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New Children's Clinic Fills Critical Need for Specialty Pediatric Care in Siouxland

Cardiology patient Ragen cuts ribbon on Children's Pediatric in Sioux City, Iowa
Siouxland Public Media/Mary Hartnett
Cardiology patient Ragen cuts ribbon on Children's Pediatric in Sioux City, Iowa

A new medical clinic officially opened to help fill a critical need when treating children for serious medical conditions. Children’s Hospital of Omaha launched a pediatric clinic in Sioux City under the guidance of Dr. Eyad Najdawi. He talked to Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer about this expansion of health care for young patients.

INTERVIEW: Dr Eyad Nadjawi
Dr. Eyad Nadjawi

A national study shows a majority of the United States lacks adequate healthcare. This problem is especially prevalent in rural areas, including Siouxland. A new clinic officially opened today to help solve that problem. Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer has more in the story posted above.

A time for celebration, years in the making for Dr. Eyad Najdawi.

Dozens attended a ribbon cutting on Tuesday afternoon for a specialty pediatric clinic in Sioux City’s Sunnybrook area.

Siouxland Public Media/Mary Hartnett

“The goal is we listen to the patients and the parents, and if there’s a deficiency, we need to improve it.”

After graduating from medical school at the University of Iowa and a cardiology fellowship at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Najdawi, a native of Jordan, came to Sioux City in 1992, where he saw a critical need for others like himself.

“Sioux City has always been underserved from a specialty standpoint. In pediatrics, we have no one in the specialty area.”

“It has always been this way. In the past 25 years, we have tried to recruit someone but failed.

So, Dr. Najdawi took action and partnered with Children’s Hospital in Omaha to bring those experts to town.

“The goal was to have a place in Sioux City where the specialists will travel to Sioux City from Omaha.”

“People from endocrine, GI, gastroenterologist, neurologist, pulmonologist, orthopedic, urologist. We will have as many as we can on a regular basis.

Siouxland Public Media/Sheila Brummer

“The parents are dealing with a sick child, so saving the parents travel time is a big deal.”

With those families in mind, one doctor prescribed his own solution to a medical issue impacting his community.

Siouxland Public Media/Sheila Brummer

* Dr. Najdawi is a supporter of Siouxland Public Media.