Columbus Regional Health Pediatric Hospitalist Dr. Peter O’Day, knew from a very young age that he wanted to be a pediatrician. 

Diagnosed with severe food allergies as a baby, Dr. O’Day spent a great deal of time interacting with healthcare professionals. 

“I had a really great allergist who inspired me,” said Dr. O’Day. “He was like a detective putting the puzzle pieces together to figure out how to treat me. I thought that was really cool.”

His pediatrician also inspired him, but in a different way.

“He knew that both of my parents would never be able to come to my appointments if they were on a weekday, so he came in on a Saturday,” said Dr. O’Day. “The office was closed, but he came in just for us. Doing those extra things are what add up to make a great physician.”

Those early positive experiences with physicians and a growing love for science solidified Dr. O’Days future dreams of becoming a pediatrician. 

Originally from Detroit, Dr. O’Day attended the University of Wisconsin where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Microbiology and Immunology. After getting his bachelor's degree, Dr. O’Day worked for two years at a pharmaceutical company in vaccine development. 

“It helped me better understand how to critically appreciate research and how to better utilize research based medicine,” said Dr. O’Day. “It also helped reaffirm my passion for working with patients.”

Dr. O’Day attended medical school at Medical College of Wisconsin where he graduated as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society. 

During his clinical rotations Dr. O’Day was able to incorporate his love for medicine and his passion for going the extra mile with patients. 

“I was finally able to do those extra things I remember my physicians doing with me from my childhood,” he said. 

One experience Dr. O’Day says he will never forget took place while he was working with a sick child at the VA (Veterans Administration) hospital. 

“He was very quiet, but I would always try to talk to him,” One day he gave me a drawing he had done of Captain America. When he gave it to me he said, ‘You were the only one that really listened to me.’ That was really meaningful. I still have that picture.”

Following medical school, Dr. O’Day completed residency at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. 

“I was super motivated to go to one of the top residency programs. I wanted to have the very best possible residency to set me up for my future,” he said. “Starting residency, I was finally doing what I had always dreamed of doing. I was so excited. I loved it. I would come in early and stay late. I loved being at the hospital.”

One of the biggest challenges and learning opportunities was learning how to manage his time.

“The biggest thing at residency for me was learning and how to balance taking on more responsibility and still finding ways to go the extra mile,” said Dr. O’Day. “I was also becoming more confident in my skills, treating some of the sickest children in the world.”

Children traveled from all over the country and the world to receive treatment in Cincinnati. One of Dr. O’Day’s patients was from the United Arab Emirates. 

“We had extremely rare and serious cases,” Dr. O’Day said. “I was learning how to help families through extremely difficult situations. That was when I learned that this is really what I was born to do. To me, it’s not a job. It is so much more than a job.”

Dr. O’Day accepted his first job out of residency in 2021 as a pediatric hospitalist and Pediatric Section Chief at Columbus Regional Hospital. 

“I liked that I would have the ability to do it all, from seeing a baby right after birth, to treating a child in the Emergency Room and following their care through childhood,” he said. “It was also important to me that Dr. Kerschner had similar values about the family experience.”

At CRH, Dr. O’Day is able to implement his childhood passions and goals.

“I am always looking for small ways I might be able to help a family,” he said. “Because those small things can make a big impact. It could be small, but it could be life changing. I do what I can to make their lives a little easier.”  

He said the culture at CRH reinforces his family-centered approach.

“I try to spend as much time as I can with each patient and family,” he said. “I want to make sure they understand everything and have time to ask questions. I have very high expectations for myself and the entire group to perform at a very high level in terms of compassionate, family centered care while using the most up-to-date, evidence-based practices.”

If he ever needs a reminder of that focus, Dr. O’Day can simply open his phone and look at a photo of a slide he took from one of his medical school lectures. 

The slide reads: 

Rank of What Patients Want 

• Treats you with dignity and respect
• Listens carefully to your health concerns
• Easy to talk to 
• Takes concerns seriously
• Willing to spend enough time with you
• Truly cares about you and your health