NSMC News Releases

Brian Sanders, M.D., joined MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center (NSMC) as Chair of Pediatrics last summer, bringing a wealth of experience to lead NSMC’s Pediatric Emergency Department, newborn care in the Birthplace and Special Care Nursery, as well as a range of pediatric outpatient services.

Board certified in pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine, Sanders previously served as Medical Director of Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Lowell General Hospital and a pediatric emergency medicine physician at Boston Children’s Hospital. He was an Instructor of Pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, and currently is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Tufts University School of Medicine. A husband and father of three children, he recently talked to The Healthy Life about his background and passion for pediatric medicine.

What is most appealing to you about NSMC?

The opportunity to work with such an experienced and talented team of physicians and nurses was a big draw, along with the medical center’s affiliation with Partners HealthCare and close partnership with MassGeneral Hospital for Children. As a resident of the North Shore (Wenham), I also was excited to work nearby and make a difference in the lives of families who also call this community home.

How did your experience prepare you for your new role?

My background in pediatric emergency medicine has taught me the importance of teamwork—staff working together effectively to provide the best care possible. As a leader, I want to foster an environment of vibrant collaboration. Lucky for me, we have a great team at NSMC, not only in our Pediatric Emergency Department, but also across a wide range of specialties. Families turn to us at some of their most vulnerable times and that is a responsibility we take very seriously. We are always thinking about how to make each family’s experience as pleasant as possible, while ensuring their child will be well cared for in any situation. For example, we are introducing an “Ouchless ER” to take the pain and anxiety out of kids’ experience in the emergency room.

As Chairman, do you still have time to see patients?

More than half of my time is spent actively caring for children in our Pediatric ER, and I find this hands-on approach gives me a better sense of what both our staff and our patients are experiencing. We have a great team of pediatricians, neonatologists, psychiatrists and nurses, and I just want to make sure I’m making it as easy as possible for them to do what they love, and that’s care for kids.

What are your key initiatives?

My first priority was to cut down the wait times in our Pediatric ER. Our “door-to-doctor” time averages only 30 minutes and overall time spent in the ER has been reduced to 90 minutes, and we’re working to bring these times down even further. I’ve been busy planning for the opening of our new Pediatric ER and behavioral health facilities in the fall of 2019, exciting developments for our staff and patients. I’m also creating close relationships with community pediatricians and family medicine doctors, connecting them and their patients to the tremendous services offered by the medical center.

What sets MassGeneral for Children at NSMC apart?

Our Pediatric ER is the only one on the North Shore staffed 24/7 with pediatric physicians and nurses. Beyond our ER, we offer a full complement of pediatric care that includes MassGeneral for Children specialists who offer dedicated clinics in cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology and nutrition, nephrology, pediatric surgery and rheumatology.

Through these clinics, patients and families can see experts from MGH. We also provide diagnostic services, behavioral health services, neurology, pulmonology, rehabilitation services, and neurodevelopmental assessments. As we have done for more than a century, I’m proud to say that NSMC is providing exceptional care to the kids and families of the North Shore.

NSMC (North Shore Medical Center) is a multi-site health system headquartered in Salem, Mass., which includes NSMC Salem Hospital, NSMC Union Hospital in Lynn, MassGeneral for Children at North Shore Medical Center, NSMC Heart Center, NSMC Women’s Center and the physician network known as North Shore Physicians Group. NSMC and Massachusetts General Hospital together provide care at the Mass General/North Shore Center for Outpatient Care and the Mass General/North Shore Cancer Center in Danvers. NSMC is a member of Partners HealthCare, which was founded by Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. #northshoremed