Bassett Healthcare Network has announced the addition of pediatric urology to its medical services.
According to a Bassett news release, pediatric urologist Dr. Adam Howe began working at Bassett Monday, July 6.
Pediatric urology focuses on “diagnosing, treating and managing conditions or disorders in a child’s bladder, kidneys, urinary tract, and/or reproductive organs and continuing care for adolescents and adults with these kinds of conditions or disorders that began in childhood,” the release stated. Some of those conditions can be present at birth or detected prenatally, while others can occur or develop as a child grows. Previously, young patients in the local area in need of such care would have to travel to Albany, Syracuse or even farther for treatment.
“One of the most important things a new parent can do is keep up with their child’s regular appointments with their pediatrician. If your pediatrician notices something that may not be right with your child’s urinary habits or reproductive organs, they may recommend you come and see me,” Howe said.
According to the release, Howe earned his medical degree at Albany Medical College. He trained in general surgery at University of Louisville, completed his residency at The Ohio State University, and completed his fellowship in pediatric urology at Cohen Children’s Medical Center (Northwell Health) in New York City. During his time at Albany Medical College, he completed a one-month medical rotation at Bassett Medical Center, which served as his first introduction to the area and network.
“I just absolutely love it at Bassett. This place is incredibly pleasant. Since my rotation here, I’ve never been able to get it out of my mind,” he said. “In pediatric urology, physicians typically practice in a large tertiary center, which is usually in an urban setting. It’s a golden opportunity to be able to practice in a more rural setting. This lifestyle suits me. When I was in the Albany area, I had a lot of patients who traveled from here to see me and that was a hassle for them. Being able to bring the care closer to them means so much to me.”
Howe said he first became interested in medicine as a child. His mother had kidney disease and ultimately underwent a kidney transplant.
“She was the first female dentist in the Schenectady area and I’ve always respected her so much. She went through so much with her disease and dialysis, and then I saw how much better she got after her transplant. So, I said, okay, I want to be a surgeon. I want to be a hero for the kidneys. Then, while in medical school, I did a rotation in Pediatric Urology and we did a procedure called a ureteral reimplant and I saw that you can save the kidneys that way, before dialysis or a transplant is needed. I decided at that point that this subspecialty is how I would fulfill what was in my heart.”
“Dr. Howe brings exactly the kind of specialized, child-focused expertise that we at Bassett strive to deliver,” said Dr. Brandon Greene, chief of pediatrics at Bassett. “His arrival reflects our commitment to bringing comprehensive, high-quality pediatric care to rural settings so our kids can get the care they need closer to home, from a team that already knows them.”