Specialty Healthcare Practice for Children Opens in Chattanooga

Local families no longer need to travel to larger cities to have their children assessed, diagnosed and treated for developmental conditions such as autism and learning disorders — disabilities that have a higher occurrence in Tennessee than the national average.

Siskin Children’s Institute has partnered with T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital to open the first pediatric center in southeast Tennessee with a full-time, triple board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician.

The Siskin Children’s Institute-T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital Center for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics opened today inside the Institute’s 1101 Carter Street facility in downtown Chattanooga. The center offers assessment, diagnosis and treatment for children ages birth to teens with or at risk for developmental conditions.

“Our family would’ve had to go to Nashville or Atlanta for these services,” said Candy Whitlock, a mother from Rock Spring, Ga., whose 3½-year-old son is being treated at the center. “Traveling is one less thing we have to worry about.” 

Approximately 16.4 percent of Tennessee children and 14 percent in Georgia have a special need that requires services of a board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician, according to a 2006 survey by the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (Source: http://mchb.hrsa.gov/cshcn05/index.htm). The national average is 13.9 percent.

Early detection of a developmental delay or disorder is critical, said Regina Gargus, M.D., the center’s developmental behavioral pediatrician. “Identifying these conditions as early as possible improves their long-term outcomes,” she said. “The sooner a child is diagnosed, the sooner we can intervene to help.”

All patients are referred to the center by their primary care physician. The estimated wait time for an appointment is eight to 12 weeks.

“I’ve always had to send families out of town for assessments,” said Jeanie Jung, M.D., a primary care pediatrician at McLean Medical Services in East Ridge. “For families in the area to have local access to this type of health care, it just provides an extra sense of relief.”

The U.S. has fewer than 600 developmental behavioral pediatricians, according to the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). To diagnose a developmental delay or disorder, a physician must be certified by the ABP in developmental behavioral pediatrics, which includes completing an intensive three-year fellowship in the field as well as passing a stringent board exam.

In addition to the developmental behavioral pediatrician, the center will feature the following medical positions: pediatric psychologist, advanced nurse practitioner, licensed practical nurse, speech and language pathologist, pediatric occupational therapist and pediatric physical therapist.

Families will also benefit from the family support and counseling services provided by the Siskin Outreach and Resource Center, which is adjacent to the pediatric center.  The outreach center features a library as well with more than 6,000 resources about disabilities and parenting.

“Beyond the diagnosis, families need information about their child’s conditions,” Dr. Gargus said. “They can visit our outreach center for advice and several other resources. This outreach service makes our pediatric center very unique compared to practices across the country.”

Despite the need for this sub-specialty health care, developmental behavioral centers typically struggle financially due to low reimbursement rates from insurance companies. According to a 2003 survey of developmental behavioral pediatricians, more physicians in this sub-specialty field are encountering constraints to seeing more patients because of declining reimbursement for services. As a result, the center will rely on fundraising to overcome anticipated budget shortfalls each year.

“We began this project knowing it would be difficult financially,” said Jerry Jensen, president and CEO of the Institute. “But this is a pressing need for many families in our region, so we knew this was the right investment to make.”

For referrals to the center, physicians may call (423) 778-6031. They can also find intake forms as well as more information on the Institute’s website, www.siskin.org.

Center’s areas of focus

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Anxiety Disorders

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorders

Behavioral Disturbance in Early Childhood

Cerebral Palsy

Chromosomal Developmental Impairments

Communication-Language Disorders

Cognitive Impairments

Developmental Delays

Down Syndrome

Motor Impairments

Preterm Infant Developmental Surveillance

Sensory Integration Dysfunction

Sleep Disturbance in Childhood

About Regina Gargus, M.D.

An accomplished triple board certified developmental behavioral pediatrician, Dr. Regina Gargus is the medical director of the Siskin Children's Institute-T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital Center for Developmental Behavioral Pediatrics. She most recently served as the medical director at the J.L. Dennis Developmental Center at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock. She received her medical degree from the Medical College of Virginia-Virginia Commonwealth University, where she also completed her pediatric residency and a neonatology fellowship. She is a certified physician executive by the American College of Physician Executives, with a master of science in administrative medicine from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. She completed a developmental behavioral pediatric fellowship at Rhode Island’s Brown University School of Medicine in June 2005. 

About Siskin Children’s Institute

Siskin Children’s Institute makes life better for children with special needs and their families. Founded in 1950, the non-profit organization achieves its mission locally and nationally through four initiatives: education, outreach, health care and research. The Institute provides early childhood education where children with and without disabilities learn together; family support and professional development programs; developmental behavioral pediatric health care; and innovative research in early childhood development and special education. For more information about Siskin Children’s Institute, visit www.siskin.org.

About T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger

As the only medical center in the Chattanooga and tri-state region devoted solely to children, T. C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger provides the best in children’s health care by viewing the world from a unique perspective of children and understanding what they need. This special environment of healing for all children, regardless of their ability to pay, is the daily and ultimate goal of everyone at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital. No other facility in the region can say they do the same. For more information about T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital at Erlanger, visit www.erlanger.org/childrens.

About Erlanger Health System

Erlanger Health System is a non-profit, academic medical center affiliated with the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, and is a Level-One Trauma Center for adults and, through T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital, is also the region’s only pediatric hospital. Erlanger is the only provider of tertiary care services for a four-state region encompassing southeast Tennessee, north Georgia, north Alabama and western North Carolina. With a history that dates back more than a century, Erlanger is recognized as one of the nation’s finest public hospitals and a leader in health care. Each year, more than a quarter of a million people are treated by the team of healthcare professionals who are part of Erlanger. For more information about Erlanger Health System, visit www.erlanger.org.

Top Photo:  Dr. Regina Gargus, left, examines 4-year-old William Harris, with his mother, Gena, looking on.

Lower Photo:  Six-year-old Koree Ray undergoes therapy with the help of Terri Woodruff, an advanced pediatric nurse practitioner at the center.