Jennifer Van Helmond, MD

For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a doctor, and specifically a doctor that could help children. Working in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) provides me with the opportunity to fulfill that mission for some of the most critically ill children. I’m always extremely humbled by how resilient children and their families are in the face of illness and injury, which motivates me to be the best intensivist I can.

In the PICU, we care for children with respiratory failure, life-threatening infections, seizures, severe electrolyte derangements, organ failure requiring a transplant, and postoperative patients, among others. Our multidisciplinary team of nurses, therapists, pharmacists, nutritionists, pediatric consultants, social workers, child life specialists and medical providers work together to provide the best care for each patient and support their families through these challenging times. I never take for granted how vulnerable our patients and their families must feel being in the PICU, and I’m so proud to work with such an incredible team that keeps the patient at the focus of all that we do.

In addition to caring for patients and their families, I enjoy teaching medical students, residents, and fellows and working with my colleagues to improve the quality and safety of the care we provide in our unit.