A Magazine from Akron Children's
For families across Greater Cleveland, Akron Children’s services in Beachwood are meeting an important need with timely, specialized pediatric care close to home. At the center of this growing effort is Dr. Daniel Goldstein, a pediatric anesthesiologist and medical director at the Akron Children’s Outpatient Surgery Center, Beachwood. For Dr. Goldstein, the work is personal. Raised in the area and now raising his own family there, he’s proud to help bring exceptional surgical care to the community he calls home.
Dr. Daniel Goldstein, anesthesiologist and medical director at the Beachwood Outpatient Surgery Center, believes that the best medicine is sometimes a good laugh.
“We have replicated the care we provide in our outpatient surgery center in Akron with the same surgeons, anesthesiologists and surgical services staff caring for patients in Beachwood,” he explained. “We’re increasing access by alleviating long wait times for surgery and making it easier and more convenient for families to receive exceptional surgical care close to home.”
On many surgery days, Dr. Goldstein is one of the first reassuring faces a family sees.
Dr. Goldstein’s path to pediatric anesthesiology began because he loves working with children. He describes his role as a blend of science, precision and human connection all taking place on what often is among the more stressful days of a family’s life.
“One of the most rewarding parts of my job is earning a family’s trust in just a few minutes,” he said. “Knowing they’re placing their child in safe hands is something I never take lightly.”
Surgery day can stir up big emotions. Dr. Goldstein sees his job as caring for both the child and the parent.
“Children take their emotional cues from the adults around them,” he said. “Helping parents feel informed and confident is just as important as helping the child.”
Sometimes that means explaining an anesthesia plan in detail. Other times, it means making a nervous 5-year-old laugh with a silly joke or chatting about superheroes, stuffed animals or favorite sports teams. He jokes that some days his most important piece of equipment isn’t a monitor: It is his ability to make a child smile.
Dr. Goldstein observes that, “When a child smiles and parents start to visibly relax, I know we’ve already started taking good care of them.”
Dr. Goldstein places clarity around what takes place on the day of surgery. “Many families arrive thinking anesthesia simply means ‘putting someone to sleep,’” he said. “In reality, it is a carefully monitored medical state managed by a physician whose entire focus is the child’s safety.”
Every anesthetic plan is individualized based on age, medical history and the procedure.
Dr. Goldstein greets each patient as they make their journey into surgery.
The day begins with meeting the child and family, reviewing medical history and answering questions. From there, Dr. Goldstein works closely with nurses, nurse anesthetists, advanced practice providers, child life specialists, surgeons and the entire perioperative team.
“As medical director, one of my greatest priorities is fostering a culture where every member of the team works together seamlessly,” he said. “Outstanding pediatric care is a true team effort.”
Once in the operating room, the team monitors every aspect of the child’s well-being. After the surgery, the focus shifts to comfort, relieving pain, preventing nausea and ensuring each child can go home safely.
For Dr. Goldstein, the most memorable experiences are not dramatic ones. They are the tender times. He describes the moment when fear gives way to relief in a patient as those he never forgets.
He shares, “it is the countless children who come in frightened and leave smiling. I especially love when a child who was crying before surgery wakes up asking if it’s already over.”
When he is not caring for patients, Dr. Goldstein is busy with his own family. He and his wife have three young children who fill their days with sports, school activities and plenty of adventures. Their cockapoo, Leo, adds to the fun and has perfected the art of convincing the family he deserves treats at every meal.
Being a father, he says, has made him an even better physician. “It reminds me every day that every child
in our operating room is someone’s whole world,” said Dr. Goldstein.
Level I Children’s Surgery Center
Akron Children’s surgical enterprise is an American College of Surgeons (ACS) Level I Children’s Surgery Center. The health system was the first hospital in northeast Ohio to achieve this distinction. Level I is the highest level of verification offered by ACS, reserved for hospitals that demonstrate the staffing, training, facilities, protocols and outcomes needed to care for children requiring surgery — from routine procedures to the most complex cases.
From inspiring stories, to medical miracles, the More childhood, please.® magazine will make you appreciate those precious 6,574 days of childhood.
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