Your child's team
Whether your child is coming for a surgical procedure, routine visit or lengthy stay, we want to help make it as easy and stress free as possible.
We have provided information on the types of professionals who may be involved in your child's care. Many children do not need to be cared for by all of the professionals listed, and some children may need specialists not listed here. The following list explains the services provided by each professional.
- Advocate: A person who helps families of children with special needs to identify, negotiate and obtain special services.
- Ambulatory Service Representative: Schedules, receives and/or registers patients, visitors and staff for appointments or procedures.
- Attending Physician: A senior medical doctor who directs the patient's care.
- Cast Care Technician: A health care professional who applies and removes casts.
- Chaplain: Provides spiritual companionship or religious care to patients and families.
- Child Life Specialist: Helps children find ways to express themselves through developmental activities and play.
- Clinical Assistant: Assists the nursing team with patient care.
- Fellow: A medical doctor pursuing specialty training (for example, pediatric orthopedic surgery). Fellows have already completed their residency training.
- Laboratory Technician (or Phlebotomist): Collects blood and urine specimens for lab tests.
- Nurse Practitioner (NP): A nurse with special training in diagnosing, treating and caring for patients.
- Nutritionist: Helps patients plan diets to maintain good health.
- Occupational Therapist: Assesses and develops treatment programs for children with motor and sensory difficulties, upon the request of your doctor.
- Orthopedist: A doctor who specialized in problems of the bones, muscles and joints.
- Orthopedic Oncologist: An orthopedic surgeon that has completed specialized training in the treatment of tumors.
- Orthotist: A health care professional who designs and fits orthopedic appliances, such as back and foot braces.
- Patient Care Coordinator: Informs your insurance company of your child's progress during hospitalization and arranges for any home care services your child may need.
- Pediatrician: A doctor specializing in caring for a child's basic health care needs, such as immunizations, check-ups and basic illnesses.
- Physical Therapist: Evaluates and plans a treatment program, including exercises, positioning and other activities, upon the request of your doctor.
- Physiatrist: A doctor who specializes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. He/she helps children with muscular and skeletal problems.
- Psychiatrist or Psychologist: A doctor who works with parents and children to help them learn ways to manage feelings about being in the hospital.
- Physician Assistant (PA): A non-physician clinician licensed to practice medicine with a physician's supervision.
- Radiologist: A physician with special training in diagnosing diseases by interpreting x-rays and other types of imaging studies—for example, CT scans and magnetic resonance imaging.
- Resident, Orthopedic: A medical doctor training in pediatric orthopedics.
- Research Coordinator: Manages and organizes operations of clinical research project.
- Resource Specialist: Helps families find resources in the hospital and the community, such as short-term housing and transportation.
- Staff Nurse: The nurse on duty who is responsible for your child's nursing care at all times.
- Social Worker: Meets with families to help them better cope with illness and hospitalization.
- Surgical Coordinator: Schedules inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures. The Surgical Coordinator will take care of scheduling all requested appointments and tests for your family.