Greetings!

Thank you for your interest in the Pediatric Residency Program at Advocate Children's Hospital - Park Ridge! For over 40 years, our program has been committed to training well rounded pediatricians whether they enter a career in primary care or pediatric subspecialty. The key to our success is a rich curriculum which is delivered in a friendly and nurturing environment. We take great pride in our dedication to resident education and in our faculty members and community pediatricians who serve as mentors and teachers. The faculty members at AdvocateChildren's Hospital are exceptional in their respective areas and have trained at world renowned programs. Our residents, in turn, go on to outstanding fellowships and primary care positions throughout the country.

Advocate Children's Hospital  is located in the Chicago suburb of Park Ridge, close to the city, the airport, and many ethnic neighborhoods, all of which contribute to a very diverse patient population. Our neighboring high school, where we operate a school based health center, is home to students from over 50 different countries who speak over 75 different languages! We serve as a regional referral and trauma center for the entire northwest segment of the state. In addition, our institution directs several pediatric hospitalist programs at neighboring community hospitals. The result is a rich tapestry of diverse children with both common as well as rare pediatric illnesses such as congenital malformations, genetic disorders, and complex congenital heart disease.

Our patient diversity provides the foundation for our robust academic program. We have primary teaching affiliations with three major medical schools, the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rosalind Franklin University of Health Sciences and The Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine. Students from these programs complete both core and elective rotations at our institution. In addition, our Pediatric Residency Program was just awarded a "Notable Practice" in our efforts to promote and teach professionalism within the program by the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). Several of our faculty members, fellows and residents are involved in clinical research projects sponsored internally by the Advocate Center for Pediatric Research.

As a pediatric residency program, we are committed to preparing residents to become outstanding pediatricians who will continually challenge themselves to be critical thinkers, compassionate advocates for children, and skillful healers. We are also looking for residents who have interests outside of medicine and desire a well rounded program that will promote their ability to lead balanced lives. We look forward to meeting you! Feel free to contact us at the email addresses below if you have any questions. You can also contact our educational coordinator, Judy Fregetto at 847-723-5986. We wish you the best of luck with the recruitment process.

Sincerely,

Program Director
Dr. Frank Belmonte

	Frank Belmonte, D.O., MPH, FAAP Program Director frank.belmonte@advocatehealth.com Medical School: The Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine Internship: Cook County Hospital - Chicago, IL: Internal Medicine Residency: Advocate Children's Hospital - Park Ridge: Pediatrics Fellowship: University of Illinois at Chicago: General Academic Pediatrics Clinical Interests: Child Development, Child Advocacy, Breast Feeding, Infant Bonding and Attachment, Health Care Policy
	Karen Bernstein, M.D, MPH, FAAP Associate Program Director karen.bernstein@advocatehealth.com Medical School: Rush College of Medicine Residency: Children's Hospital of Wisconsin Fellowship: Children's National Medical Center - Washington D.C.: Adolescent Medicine Clinical Interests: Adolescent Confidentiality, Gynecology, School Based Health
	Theresa He, M.D., FAAP Associate Program Director theresa.he@advocatehealth.com Medical School: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine Residency and Chief Residency: Massachusetts General Hospital for Children - Boston, MA
	David Sheftel, M.D., FAAP Chairman Medical School: University of Kansas Residency: University of Chicago, Comer Children's Hospital Fellowship: University of Wisconsin -  Madison: Neonatology