Overview

	Alan L. Schwartz, Ph.D., M.D. The Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor and Chairman, Department of Pediatrics

Welcome to the Washington University Department of Pediatrics home page. I invite you to explore our web pages to learn more about our commitment to excellence in patient care, basic and clinical research, and teaching. As you do so, it will become clear why Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis Children's Hospital are ranked among the best.

Our mission

Our mission to improve the health of children and adolescents through excellence in patient care, research, teaching and community service - is embraced by our faculty and staff who are deeply committed to the welfare of children and adolescents.

Patient Care

The Department of Pediatrics is a regional (and national) referral and consultation center that provides comprehensive pediatric care. Our physicians are internationally recognized for their treatment of such diseases as cystic fibrosis, diabetes, growth disorders, childhood cancers, primary hypertension, asthma and diseases of the newborn, as well as many other disorders.

Research

Our faculty members pursue diverse scholarly interests in an atmosphere of collaborative interaction, unraveling new frontiers of medicine daily in our laboratories and in our clinics. In 1995 the Department of Pediatrics was designated as a Child Health Research Center of Excellence in Developmental Biology by the National Institutes of Health. Within this Center, Scholars pursue their research in a protected environment, with the ultimate goal being to speed discoveries from basic research to improved clinical therapies.

Training

The Department of Pediatrics has a long tradition of excellence in the education of pediatricians. Our residency program is fully accredited and focuses on providing residents with a comprehensive and diverse experience. Residents participate in our nationally-recognized Community Outpatient Practice Experience (COPE). Fellowships are available in a multitude of pediatric subspecialties (all ACGME accredited). Medical School students rotate through the Department of Pediatrics to gain first-hand experience in a hospital setting. Our distinguished faculty deliver lectures to students as part of the medical school curriculum and are available to mentor any level of trainee.

Community Outreach/Advocacy

Pediatric residents and faculty participate in many outreach programs, such as the Smoking Prevention Program (a multimedia presentation to pre-teens); Smoking Cessation Program (presentations at local high schools); and Keeping Kids Healthy in Daycare (visits to daycare centers to educate staff about the control of infectious diseases). In addition, residents and faculty provide medical coverage for conventions, fairs, and many summer camps.

Facilities

The Department of Pediatrics is located within the St. Louis Children's Hospital which together with Washington University Medical Center provide modern medical and surgical facilities, clinical and research laboratories and medical libraries all within four city blocks. In addition, construction of the new 220,000 sq. ft. McDonnell Pediatric Research Building has recently been completed. This state-of-the-art biomedical research facility houses all of the research laboratories of the Department of Pediatrics in an atmosphere solely devoted to fostering research excellence.

We, in the Department of Pediatrics, are proud to be a part of this dynamic medical community. Again, I welcome you to our Web site and hope that you enjoy exploring it. I encourage you to contact me or any of the Pediatric faculty if you have questions or would like further information.

Sincerely,

Alan L. Schwartz, Ph.D., M.D.
The Harriet B. Spoehrer Professor and Chairman,
Department of Pediatrics
Professor of Molecular Biology and Pharmacology
Pediatrician-in-Chief, St. Louis Children's Hospital