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Your Healthcare Team

You are a very important member of your child’s healthcare team and will be involved in all decisions about their plan. You will have the opportunity to work with a team of experienced and compassionate healthcare professionals. If you ever have a question about who someone is and why they are in your room, please ask!

Physicians/Providers

  • Attending Physician: The Attending physician is responsible for the coordination of your child’s care and may be your child’s personal pediatrician, a hospital pediatrician (Hospitalist), or a specialty physician (such as a surgeon or cardiologist). He or she is the leader of the team and is responsible for supervising any other physicians involved and for involving other appropriate team members. In the PICU/PCCC the attending physician is a board certified or board eligiable pediatric intensivist or pediatric cardiac intensivist. He or she is the leader of the team and is responsible for supervising and coordinating care with other subspecialty physicians and surgeons.
  • Surgeons: Pediatric surgical expertise is available in every surgical discipline. The attending intensivist works closely with the surgical team to coordinate every child’s medical and surgical needs.
  • Consulting Physician: A consulting physician is a subspecialist in a particular aspect of your child’s care.
  • Hospitalists: Our Pediatric Hospitalists may help care for your child. When your child is admitted to the hospital, your child's regular doctor asks the hospitalist to care for your child. The hospitalist develops the initial plan of care, discusses it with your child's doctor at the time of admission, and then is responsible for managing your child's care during the rest of the hospitalization.
  • Advanced Practice Providers (APPs): Advanced practice providers, in the pediatric cardiac care center, are clinical providers who have undergone specialized education, training, certification, and licensure as nurse practitioners or physician assistants. This allows them to provide care, including ordering medications and therapies and performing certain procedures under the supervision of the fellows and/or attending physicians.

Trainees

  • Fellows: Fellows are doctors who have completed a pediatric residency and are now working closely with the doctors in an area in which they have chosen to specialize, such as infectious disease or adolescent medicine. Fellows in pediatric critical care are now completing additional training, working very closely with the attending intensivist to monitor and determine treatment plans and to closely supervise pediatric residents and students.
  • Residents: The residents are fully qualified, licensed physicians who have graduated from medical school and have come to Golisano Children’s Hospital for advanced training in pediatrics. Resident physicians write orders and make decisions related to your child’s care under the direct supervision of the attending physician. Residents in critial care units are under the direct supervision of the fellow and attending intensivist.
  • Medical Students: Medical students have completed undergraduate school and are currently in medical school to acquire knowledge and skills to become a doctor. They work under the close supervision of the physicians. In the PICU/PCCC medical students work under the close supervision of the residents, fellows, and attending intensivists. They do not make independent decisions about care, but provide an extra pair of educated eyes and ears, and are able to help with any needed research.

Nursing Staff

  • The Nurse Manager and Assistant Nurse Managers are responsible for directing and coordinating nursing care on each unit.
  • Registered Nurses (RNs) plan and provide care under the guidance of your physician. They coordinate the daily care of your child and provide information, education and emotional support.
  • Nurse Practitioners and Clinical Nurse Specialists are RNs with advanced education in pediatric/family nursing. They are available on the units as resources.
  • Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) and Nursing Assistants (NAs) assist the nurses and doctors with daily care.
  • Nursing students are studying to become RNs. They work under the direct supervision of our nursing staff and with nursing instructors who have advanced education in pediatric nursing.

Rapid Response Team (RRT)

If at any time you feel that your child is not receiving the best possible care, you may call the Pediatric Rapid Response Team. Dial 5-2222 from any hospital phone and say, "Please activate the Pediatric Rapid Response Team." You will need to provide your child's name, unit and room number.

Respiratory Therapists

Respiratory Therapists evaluate and treat breathing problems, and set up and operate respiratory equipment. They are experts in invasive and non-invasive assisted ventilation and are often sought for their clinical expertise. Respiratory Therapists are present 24/7 on the critical care units. Read more about Respiratory Therapy.

Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT)

Our Behavioral Emergency Response Team (BERT) is a coordinated crisis response team of pediatric providers who have received high-level de-escalation and mental health training to help when a child is at risk of is experiencing an acute behavioral crisis.

Your Support Team

Child Life Specialists

The Child Life Specialists at Golisano Children’s Hospital are available to help children and families prepare for and cope with the healthcare experience. They provide pre-admission tours and opportunities for play, self-expression, and support. To contact a Child Life Specialist, please ask your nurse, or call the Child Life Office (585) 275-9878.

Social Workers

Our Pediatric Social Workers are an integral part of your child's healthcare team. Social workers are available to help your child and your family cope with stress, solve problems, make decisions and connect you to supportive hospital programs. Social work services are available throughout your child's hospital stay 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Your nurse can assist you in reaching a social worker. Because continuity of care is important to you and us, we'll make every effort to have the same social worker support you throughout your child's care.

Music Therapists

Music Therapists at Golisano Children’s Hospital are trained and certified to work with children and adolescents with a variety of acute and chronic illnesses. From birth to young adulthood, they help patients cope with and process their hospitalization through passive and active music listening or music creation. They may also provide procedural support for patients undergoing procedures.

Spiritual Support

When your child is ill or undergoing a medical procedure, you may find strength in sharing your concerns with a Chaplain. We provide compassionate spiritual and emotional support to people of all faiths.

Librarian

Our Librarian can point you to information resources to help you better understand your child's health conditions or diagnoses. The Mucci Family Resource Library also offers shelves full of recreational reading for children and teens. Public access computers, a free printer/scanner/fax/copy machine is available.

Discharge Coordinator

Discharge Coordinators work closely with your team to address your child’s home care needs. They arrange for nursing visits in the home and order equipment and supplies when necessary.

Additional Support Teams

Your child may also receive support from any of the following teams:

  • Nutritionist
  • Occupational and/or Physical Therapist
  • Speech Therapist
  • Patient Advocate
  • Psychologist/Psychiatrist