The Pediatric Department is comprised of faculty from New York Medical College who are experts in the care of children hospitalized with moderate to severe illnesses, or with illnesses that involve the coordination of multiple subspecialists or multiple hospital services.
The Section of Academic General Pediatrics provides comprehensive inpatient care for patients referred to the Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital, and then facilitates the seamless transfer of information back to the referring doctor when patients are discharged. Our staff also provides general pediatric consultations to subspecialists and surgeons whose pediatric patients have medical issues such as fevers, poor weight gain and mild to moderate respiratory issues.
Complementary Pediatric Care Services
In addition to comprehensive pediatric care, other unique services and programs provided by the General Pediatrics Section include:
- Complementary and Alternative Pediatric Therapies
- Westchester Institute for Human Development
- Medical student and resident education and mentorship
- Primary care research
- Evaluation and management of autism
- Grant-supported research on childhood obesity
- Child abuse education and prevention
Quality Improvement Initiatives
Medication Administration
We have an ongoing quality improvement initiative at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital to improve the discharge experience by delivering prescribed medications to patients in their room before they are discharged. Initial utilization of the bedside medication delivery program was low.
Through the ongoing application of QI principles, medication delivery has increased five-fold. We extend our deepest thanks to the families who took the time to speak with us in the hospital about this program. In acknowledgment of their generosity and willingness to help, we remain dedicated to creating an improved system that best serves our patients and their families. Our goal is to ensure that patients of all backgrounds and financial means can obtain and fully understand the medications prescribed to them.
Hand Hygiene
The data shown below demonstrates hand hygiene that is broken down by those who used alcohol preparation compared against those who used soap and water. The percentage reflects the total number of hand-washers and is utilized by our quality teams to identify areas for targeted process improvement initiatives.
Hospital Acquired Infections
Publicly reported data on Hospital Acquired Infection (HAI) rates can be found on the New York State Department of Health’s page. HAIs are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and the staff at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital are committed to engaging in quality improvement initiatives that seek to reduce these rates while creating a safe environment for patient care.
Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infections (CLABSI)
In 2025, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital had 1 CLABSI event in the pediatric inpatient areas. The NICU had 2 CLABSI events, which is below the expected/predicted number for that population. Overall, our CLABSI performance remains below national benchmarks, reflecting continued progress in hospital-acquired infection prevention.
Patient Experience
Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital is dedicated to providing exceptional care for children and their families, continually striving to enhance the patient experience. Through innovative programs and initiatives, we aim to create a comforting and supportive environment for young patients facing medical challenges. From child-friendly facilities to specialized pediatric services, every aspect of care is designed with the well-being and comfort of children in mind. With a commitment to ongoing improvement, Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital ensures that each child receives the highest quality of care, making their hospital stay as positive and stress-free as possible.
Surgical Site Infections
Here at Maria Fareri Children’s Hospital we are proud members of Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS), a pediatric quality program and network with over 140 participating hospitals. We are happy to announce that in Quarter three and four of 2024 there were no surgical site infections noted within our cardiac, spinal fusion, and VP shunt patient populations.
Our hospital infection rate during that time period is 0, with the SPS Centerline being 2.065.
Thank you staff for the great work and miracles you perform each day!