Allie Sadowitz, MD, says she was “born interested in healthcare.” Raised by a pediatrician (her father) and a nurse (her mother) in Jasper, Indiana, she knew from an early age that she wanted to work in healthcare. As a child, she would accompany her father to the hospital every Saturday. When her father started his rounds, Dr. Sadowitz would play in the Pediatric Unit’s playroom with children staying at the hospital. “If I played nicely, my dad would reward me at the end of his rounds,” she said. “My treat was to see all the babies lined up in the window in the nursery. I loved it! It’s probably why I work in pediatrics today.”
Dr. Sadowitz also credits her career to her younger brother, Zach, who has Down syndrome. “He has some extra health needs but he’s one of the best parts of my life,” she said. “As a child, I didn’t understand why people, even some healthcare professionals, pitied my brother or saw Down syndrome as a bad thing.” These experiences inspired Dr. Sadowitz to pursue a career in pediatrics and help change the often-negative way that patients with Down syndrome, other genetic disorders or intellectual and physical disabilities are viewed and talked about. “I like being able to relate to parents who have babies who were born with something special,” she said.
Dr. Sadowitz originally set out to be a pediatrician like her father but realized during her residency that outpatient care wasn’t for her. That’s when she ultimately decided to be a pediatric hospitalist, which is a pediatrician who only works in the hospital. Once she realized her path, she set out to find just the right place to share her talents. “I was looking for four specific things: I wanted to provide general pediatric care, I wanted to work in an acute care setting, I wanted to work with newborns and new moms and I wanted to be a lactation consultant,” she said. She found the versatility she was looking for at Hendricks Regional Health.
“When I first discovered Hendricks Regional Health, it seemed too good to be true!” she laughs. “After I saw the opening, I asked a couple of people what it was like to work here and nobody had anything bad to say. After meeting everyone during my interview, I knew I was in the right spot, and since then, it has exceeded my expectations.”
