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• Your Child's Caregivers
• Being Prepared
• Day of Your Child's
  Surgery or Procedure
• After Your Child's Procedure

Center for Children's Surgery—

Your Child's Caregivers

There are many different health care providers you and your child will meet during your child's stay with us. These individuals work as a team. Here are a few of them:

Medical Staff

Your child's doctor (also called the attending doctor) is responsible for medical care and will consult with you in decisions affecting their treatment. Your doctor is a member of the faculty of SUNY Upstate Medical University.

While your child is a patient, you may be visited by a number of consulting Medical Doctors, Residents, Nurse Practitioners, Physician Assistants and senior medical students.

Anesthesiologist

A doctor specializing in relaxing or putting your child in a kind of sleep will talk to you on the day of your child's surgery or operation. This doctor will ask for information about you child's medical history so that the best anesthesia is selected. Please ask any questions you wish regarding your child's operation or procedure. Remember no question is too small if it helps you feel better about your child's operation or procedure.

Nursing Professionals

A Registered Nurse is responsible for planning and directing your child's nursing care while they are in the hospital. They are helped by Licensed Practical Nurses (LPN's), Hospital Clinical Technicians (HCT) and Hospital Attendants (HA's).

Case Managers

A Clinical Case Manager may work with you and your child's health care team to develop your discharge plan. They will work with your child's doctor and nurse to ensure that their home care and equipment needs are met.

If you have questions or need assistance, please ask a nurse to contact a case manager or call 464-6161.

Child Life Specialist

A Child Life Specialist is available to help you and your child cope with your hospital experience by:

• Providing age-appropriate education and preparation for your child's procedure
• Providing age-appropriate play activities to make wait-time to procedure pass more quickly
• Providing emotional support during anesthesia induction and aftercare

Other Health Care Professionals

Your child's doctor may order other procedures or treatments such as laboratory, radiology, physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and respiratory therapy. The work of the professionals in these departments enhances your doctor's efforts to diagnosis your child's condition and speeds recovery.