Heather Collette, MD, is a pediatric hospitalist, which means she only treats kids who need to stay in the hospital overnight.
“A hospitalist is like a general pediatrician, but we don’t work in an office,” explains Dr. Collette. “We only see children who are sick enough to need hospital care, which might be because of common issues like asthma exacerbations or pneumonia. I also take care of children before and after surgery and do checkups on well newborn babies in the nursery.”
Dr. Collette, who sees patients at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Bridgeport Hospital, and Lawrence + Memorial Hospital in New London, says she was drawn to the hospitalist field because of its variety and challenges.
"I see interesting cases, some of which are rare and require a lot of investigation to figure out. I love working with all of the different specialists in the hospital as a team to take excellent care of kids and provide evidence-based diagnoses and treatment plans,” she says.
Taking care of families is also something Dr. Collette enjoys. “It can be a scary experience for parents and children to come into the hospital, and it’s often unexpected,” she says. “I try to reassure them that they’re in a safe place, where there is help and support.”
The best part of her job, Dr. Collette says, is seeing her patients during rounds in the morning, especially when they are feeling better. “When I see them jumping on the bed or eating ice cream for breakfast, I know they are feeling better and ready to go home,” she says. “Plus, I love seeing the relief on a parent’s face.”
Dr. Collette is an associate professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine.
