Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) Marks 10 Years of Excellence in Northern Virginia

[Fairfax, VA, September 30, 2023] – Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV), a top pediatric care institution, proudly celebrates its 10th anniversary today. Over the past decade, PSV has been a pillar of support for Northern Virginia’s children and families, delivering outstanding pediatric care and making a profound impact on the community’s well-being.

Founded in 2013 as a unique joint venture by Children’s National Hospital and Inova Health System to meet the needs of children and families in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas, PSV has grown into a leading pediatric specialty practice, adapting to meet evolving needs, and setting the standard for comprehensive pediatric specialty care in the region.

“This milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire PSV team,” said Dr. Laurel Blakemore, Chief Executive Officer of PSV. “We’ve come a long way since our inception, and it fills me with immense pride to see how we have positively impacted the lives of countless children and their families. Our commitment to service excellence remains as strong as ever, and we are determined to continue providing the highest quality care possible.”

PSV’s commitment to service excellence and the well-being of its patients and their families remains at the heart of its mission. The practice’s multidisciplinary team of pediatric specialists and support staff work tirelessly to create an environment that is nurturing, comforting, and focused on the unique needs of each child.

As PSV marks its 10th anniversary, it reaffirms its dedication to making a positive difference in the lives of Northern Virginia’s children, looking forward to the next decade and beyond.

About Pediatric Specialists of Virginia: 
Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) was collaboratively created by Children’s National Hospital and Inova Health System in 2013 as a pediatric specialty group dedicated to caring for the needs of children in Northern Virginia. Its mission is to provide superb pediatric specialty care through clinical excellence, innovation, education, research, and family-centered care. As a medical group, PSV is a public charity with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Many PSV providers are recognized as “Top Docs” by The Washingtonian and Northern Virginia Magazine and have appeared in U.S. News & World Report as leading experts in their fields. For more information about PSV, please visit the About Us page.

This month, Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) received a recognition award from the Fairfax County Health Department for contributions in protecting the health of children through our dedicated actions and commitment to immunizations.

Representatives from the Fairfax County Health Department, including Immunization Action Plan Coordinator Christine Carlock, presented the award to PSV’s Chief Executive Officer Dr. Laurel Blakemore and Director of Quality and Clinical Services Ruby Higgins.

Under Dr. Rebecca Levorson, who was instrumental in its development and success, PSV’s immunization program made collaborative use of the Virginia Immunization Information System (a statewide system that maintains vaccination history), took an active role providing COVID-19 immunizations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and contributed to protecting the health and well-being of vulnerable children in our community.

Each August, The Virginia Department of Health, the Fairfax County Health Department, and other partners recognize National Immunization Awareness Month. This recognition highlights the importance of routine vaccination for people of all ages, preventing many diseases that were once common.

To read the full article, head over to the Fairfax County Health Department’s website.

Pediatric Specialists of Virginia is excited to announce that Laurel Blakemore, MD, CEO, was announced as one of the co-recipients of the Thomas E. Whitecloud Award by Scoliosis Research Society. 

To view more about the award, and the Scoliosis Research Society, please click here.

Fairfax, VA – Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) is excited to announce Laurel Blakemore, MD as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective October 19^th. 

Dr. Blakemore previously served in the role of Shriners Endowed Professor and Division Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at the University of Florida’s College of Medicine in the Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation.  Prior to her stint with the University of Florida, Dr. Blakemore served as Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedics at Children’s National hospital for nine years.

Her primary focus at PSV will be on leading the organization through its next phase of development and growth by applying her vast experience working with ambulatory healthcare practices, as well as utilizing the operational acumen she’s acquired while working at a variety of health care facilities and over the course of her illustrious career.

“I am so excited to return to Pediatric Specialists of Virginia and work with the wonderful team there,” said Dr. Blakemore.  “As Chief of Orthopaedics at Children’s National I participated in the start of PSV, a unique example of what can be accomplished through collaboration and vision.  I welcome the opportunity to work with the PSV team to further develop our ability to offer the best pediatric specialty care possible to the region’s children.”

In addition to her role as CEO, Dr. Blakemore will also maintain her orthopaedic clinical practice.  Her clinical areas of interest include scoliosis care including early onset scoliosis and orthopedic trauma, to name but a few.

Dr. Blakemore is PSV’s second Chief Executive Officer after taking over for Dr. Leon Moores, who recently accepted an executive leadership position at Inova Health System, after nearly six years of exemplary leadership and service in the CEO role at PSV.

