Rockford Sun

SwedishAmerican Hospital issued the following announcement on June 26.

SwedishAmerican is pleased to welcome long-time local pediatrician Dr. Errol Baptist and his staff at Baptist Pediatric Clinic to the health system.

Originally from Ceylon, which is now Sri Lanka, Dr. Baptist has practiced for 43 years. He received his medical degree from University of Colombo in Sri Lanka and completed his residency at University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey before moving to Rockford in 1977. He’s been the recipient of numerous awards and has been a sought-after pediatrician for Rockford-area parents for generations.

“I want to make all my patients feel welcome, feel at ease, and have a very pleasant visit with me,” Dr. Baptist said. “All patients must be treated as you would treat family. Life is a gift and I respect human life from the beginning to the very end.

“With children, the visits are almost always happy encounters. They are very interactive at all ages and I look forward to them every day.”

Dr. Baptist’s clinic will begin as a SwedishAmerican practice on July 1. His staff at Baptist Pediatric Clinic will also make the transition. The clinic’s location at 461 N. Mulford Road and his current patients will remain the same.

“The personnel at all levels at SwedishAmerican are very courteous and communicative, and the friendly environment at the hospital was a big draw,” said Dr. Baptist, who added that the opening of SwedishAmerican’s new Women and Children’s Tower in 2021 played a part in his decision to move his practice. “I feel the new center, along with SwedishAmerican’s affiliation with University of Wisconsin, will greatly benefit my patients.”

In addition to leading his practice, Dr. Baptist is also a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at University of Illinois, College of Medicine at Rockford and is a 30-time recipient of the University of Illiinois Instructorship Award for excellence in teaching medical students.

“SwedishAmerican is honored to welcome Dr. Baptist into our medical group,” said Dr. Andrea Giamalva, Medical Director of SwedishAmerican Medical Group. “His dedication to the community, his patients and the medical education of the next generation is unrivaled. As a former medical student who trained under him, I can personally attest to his commitment to excellence in every aspect of his career. For this reason, Dr. Baptist has been one of the top pediatricians in Northern Illinois for many years, and with his expertise and years of experience, it will be an absolute honor to work alongside him, serving the patients of our community.”

Original source can be found here.