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Social Work Services
The social workers of NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital are key members of each child's healthcare 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.
The Department of Social Work at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital maintains an integrated, collaborative partnership with the medical and nursing staff. The social workers -- all of whom hold Master of Social Work degrees -- are members of teams that provide family-centered care for pediatric patients at the point of their initial visit to one of our outpatient centers or when they arrive at the hospital for inpatient admission.
Social workers at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital provide services in the following programs:
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Pediatric Heart Transplant Program
- Small Bowel Transplant
- Pediatric Nephrology
- Pediatric Critical Care
- Neonatal Intensive Care
- Charna's Kids Club Sibling Program
- Sue and John L. Weinberg Cystic Fibrosis Center
- Alexandra & Steven Cohen Children's Emergency Department
- Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center
- Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplantation
- Pediatric Inpatient and Outpatient Oncology
- Pediatric Inpatient Neurology
- Pediatric Palliative Care
- Inpatient General Medicine
- Inpatient Surgery
- Inpatient Pediatric Orthopaedic Service
- Sloane Hospital for Women (Obstetrics)
The members of our department represent a wide range of cultures. The languages spoken by our staff include Spanish, Hebrew, Italian, Haitian Creole, and French.
Social workers are available on site at NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital from 8 am to midnight on weekdays and from 8:30 am to 5 pm on weekends.
Contact UsElizabeth Polanco, RN, MSN
Director of Nursing Operations and Social Work
Maria Beatriz Alvarez, LCSW-R
Social Work Manager
Social Work Office
(212) 342-0657
