At EdVenture, we love celebrating the amazing partners who help make learning come to life! Our Partner Spotlight shines a light on our partners that support our mission to inspire children through play and discovery. Each feature gives families a behind-the-scenes look at our partners — what they do, how they give back to the community, and why they’re passionate about helping kids dream big. You’ll even find fun tips about the skills children can start practicing if they’re curious about careers in our partners’ fields!
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Tell EdVenture member families what you do.
I serve as Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Midlands’ Senior Medical Director and Chair of the Pediatric Department. In this role, I make administrative, operational, and care decisions to ensure our hospital is serving children and their families in the Midlands by providing the highest quality care that is only available in a tertiary/ academic center like Children’s. I also teach medical students and pediatric residents as a faculty member of the School of Medicine.
How do you support the community at large?
We do that by admitting all the children who need inpatient care, providing subspecialty care and emergency care for the Midlands children. Additionally, through our services and faculty, we support the needs of our community by volunteering and attending other community charity events as well as our own, providing support to programs that meet not only medical needs but socioeconomic needs. We are very involved in advocacy, fighting for services at the state level for children, and supporting other community hospitals with our expertise through consultation and telemedicine. We also educate and train our next generation of pediatric doctors.
Why is a connection with EdVenture beneficial to you, your company, your employees, and your customers?
Going to the doctor can be scary for anyone, but especially for a child. Prisma Health Children’s Hospital’s partnership with EdVenture allows us to help children visualize their body and how to stay healthy at an early age. It allows them to learn while playing, ask questions, and hopefully understand the importance of taking care of themselves. It may also influence parents by what they see and hear at EdVenture. By building healthy habits early, it may reduce health risks as children age into adults.
What are the skills a child should think about practicing if he or she is interested in a job in your field?
I think it is hard for a child to think in those terms, but usually there is an innate desire or love for helping others, maybe an interest in solving puzzles or problems, and maybe later when older they want to make a difference in their community. Working as a pediatric doctor means you get to have an impact on a child with your medical care but also by showing them you care for them as a person – which has unbelievable ripple effects on so many as that child ages. You get to be part of something so much larger, and a family comes to trust you and, in a way, make you a part of their family! That is really a good part. Being a pediatric doctor, in my opinion, is one of the best life journeys you can have. Your patients give you back so much more than you give them – they give you smiles, hugs, their trust, and make you stronger because they are so strong and resilient.
Click Here to Learn More About Prisma Health Children’s Hospital.
Special thanks to Caughman Taylor, MD, Senior Medical Director of Prisma Health Children’s Hospital – Midlands and Chair of the Department of Pediatrics for Prisma Health, who provided these answers.
