Pediatric Medicine Residency

MetroHealth Pediatric Residency from MetroHealth on Vimeo.

Phil Fragassi
Philip A. Fragassi, MD, Director of Pediatric Residency Program
“Your success is our goal!”

MetroHealth Medical Center offers a pediatric residency program with an emphasis on community and primary care. Our residency program includes daily teaching conferences in primary care pediatrics, subspecialty pediatrics, practice management and quality improvement. The goal of the program is to develop strong pediatricians ready for the community.

We achieve this by integrate pediatric behavioral and mental health training, develop cultural competency of our diverse patient population, and manage patients with acute and chronic illness.

MetroHealth Medical Center is affiliated with Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and residents benefit from a teaching alliance with the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital and Akron Children’s Hospital.

Psychology Residents from the MetroHealth’s American Psychological Association accredited Health Service Psychology Internship program work and train alongside Pediatrics Residents in Resident Continuity Clinics and in Pediatric Specialty Care Rotations.

This provides a unique opportunity for a truly integrated interprofessional training experience where residents can learn from each other. Faculty from the Pediatric Psychology program participate in Resident training and mentoring in clinic. This innovative training program serves as a model for pediatric integrated behavioral health primary care training across the country.

MetroHealth has been honored to have nationally and internationally renowned physicians serve on our medical staff. In 2019, David Birnkrant, MD, Director of MetroHealth’s Division of Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine, has patented a breakthrough system of integrating mechanically assisted coughing and assisted breathing into a single device.

See Newsroom for more details: MetroHealth Partners with Medical-Device-Startup ABM to Improve the Lives of Patients with Neuromuscular Diseases.

In 2013, Red Book celebrated its 75th anniversary. Dr. John Toomey, key founder of Red Book, served as the Director of Contagious Diseases at City Hospital (now MetroHealth) from 1920-1955 and was also Chairman for the Department of Pediatrics.

Dr. Fred Robbins, former Nobel Prize winner, also served as Chairman of MetroHealth's Department of Pediatrics. Their commitment, innovation and dedication to improving the lives of children is still seen in the department today.

Established in 1955, MetroHealth is the birthplace of Child Life and was founded by Emma N. Plank (1905-1990) as the nation’s first university-affiliated Child Life and Education program. Ms. Plank was an assistant professor of child development in the Department of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.

Her 1962 book, Working with Children in Hospitals, continues to inform Child Life professionals at MetroHealth and throughout the world.