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More on Child's Health Care Team
For Patients, Families & Visitors
Return to Child's Health Care Team Overview
More on Child's Health Care Team
Child's Health Care Team
Your child will be cared for by a multidisciplinary team of health professionals with expertise to meet the specific needs of your child. Collaboration between the health care team and the patient and family is key to the care of our young patients. We provide care that is holistic and includes attention to your child's physical, emotional, developmental, and social needs. As a parent or guardian, you are critical to your child's care. We encourage you to take an active role as a member of the health care team.
Members of the multidisciplinary health care team, including your child's physician, who are responsible for the your child's care, discuss the progress of the patient on a regular basis. Each member of the team recommends the type of continuing care services to be provided and documents this in the patient's progress notes. The social worker/treatment coordinator uses these recommendations in the development of an overall discharge plan.
Following are descriptions to help you understand the role of members of your health care team and who may be involved in your child's care.
Doctors
Attending PhysiciansThe attending physician is the health care team's leader. He or she is ultimately responsible for the medical care of your child. The attending physician is fully licensed and generally board certified in his/her area of expertise. The attending physician is often your child's personal physician and the physician who admitted your child to the Hospital.
FellowsA fellow is a physician who has completed three years of training in pediatrics and is pursuing further training in his/her subspecialty of interest (e.g. cardiology, neonatalogy, critical care, gastroenterology, etc). Fellowship training consists of clinical training supervised by attending physicians in the field of interest, as well as research.
ResidentsA resident is a physician who has completed medical school and is enrolled a three-year residency training program in pediatrics. Interns are first-year residents. Residents are also referred to as housestaff. They are on site 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (on a rotating schedule). Working under the careful supervision of attending physicians, residents handle much of the daily patient care management, including frequent assessments of your child, ordering and interpreting test results, communicating with families, and serving as the liaison between the Hospital and the family.
Medical StudentsAs a major teaching hospital for Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Hospital is committed to teaching and training future physicians. Medical students are provided with the opportunity both to observe and directly participate in patient care under the direct supervision of residents and fellows at all times, as well as by attending physicians.
Your attending physician may want to request a consultation from another pediatric service regarding diagnosis and/or management of your child's condition. The consultation will be directed by an attending physician in the specialty. Fellows and residents may participate as well. Consulting services make recommendations to the primary health care team. In collaboration with the patient and/or family, the attending physician will make the ultimate decisions regarding care.
Nurses
Patient Care DirectorThe patient care director is responsible for the supervision of all nursing care on a particular unit or units. A clinical coordinator/supervisor is responsible for directing and coordinating the activities of all nursing departments on a specific shift in order to ensure continuity of patient care.
Charge NurseThe charge nurse is responsible for the delivery of effective and comprehensive nursing care for patients. The charge nurse actively supports the leadership provided by the nurse manager.
Registered NursesYou and your child will be met by a registered nurse (RN) on the unit who will take vital signs, such as temperature, pulse and blood pressure, and will ask you about your child's health and habits. This is a good opportunity to let the nurse know if your child has any special needs, likes, dislikes, or fears. Throughout the day, nurses will be an integral part of the team taking care of your child.
Clinical Nurse SpecialistsThese specially trained nurses provide staff support in education and also assist in developing a plan of care for the patient.
Nurse PractitionersSome physicians' services incorporate the expertise of nurse practitioners. Nurse practitioners have advanced nursing training and often have specific specialty skills that complement those of the physician.
Nursing AttendantsNursing attendants work in conjunction with the nursing staff, helping to feed your child, taking vital signs, or helping your child to walk.
Case Managers
Case managers help plan, organize, coordinate, and monitor services and resources of your child's care. Case managers are responsible for ensuring the delivery of quality and cost-effective health care services.
Child Life Specialists
Child life specialists are professionals trained in child development and special education, who apply their expertise to help children understand their unfamiliar situation. They provide developmentally appropriate information to children and adolescents about their diagnosis and treatments, helping to clarify misconceptions and address fears while maintaining a child's self-esteem.
Escort/Transport Services
An escort will transport patients to and from tests or procedures that take place off their unit.
Environmental Services
The Hospital's Environmental Services Department provides a clean and safe environment for our patients and families.
Laboratory Personnel
Our laboratory technologists manage laboratory testing. Phlebotomists are trained to draw blood.
Lactation Specialists
Lactation specialists are available to help mothers of newborns learn techniques for breastfeeding their babies and increasing their milk supply.
Pastoral Care
Our Pastoral Care Department has chaplains of many faiths who attend to the spiritual needs of children and their families.
Parent/Guardian
A child's parent or guardian is a child's ultimate advocate in the hospital. Parents know the child best and can easily recognize changes in their child's mood, appetite, pain or energy levels. By remaining involved and informed, parents can help ensure that a child is safe and receiving the highest quality care.
Pharmacists
The Hospital has an on-site pharmacy through which pharmacists fill prescriptions ordered by your child's physician and provide important information about medications. Our clinical pharmacologists have advanced training in pharmacology and provide support to physician teams that includes assistance in choosing most appropriate drug therapies and understanding effects and interactions of various medications.
Radiology Technologists
These specially trained health professionals perform radiology examinations, including X-rays, CT scans, MRI scans, and ultrasound procedures.
Registered Dietitians/Nutritionists
Our registered dietitians/nutritionists assess and provide for the nutritional needs of our young patients. They develop a treatment plan that supports the medical care provided by the physician and any special nutritional requirements and provide patient and family education on nutrition topics related to diseases such as diabetes.
Rehabilitation Therapists
The Hospital's physical, occupational, speech, and respiratory therapists work closely together to ensure children are able to achieve optimal quality of life and have as normal a lifestyle as possible. Family involvement is encouraged so that parents can help to guide and support the child during the therapeutic process.
Social Workers
Social workers are on site 8:30 am - 8 pm on weekdays and 9 am - 5 pm on weekends. You can reach the Department of Social Work at (212) 342-0657. For urgent needs after hours, please contact the Nursing Coordinator at (212) 305-0664.
Upon admission, each child is assigned a social worker. Social workers are key members of the health care team, working with children and their families to help manage the complexities of the hospital stay. With decades of experience, our social workers are committed to educating parents, serving as advocates, and facilitating communication during and after the hospital stay. They perform psychosocial assessments, provide counseling and support to help families cope with the emotional stresses of illness and hospitalization, assist with discharge planning to ensure continuity of care, and provide referrals to community services and resources as needed. Our social workers represent a wide range of cultures and speak many languages, including Spanish, Hebrew, and Japanese. After leaving the hospital, if you have additional questions, feel free to contact to your social worker.
Unit Assistants
Our unit assistants greet patients, family members, and visitors, answer phones, schedule tests, and assist with a number of unit functions.
Volunteers
Our volunteers will read and play games with your child, assist with meals, and help in many ways that can make a difference during hospitalization. If you feel that a volunteer could help your child in some way, ask your nurse to contact Volunteer Services.
