Pediatrics Made Possible
“I feel really lucky to be able to practice in this unique community,” says pediatrician Katie Quayle, MD. “It feels really great to know the community is committed to pediatrics.”
This past year, community generosity made full-time pediatrics possible. Gifts to the Pediatric Services Endowment in St. Luke’s Wood River Foundation will help guarantee that specialized care for families and children is available in perpetuity.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to work with the family medicine doctors to continue to provide great care for kids here,” Dr. Quayle says. “As the only pediatrician in the valley, my experience has been really different than practicing in Salt Lake City where pediatricians are abundant. People in the community have been very appreciative, wonderful to work with, and are committed to helping their kids be as healthy as possible.”
Dr. Quayle moved from Utah and joined the St. Luke’s Wood River Family Medicine team earlier this year. She also participates in the Hospitalist Group at St. Luke’s Wood River Medical Center through a partnership with internist Dr. Dan Fairman.
Dr. Quayle graduated from Williams College and earned her medical degree from the University of Massachusetts Medical School before moving to a residency at the nationally ranked, top 10, University of Utah health care system in Salt Lake City. She worked as a general pediatrician at Southridge Pediatrics in Riverton, Utah, for the past few years.
She is keenly aware that to engage with a child—and to enlist the parent in what can sometimes be a rigorous prescription to wellness—takes time and trust.
“I think of myself as part of the team partnering with family medicine doctors to take care of kids in the Wood River Valley,” Dr. Quayle says. “My schedule right now in clinic allows for me to have longer appointments with kids, especially for mental health care, or for kids with complex health care needs.”
She continues, “Working with parents is a huge part of my job. When taking care of an infant or young child who cannot talk, I rely on the parents to bring up concerns or observations and in a way ‘speak for’ the child. As kids get older, especially with teenagers, I like to spend part of the visit talking together with the child and his or her parents and then one-on-one time with the child to get to know them and give them some space to ask questions. However, even as kids get older it’s still really important for me to connect with parents, as they know their child best.”
This specialized care is exactly what community generosity makes possible.
“Practicing here has allowed me to continue to grow as a pediatrician,” Dr. Quayle says. “I love the pace of my clinic right now.”
