For this week’s Making the Rounds, we interviewed David Worhunsky, MD, a pediatric surgeon at our Pediatric Specialty Clinic. Dr. Worhunsky shared why his pediatric surgery team is world class, the importance of our Level I Trauma Center for Kentuckians, why he chose pediatrics and more.
Tell us about your pediatric surgery team.
We take care of children that have cancer and need tumors resected or removed; we take care of urgent cases, trauma cases – appendicitis is probably one of the more common things we take care of – babies and children with hernias.
We really do run the gamut of pediatric surgery. I think Kentucky Children's Hospital is truly a world class institution with all of the amenities necessary to take outstanding and excellent care of the children of Kentucky and even beyond that.
How does being part of UK HealthCare enhance your ability to care for children?
Being a Children's Hospital with an adult hospital, we have access to some of the adult technology and some of the adult providers that can help us.
We also have a Level I Trauma Center [in the Makenna David Pediatric Emergency Center] and a Level IV NICU. The team and the camaraderie that we have [is amazing], with all of the disciplines that are needed for excellent care, right here at Kentucky.
When did you know you wanted to work with children?
I didn't know I was going to do pediatric surgery until I was about halfway through my training. I think what changed for me is my wife and I had our first child: we now have three kids, and they're currently eight, seven and one-year-old.
What changed for me was realizing what it means to be a parent and to have kids and realizing that you would do absolutely anything for your child – you would rather be sick than see your child sick.
What is your patient care philosophy?
I will take care of their child exactly the way I would take care of my own child – or the way I would want another surgeon to take care of my child.
Watch our full interview with Dr. Worhunsky.
