families have a clear understanding of where we are and what is on the near horizon. We keep them in the moment and let them know exactly what we think, which is a crucial aspect of children’s care.”

For Thomas, also the medical director of Jersey Shore’s Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the hospital’s Pediatric Procedural Sedation Unit, it’s a challenging but worthwhile task.

“It can be very difficult; each patient takes a little piece of you,” he confided. “But I try to focus on the fact that with every case I have the ability to make a difference. With good, detailed medical care, most of our patients end up recovering and have wonderfully positive outcomes. But even in cases where things aren’t as hopeful, I find that we still provide a comforting service for patients and their families during the absolute worst moments of their lives. We are right there with them, treating their children as if they were our own.”

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Thomas, who earned his medical degree from Hahnemann University College of Medicine, completed his residency at Emory University Hospital and a fellowship at Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, was first inspired to go into medicine by his uncle.

“He was this charismatic figure—an All-American quarterback at Notre Dame who was drafted by the NFL, but opted to go to medical school instead,” he said. “He became a very well respected OB/GYN and surgeon in the Pittsburgh area and he was someone I admired very much.”

While attending med school, Thomas was open-minded about his specialty, but pediatrics just stood out.

“I had a wonderful role model in my pediatrician, Dr. Saul Wider, and throughout med school I always thought that pediatricians were the happiest group of doctors,” he recalled. “Plus I’ve always thought of myself as a little kid at heart, so I decided to go into pediatrics. And while working in that field, I developed a fondness for taking care of the sickest children because that’s where I felt I was making the most difference, so I continued my critical care training.”

A Philadelphia native, Thomas returned to the east coast to be closer to family, and signed on full time at Jersey Shore in 2002.

“Over the past 13 years, we’ve built up the medical team here,” he said, detailing his collaboration with PICU intensivist doctors Matthew MacCarrick and Bruce Grossman. “We have about 27 residents in a program which keeps growing, a wonderful critical care nursing staff, and the hospital also maintains a staff of Child Life Specialists—trained caretakers who continually support patients and their families… everything from bringing toys and video games to pet therapy and guitar playing. It’ a special touch that makes a big difference.”

The PICU takes care of a multitude of medical issues: children who have sustained traumatic brain injuries are treated here as well as those who have suffered some sort of infection and need respiratory support as they heal.

“We have a population of children with chronic medical problems,” explained Thomas. “This is where they can access a multi-disciplinary approach that takes into account all of their medical problems and coordinates their care.”

A procedural sedation unit is also available to perform tests with the least amount of stress for a patient, and the hospital is the only Level II Trauma Center with pediatric commitment in Monmouth and Ocean counties. It’s just part of the growth and development the doctor hopes to continue within the Meridian network.

“We work hard to expand and grow our team of subspecialists,” Thomas concluded. “The ability to consult with a range of super subspecialists whenever we need them adds to the overall care in this department. And providing the best possible care is our goal.”

Meridian Pediatric Associates
K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital
1945 Route 33, Neptune / 732.776.4357 / meridianhealth.com