Pediatric Immunology & Rheumatology

Immunologists and rheumatologists are both experts on the human immune system. Pediatric immunologists diagnose and treat congenital causes of primary immune deficiencies and offer bone marrow transplant for cure of certain immune deficiencies such SCID. Rheumatologists manage rheumatic diseases, most of which have links to problems with the immune system.

In the U.S., it is estimated that there are 300,000 children with rheumatic conditions, but the number of pediatric rheumatologists to care for them is scarce. The UF Health Pediatric Rheumatology Program proudly treats more than 3,000 pediatric rheumatology patients a year from more than 50 of the 67 counties in Florida.

If your child is experiencing immunodeficiencies or rheumatic conditions, the UF Health Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology division stands out both regionally and nationally with a caring, highly skilled staff offering the most innovative treatments informed by leading-edge research.

Why choose us?

With some of the country’s leading specialists and researchers, our team at UF Health Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology is focused on bringing the latest research and treatments to the children who need them most.

We are the only program in Florida with an ACGME-approved pediatric rheumatology fellowship training program. Ours is only one of three sites in Florida to evaluate newborns who fail their screen for severe combined immunodeficiency, or SCID, and offer bone marrow transplantation for those affected infants.

Families come to UF Health from across Florida and the U.S. for the care we offer. Here are just a few reasons why:

• We are home to some of the country’s leading specialists and researchers.
• UF Health Pediatric Rheumatology Program is the only center in North Florida that evaluates and treats children with rheumatic conditions.
• We are the only pediatric rheumatology program in Florida with three board-certified pediatric rheumatologists.
• Providers deliver care to the largest number of children and adolescents with rheumatic diseases in Florida.
• We are the only program in Florida with an ACGME-approved pediatric rheumatology fellowship training program.
• We are the only program in North Florida to treat pediatric patients suffering from immunodeficiency disorders.

Within the UF Health Pediatric Rheumatology Program, our staff follows a collaborative team approach, working closely with faculty across other closely related specialties. This enables us to provide comprehensive clinical services to diagnose and manage children with rheumatic conditions, such as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, rheumatic fever, lupus, and other autoimmune diseases.

Meanwhile, children with immunodeficiency diseases can be evaluated and treated in the Immunodeficiency and Transplantation Clinic, which also includes a clinic for individuals with solid organ transplant rejection — the only one of its kind in North Florida.

Research

The UF Health Pediatric Rheumatology and Immunology academic mission is to advance our discipline through research and discovery. Much of our research efforts have seen us work jointly in trials networks funded by NIH and other foundations, such as the Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA), which has centers in the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Our excellence in patient care stems from our devotion to actively participate in clinical investigations to formulate evidence-based therapies for pediatric rheumatic diseases and gain advanced knowledge of their long-term outcomes.

The UF Pediatric Rheumatology Program has a goal to produce pediatric rheumatologists who will redefine research and clinical care for children living with rheumatic conditions.

Gainesville resources

• UF Health Shands Hospital admissions
• Child-Life Program at UF Health
• Conditions and treatments
• Clinical Trials

Jacksonville resources

• Admissions at UF Health Jacksonville
• Child-Life Program at UF Health Jacksonville