Pediatrician Barbara “Basia” Szajda Joins Wheeler’s Community Health Center in Hartford
Barbara “Basia” Szajda, MD, IBCLC (she/her pronouns) has joined Wheeler’s Family Health & Wellness Center at 43–49 Woodland Street, Hartford. In this role, Dr. Szajda provides pediatric medical care to infants, children, and teenagers for families in Hartford and the surrounding communities. In addition, she provides lactation consultations for breastfeeding/chestfeeding parents and offers medical visits in Spanish and Polish, as well as English. [NOTE: To learn more or to schedule an appointment for your child or teen, call Wheeler's Navigation Center at 888.793.3500. Telehealth and in-person appointments are available].
“Dr. Szajda is an integral part of our multi-disciplinary team, offering an array of primary care services that meet the whole-health needs of children and adolescents,” said Sabrina Trocchi, PhD, MPA, president and chief executive officer, Wheeler. “Dr. Szajda’s knowledge, experience, and areas of interest make her a strong, caring, effective primary care provider for the children, youth, and families we serve.”
On-site pediatric services at 43 Woodland Street include well-child care and immunizations, management of childhood chronic conditions such as asthma, eczema, allergies, developmental delays, and more, within a medical home setting. Wheeler also provides on-site, full-family dental care and referrals to specialty services for children and adolescents, as well as behavioral health services and a full continuum of care.
Dr. Szajda has provided primary care pediatrics in private and community health care settings. Prior to Wheeler, Dr. Szajda was a staff pediatrician for the Venice Family Clinic in Venice and Culver City, California for almost eight years. She also served as a lead pediatrician for this organization, where she created and updated guidelines to standardize pediatric care across clinic sites and participated in regional quality improvement collaborations, including University of California Irvine’s Autism ECHO study and Los Angeles County’s medical-dental integration for prevention of childhood tooth decay.
Dr. Szajda obtained her medical degree from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and completed her residency in pediatrics at the University of California, Los Angeles. She holds memberships in the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, and the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition. She has presented extensively on various aspects of breastfeeding.
About Wheeler’s Family Health & Wellness Center, Hartford
The Wheeler Family Health & Wellness Center at 43-49 Woodland Street offers primary care for all ages, comprehensive well-child care and pediatrics, women’s health care, complementary medicine, behavioral health services, dental care and coordination, treatment for addiction, including medication-assisted treatment for alcohol and opioid use, tobacco cessation, outpatient services and recovery supports, and referral and linkages to specialty services. The main clinical building at 43 Woodland Street was renamed the Susan Walkama Family Health & Wellness Center in honor of former Wheeler President and CEO, Susan Walkama, LCSW, whose long-term leadership and vision guided Wheeler’s evolution as an integrated care provider. For information, visit wheelerclinic.org/FamilyHealth.
Funding for the Susan Walkama Family Health & Wellness Center is provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Improvements to the Family Health & Wellness Center in Hartford are supported in part by the State of Connecticut Nonprofit Grant Program, the Connecticut Health & Educational Facilities Authority, the Maximilian E. and Marion O. Hoffman Foundation, and the Ensworth Charitable Foundation. Additional support is provided by Delta Dental of New Jersey Foundation.
Wheeler is a Health Center Program grantee under 42 U.S.C. 254b and a deemed Public Health Service employee under 42 U.S.C. 233(g)-(n).
Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial health insurance welcome. No patient will be denied health care services due to an individual’s inability to pay for services.
