Inpatient Pediatric Unit

What is an inpatient pediatric unit?

An inpatient pediatric unit provides care for ill or injured children who require hospitalization to recover and get week. In the inpatient pediatric unit, your child will be closely monitored by our team of physicians and nurses. Parents can rest assured we will meet all the needs of their ill or injured child in the unit.

Other team members include:

• Dietitians with special pediatric education provide nutrition assessments for all children admitted to the unit. Based on their assessments, a customized, kid-friendly nutrition plan is created to support your child’s recovery.
• Respiratory therapists with pediatric training deliver breathing therapies and treatments.
• Physical and occupational therapists help improve muscle strength, function and coordination for children of all ages.
• Pediatric speech therapists provide feeding and swallowing assessments and work with children needing care to improve these skills.
• Pediatric-focused pharmacists provide medication management and ensure proper medication choices and dosing based on your child’s age, size and medical condition.

Who receives care in our inpatient pediatric unit?

Any child whose condition requires hospital care but does not require treatment in our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) receives care in our inpatient pediatric unit. Children receive care here for:

• Dehydration
• Asthma
• Pneumonia
• Bronchiolitis
• Influenza
• Cystic Fibrosis
• Viral infection
• Meningitis
• Gastroenteritis/enteritis
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Urinary tract infection
• Cellulitis/abscess
• Sickle cell disease
• Childhood cancer
• Epilepsy
• Appendicitis
• Traumatic injuries, including burns
• Recovery following an operation

Support for patients and family members

Our inpatient pediatric unit is a patient- and family-centered unit where parents and families are included as part of the care team. We offer the support of social workers who can help with:

• Housing and transportation needs while a child is in the hospital
• Insurance concerns
• Discharge planning to ensure the transition to home is safe

Our child-life program is the only one in the area where child-life specialists and volunteers focus on children’s social, emotional and intellectual growth while they are in the unit. They help children understand their illness and treatment, and help them cope with painful or stressful procedures and treatments.

Our team helps meet the needs of children receiving medical treatment by offering opportunities for stress relief and relaxation, as well as distractions to make procedures easier.

Child-focused environment

We focus on the social, emotional and intellectual needs of our pediatric patients through a positive, comfortable environment.

Our main unit includes:

• Patient rooms identifiable by colorful animals such as the “Blue Bear” room or “Red Rabbit” room
• Comfortable patient rooms with a playful design and décor, a large TV and DVD player, and plenty of storage
• Patient rooms with a sleeper sofa for parents to spend the night, and a desk for parents who need to do work while supporting their child (parents can also stay close by at the Hackerman-Patz House)
• A family lounge containing a bathroom, shower, and washer and dryer that families can use
• Patient rooms as “safe zones” – most painful or invasive treatments occur in separate treatment rooms
• Collaborative rounds by all care providers to ensure minimal disruptions
• An afternoon quiet period that creates a low-stress, calming environment where children can take naps or rest and recover without interruption

Transition from hospital to home

Our pediatric clinicians make the transition from hospital to home easier. We provide direct care while helping you take on a larger role in assisting your child. Home care services include:

• Respiratory care device support
• Services for ventilator-dependent children
• Tube feedings
• Physical, occupational and speech therapies
• Venipunctures, central line care and PICC lines