MEDNAX Inc.
11/30/2021 | News release | Archived content
Pediatrix Medical Group of Florida expands subspecialty offering with new pediatric endocrinology practice
Pediatrix® Medical Group of Florida recently expanded its pediatric subspecialty offering with its first and only pediatric endocrinology practice, Pediatrix Endocrinology of South Florida. Led by Sissi Cossio, M.D., the new practice fills an ever-growing need in the community for infants, children and teens requiring specialized care for endocrine and glandular conditions.
Dr. Cossio brings 30 years of experience to the practice. After completing her medical training in Peru, she worked as a pediatrician for almost 10 years, during which she served as departmental director at the Instituto de Salud del Niño, Peru's largest children's hospital. There, she gained a great deal of experience in public health and the unique health challenges children face in a developing country. She moved to the United States in 1998 to continue her education in Tennessee. She then completed a second residency training in pediatrics and a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at the University of Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, Florida. She has since worked as a pediatric endocrinologist treating children in South Florida for the past 18 years.
Endocrine conditions include hormonal disorders of major endocrine glands, including the pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, gonads and adrenal glands, and can affect how a child grows and develops. Dr. Cossio diagnoses, treats and provides long-term management care for a wide range of endocrine disorders from birth into young adulthood, including:
- Deficiencies or excesses of hormones from the pituitary, thyroid or adrenal glands.
- Early or delayed puberty.
- Growth insufficiency/deficiency/excess.
- Menstrual abnormalities.
- Short stature.
- Type 1 diabetes.
- Type 2 diabetes.
- Childhood obesity.
"I chose endocrinology as my specialty because of my fascination with the system of glands and hormones that have such an important role in the human body's function and health, especially in children," said Dr. Cossio. "It is a practice that demands that we diagnose and treat a child comprehensively, because hormones are involved in the entire human organism. Since children's symptoms can have ambiguous etiologies and implications, the endocrinology practice requires a great deal of familiarity with other specialty branches of medicine. The advantage I have at Pediatrix is that I am part of a team of professionals in those specialties with whom I am able to coordinate my young patients' care."
Dr. Cossio sees patients in her Boca Raton, Margate and Weston offices, at Broward Health Medical Center, Broward Health Coral Springs, Plantation General Hospital and West Boca Medical Center, as well as through telemedicine visits. Telemedicine is particularly beneficial for diabetes patients, which makes up a large portion of the practice as the rate of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes is growing tremendously in the community.
"Childhood is a critical period in our lives for the endocrine system," said Dr. Cossio. "Approximately one in four children will be referred to an endocrinologist at some point before their 20th birthday, and that proportion is growing. Obesity and childhood type 2 diabetes are two of the conditions that we see an increasing number of instances in the population. For that reason, Pediatrix is endeavoring to change the way we are approaching treatment to serve our patients with a better emphasis on proactive prevention."
Because of the technological advances in diabetes management devices, Dr. Cossio can remotely monitor and provide support to patients. "I am very focused on new developments in diabetes treatment. I was an early adopter of glucose sensors and insulin pumps and I am proud of the way my prescription of these devices and training of parents has benefitted the children who rely on me for their care."
In addition to Dr. Cossio's comprehensive care, the practice has access to pediatric specialists and subspecialists throughout the expansive Pediatrix Medical Group of Florida network and provides a seamless transition for patients who need additional specialty care beyond her services. Dr. Cossio regularly collaborates with her colleagues at Pediatrix Neurology of South Florida, Palm Beach Pediatric Urology and Pediatrix Cardiology of South Florida.
Welcome to the Pediatrix family, Dr. Cossio! We look forward to continued success in providing the highest-quality endocrine care for children in the South Florida community and beyond.
Learn more about our comprehensive scope of pediatric services.
Topics: Growth, Endocrinology