Dr. Pradip Kumar Shah, MD

Welcome to my Web page. I am happy to have this chance to introduce myself to you and tell you about my practice in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at our Riverside Medical Center. I feel very fortunate to work at Kaiser Permanente because of my wonderful colleagues and patients, and I look forward to working with you to care for your baby's health. Over the past 14 years I have come to be a part of the family of providers caring for our members here.

Biography
I was born in the princely city of Baroda, Gujarat, India, and grew up in London and New York. I went to Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey, for my undergraduate studies and returned to India to complete my medical education. I returned to the U.S. for internship and residency training at the Kings County Hospital Center and the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. Prior to starting residency training, I was a respiratory therapist in an inner-city hospital in New Jersey, where I …cared for the babies in their NICU. Working with these fragile babies, whose will to survive is strong even when they have severe health problems, led me to enter specialty training in pediatrics and further sub-specialization in neonatal-perinatal medicine to care for these special patients. My lovely wife is a neurologist with a successful private practice. My daughter has followed us into a career in medicine and my son is a business major at USC.

About my practice
Along with the excellent nurses, the respiratory therapist, and the administrative staff at the Riverside NICU, we provide 24-hour coverage for both premature and full-term babies born with a wide variety of problems at birth. Most have problems transitioning from the womb to the outside world; others have more serious problems requiring the intervention of specialists from other departments in our Kaiser Permanente network. My philosophy of care involves having a home plan after hospital discharge for all babies at the time of admission to the NICU, with only the baby deciding exactly when discharge will be. The baby and his or her family are one and the same as far as I am concerned, and we strive to offer the best care with compassion and understanding till our goal is reached.

How I thrive
I thrive knowing that my patients in the NICU are cared for by a strong group of caregivers who share my passion for making the neonatal experience the best it can be, even if hurdles arise. I feel confident that even if I am not there in person, my colleagues and support staff will continue the care plans laid out for the patient. My family gives me the comfort and reassurance I need after a hard day at work. I enjoy cooking for my family and trying out new recipes. My true passion is photography, which I have practiced for over 30 years, and I am still trying for the "perfect shot"-much to the dismay of my family, as I am hardly ever in any of the shots!