As Phoenix Children’s prepares to open a freestanding emergency department in July 2023 in Avondale, Ariz., the pediatric healthcare system announced The Phoenix Children’s–Avondale Campus‘ clinical leadership team. Christina Conrad, DO, a pediatric emergency medicine specialist, will serve as medical director and Theresa Asta, RN, MSN, CPEN, CPN, will serve as clinical manager.
“As medical providers, we know kids with serious injuries and illnesses do much better in pediatric emergency departments as opposed to adult facilities,” said Jared Muenzer, MD, MBA, physician in chief, COO of Phoenix Children’s Medical Group and pediatric emergency medicine specialist at Phoenix Children’s. “Everything we are building in this emergency department, and the leadership and care team working here, is being chosen with kids in mind.”
Both Dr. Conrad and Theresa Asta will work closely with Blake Bulloch, MD, division chief of emergency medicine at Phoenix Children’s, and Kristin Niehoff, director of nursing services, who have oversight of emergency care throughout the health system.
Dr. Conrad has provided pediatric emergency medicine services at hospitals throughout Arizona for over a decade, in addition to serving in various clinical leadership and educational roles. She attended Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and served as chief resident at Blank Children’s Hospital before completing a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Phoenix Children’s.
“Kids deserve medical care close to home. That’s what I want for my patients, and it’s also what I want for own family I’m raising right here in the West Valley,” said Dr. Conrad. “I look forward to bringing much-needed pediatric emergency care to this community.”
Theresa Asta, the incoming clinical manager, has worked in Phoenix Children’s ambulatory and urgent care settings since 2018, most recently as clinical manager of the specialty and urgent care centers in the West Valley. Prior to coming to Phoenix Children’s, she worked in a pediatric emergency department in both clinical and charge nurse roles. Asta holds a master’s degree in nursing leadership from Grand Canyon University and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Arizona State University.
The Phoenix Children’s–Avondale Campus is comprised of the forthcoming 35,000-square-foot freestanding emergency department, plus a 71,250-square-foot, three-story medical office building that opened in December 2022. Phoenix Children’s invested $33.5 million to retrofit its existing urgent care location to provide emergency services and build the new clinic for expanded specialty care.
The freestanding emergency department will be staffed with board-certified pediatric emergency medicine specialists with the necessary training and expertise to care for critically ill babies, kids and teens. In addition to 24/7 emergency care, Phoenix Children’s patients will have access to 40 treatment rooms including six fast-track rooms, imaging services, and via consult, physicians in more than 75 subspecialties.
