Facility Oakland Medical Center Pediatric Intensive Care Unit Address 280 W. MacArthur Blvd. Main Hospital Building 10th floor Oakland CA 94611 Map & Directions

Hello there and welcome to my home page! I am Dr. Laura Christie, and if you’re looking at me, I am likely caring for your child (or you!) who needs hospital care at Kaiser Oakland. I am a Pediatric Hospitalist, meaning I take care of babies, children and adolescents who are hospitalized either on the Pediatric ward or in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (also known as the PICU, which is shorter and quicker to say). I also work as part of the transport team to safely move sick kids from one hospital to another. You mostly likely have a PMD (primary medical doctor) who takes care of well child visits and sick visits, but Kaiser has other doctors to take care of your child if they are hospitalized so your PMD can continue to see patients in the clinic. Don’t worry though, we will be in touch with your PMD throughout the process!

I have been trained in Pediatrics and have done a fellowship (additional specialist training) in the field of Pediatric Infectious Disease which is the study of diseases caused by infections like viruses, bacteria and parasites as well as their treatments. This training was done at Children’s Hospital and Research Center at Oakland, and I have been a proud member of the Oakland community since 2001! I was hired at Kaiser Oakland in 2007 and am so excited to work for a non-profit organization which truly values its members’ health and well-being and will actively promote that in addition to treating acute and chronic illnesses.

I have recently been a patient myself for a serious illness and feel that experience has given me a deepened appreciation of what it’s like to be a patient in a new and scary place. I strive to make my patients comfortable, physically, mentally and emotionally because that is what I would like. I want my patients and families to be informed and feel comfortable that they understand exactly what is going on. Additionally, I believe that you best understand your child and I will seek your input to help us formulate the best plan of care for your child and family. Your understanding and comfort level will directly impact your child’s experience so if you have questions or concerns that haven’t been answered, please stop me and ask.

In the hospital, as in the clinic, we health care providers act as a team which consists of doctors, nurses, therapists, and many others. Sometimes all the people and events may seem overwhelming. You may see many of us coming to care for your child, and please feel comfortable asking any provider exactly who they are and what is their role in the team.

On a lighter note, I chose Pediatrics for the simple reason that kids energize and inspire me. I want to do everything I can to make them feel better and return to being their normal selves. Besides, in what other field of medicine can you wear goofy socks or carry toys in your pocket?

Outside of Kaiser, I also volunteer for Rotacare, a free clinic for uninsured patients in Alameda County and am a member of the Center for Child Protection at Children’s Hospital Oakland. When the stethoscope comes off, I love to garden, cook, read, work out and enjoy time with family and friends. I love to travel as well and am often teased about how many pictures I take, but I figure if I take 100 photos, maybe 2 or 3 will come out!

Thank you for reading and for the privilege of caring for your child and family.

My Credentials

Medical school	Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine, Portland, OR
Residency	Children's Hospital, Oakland, CA
Fellowship	Children's Hospital, Oakland, CA
Board certification	Pediatrics, American Board of Pediatrics

Disclaimer
If you think you have a MEDICAL OR PSYCHIATRIC EMERGENCY, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY or go to the nearest hospital. DO NOT attempt to access emergency care through this web site. An emergency medical condition is a medical or psychiatric condition that manifests itself by acute symptoms of sufficient severity (including severe pain) such that you could reasonably expect the absence of immediate medical attention to result in any of the following: serious jeopardy to your health, serious impairment to your bodily functions, or serious dysfunction of any bodily organ or part. An emergency medical condition is also "active labor," which means a labor when there is inadequate time for safe transfer to a Plan hospital (or designated hospital) before delivery or if a transfer poses a threat to the health of the member or unborn child.

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