Richard Bell, MD

Richard Bell, MD

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Professional Profile

I never thought that I would spend my career caring for sick babies at 2 a.m., but I love what I do and have never looked back.

In medical school, my goal was to become a family practice physician, but I was greatly influenced by one of my professors who introduced me to the concept of subspecialties. Caring for patients with complicated and challenging problems fascinated me, and when my rotation brought me to pediatrics, I decided to do my residency in neonatology.

Statistically, anywhere from 9 to 12 percent of all babies born in the United States will spend some time in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The majority of Solano County babies born prematurely, or with a critical illness, will be brought to NorthBay's NICU because we have the highest level of neonatal care available in Solano County.

Providing good care for these babies is all about planning, preparation and training. We have a team of nurses and respiratory therapists who are trained in how to stabilize these babies. Although our NICU staff is primarily focused on caring for our tiny babies, we also know it's important to care for the entire family. Parents are under a lot of stress at this time, so we work to develop a trusting relationship with our families. As much as we may become attached to our babies and our families, we are working hard to get them home from the first day they arrive.

When I am not caring for babies at NorthBay's NICU, I volunteer to go overseas once or twice a year to teach neonatal resuscitation to healthcare providers - midwives, doctors, health officials - in such places as Laos, India, Cambodia, Ghana and Mongolia. Every year, thousands of infants die in the first moments of life in underdeveloped countries, because their birth attendants did not know this technique that is low-tech and simple, and yet takes less than a minute to save a life.

Locations:

1860 Pennsylvania Ave.
Suite 145
Fairfield, California

Education:

Medicine Degree, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO Internship and Residency in Pediatrics, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, San Antonio, TX  Fellowship in Neonatology, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, San Antonio, TX

Certifications:

  • National Board of Medical Examiners 
  • Board Certified in Pediatrics 
  • Board Certified in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Professional Memberships:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow
  • California Association of Neonatologists
  • Partnership Healthplan of California, chairman of Physicians Advisory Committee
  • Member, Vermont-Oxford Neonatal Network
  • Member, California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, Perinatal Quality Improvement Panel
Accepted Health Plans

Below is a list of plans accepted by all NorthBay Health providers unless designated as an independent community doctor.

While we strive to keep this list up to date, it's always a good idea to check with your health plan to determine the specific details of your coverage, and to contact the provider's office to verify acceptance of your particular plan.

Professional Profile

I never thought that I would spend my career caring for sick babies at 2 a.m., but I love what I do and have never looked back.

In medical school, my goal was to become a family practice physician, but I was greatly influenced by one of my professors who introduced me to the concept of subspecialties. Caring for patients with complicated and challenging problems fascinated me, and when my rotation brought me to pediatrics, I decided to do my residency in neonatology.

Statistically, anywhere from 9 to 12 percent of all babies born in the United States will spend some time in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The majority of Solano County babies born prematurely, or with a critical illness, will be brought to NorthBay's NICU because we have the highest level of neonatal care available in Solano County.

Providing good care for these babies is all about planning, preparation and training. We have a team of nurses and respiratory therapists who are trained in how to stabilize these babies. Although our NICU staff is primarily focused on caring for our tiny babies, we also know it's important to care for the entire family. Parents are under a lot of stress at this time, so we work to develop a trusting relationship with our families. As much as we may become attached to our babies and our families, we are working hard to get them home from the first day they arrive.

When I am not caring for babies at NorthBay's NICU, I volunteer to go overseas once or twice a year to teach neonatal resuscitation to healthcare providers - midwives, doctors, health officials - in such places as Laos, India, Cambodia, Ghana and Mongolia. Every year, thousands of infants die in the first moments of life in underdeveloped countries, because their birth attendants did not know this technique that is low-tech and simple, and yet takes less than a minute to save a life.

Locations:

1860 Pennsylvania Ave.
Suite 145
Fairfield, California

Education:

Medicine Degree, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO Internship and Residency in Pediatrics, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, San Antonio, TX  Fellowship in Neonatology, Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, San Antonio, TX

Certifications:

  • National Board of Medical Examiners 
  • Board Certified in Pediatrics 
  • Board Certified in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine

Professional Memberships:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics, Fellow
  • California Association of Neonatologists
  • Partnership Healthplan of California, chairman of Physicians Advisory Committee
  • Member, Vermont-Oxford Neonatal Network
  • Member, California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, Perinatal Quality Improvement Panel
Accepted Health Plans

Below is a list of plans accepted by all NorthBay Health providers unless designated as an independent community doctor.

While we strive to keep this list up to date, it's always a good idea to check with your health plan to determine the specific details of your coverage, and to contact the provider's office to verify acceptance of your particular plan.