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About Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV):  Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) was collaboratively created by Children’s National Hospital and Inova Health System in 2013 as a pediatric specialty group dedicated to caring for the needs of children in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas. Its mission is to provide superb pediatric specialty care through clinical excellence, innovation, education, research and family-centered care. As a medical group practice with tax-exempt status under Section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, our specialists care for children during hospital stays at Children’s National  and Inova Children’s Hospital and throughout their childhood on an ongoing, outpatient basis. Many are recognized as “Top Docs” by The Washingtonian and Northern Virginia Magazine, and have appeared in U.S. News & World Report as leading experts in their fields. For more information about PSV, please visit: www.psvcare.org.

About Children’s National Hospital:  Children’s National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is the nation’s No. 6 pediatric hospital and, for the third straight year, is ranked No. 1 in newborn care, as well as ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded children’s hospital in the nation. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. 
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About Inova:  Inova Children’s Hospital is Northern Virginia’s only dedicated children’s hospital, and is located on the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus. The 226-bed, full service children’s hospital offers a complete range of services in more than 40 pediatric subspecialties, including one of the area’s largest heart programs with pediatric cardiology and cardiac surgery. The hospital serves as the Northern Virginia’s tertiary pediatric referral center; home to its only Pediatric Level I Trauma Center, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Inova Children’s Hospital is part of Inova, Northern Virginia’s leading nonprofit healthcare provider that serves more than 2 million people each year in the Washington, DC region and beyond. Inova was recognized in 2019 and 2020 by U.S. News & World Report, which named Inova Fairfax Hospital the #1 hospital in the Washington, DC region. All five Inova hospitals were awarded ‘A’ grades for the spring 2020 Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grades, recognizing Inova’s achievements in protecting patients from harm and providing safer healthcare. Each of Inova’s five hospitals holds a 5-star rating from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), distinguishing Inova as the highest-rated large health system in the U.S., and the only system to have all hospitals receive five stars. Inova Fairfax Medical Campus was named to the Fortune/IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals list, ranking in the top 10 nationwide among Major Teaching Hospitals.

 

Contact:  Justin Jones, Marketing Director (703) 848-6651, jrjones@psvcare.org

Pediatric Specialists of Virginia                           

PRESS RELEASE
 

Release Date:  April 5, 2019

                                                                       
Pediatric Specialists of Virginia’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders is Moving to the New Inova Schar Cancer Institute  

FAIRFAX, VA – Pediatric Specialists of Virginia’s (PSV) is excited to announce that its Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders (CCBD) will be moving to the new state-of-the-art Inova Schar Cancer Institute (Fairfax, Virginia), effective Monday, May 13, 2019.

After servicing patients at its Falls Church location since inception, PSV will transition its entire outpatient pediatric hematology and oncology service to its newly dedicated clinical space, located at 8081 Innovation Park Dr., Suite 765, Building B, Fairfax, VA 22031.  The primary purpose of the move is to enhance the overall patient experience, while continuing to deliver the best pediatric specialty care possible to such deserving children and families.

“We are all very excited to be able to join our colleagues in this truly world class clinical setting,” said Leon Moores, MD, PSV Chief Operating Officer and Chief Neurosurgeon.  “Taking care of our patients and our teammates in a conveniently located top-notch facility with educational and research collaboration across the clinical continuum benefits everyone.”

PSV’s Falls Church location will be operating on a limited schedule on Thursday, May 9, 2019, and permanently close its doors the following day on Friday, May 10, 2019.  As of Monday, April 13, 2019, all PSV patients will be seen at its new clinic within the Inova Schar Cancer Institute.

Pediatric Specialists of Virginia is confident that this will be a smooth transition and is looking forward to caring for the children and families of Northern Virginia at its new location.

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About Pediatric Specialists of Virginia:

Pediatric Specialists of Virginia (PSV) was collaboratively created by Children’s National Health System and Inova Health System in 2013 as a pediatric specialty group that is dedicated to caring for the needs of children in Northern Virginia and surrounding areas.  Its mission is to provide superb pediatric specialty care through clinical excellence, innovation, education, research and family-centered care.  As a non-profit medical group practice, our specialists care for children during hospital stays at Children’s National and Inova Children’s Hospital and throughout their childhood on an ongoing, outpatient basis.  To learn more about PSV, please visit:  https://www.psvcare.org/.

About Inova

Inova is a global leader in personalized health, which leverages precision medicine together with more patient-centric services to predict, prevent and treat disease, enabling individuals to live longer, healthier lives. At Inova, we serve more than 2 million people each year from throughout the Washington, DC, metro area and beyond.

We are shaping the future of health through our integrated network of hospitals, primary and specialty care practices, emergency and urgent care centers, outpatient services and destination institutes.  Our commitment to health and wellness is further reflected in our sustainable practices. Inova is home to world-class researchers, expert medical specialists and renowned scientists, who are driving innovation to improve patient care, prevent disease and promote wellness. For more information, visit inova.org, or find Inova on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.