Program Director's Message
A message from Kathleen Donnelly, MD
Pediatric Residency Program Director
The Inova Fairfax Pediatric Residency Program was founded by the late Dr. Michael Altieri in 1996. He envisioned an innovative program which would train exemplary 21st century pediatricians to deliver cutting-edge medical care while also prospering in the current environment of fiscal constraint. In order to achieve this goal, a dedicated pool of community pediatricians committed to the program from its inception. A decade later, these individuals continue to teach residents both on the wards and in their offices. In addition, a cadre of approximately 120 pediatric subspecialists supports the diversified education of the housestaff.
During the intervening years since the program's inception, Northern Virginia has grown exponentially. The population is currently 2 million and is anticipated to increase to 2.3 million by 2010. The Inova Fairfax Hospital for Children has grown as well, with plans for continued expansion to accommodate the exploding population base. The hospital has evolved into a leading tertiary care center supporting 185 pediatric beds, with over 11,500 deliveries, 7000 admissions, and 20,000 ED visits from July 2006 through June 2007. Despite this rapid growth, the atmosphere has remained very collegial, and is a strong attraction to the program for many students.
The residents are a highly skilled and diverse group with varied aspirations. Over the last four years, one-third of housestaff have successfully pursued fellowship training, while many others have remained in the Northern Virginia area working in the offices of their former mentors. Inova is the leading provider of pediatric care in Northern Virginia and I am proud to be a member of this esteemed, growing institution.
