Pediatrics – Inpatient Unit

Services

• Pain Free Pediatrics
• Child Life Program
• Parents' Resource Room
• Reach Out and Read
• Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)
• Tutoring Program
• Additional Services

Pain Free Pediatrics

Our staff is committed to making your child as comfortable as possible while in the hospital, especially during procedures such as drawing blood. These procedures are done in special treatment rooms that are equipped with supplies to help children feel more at ease.

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Child Life Program & Roof Top Playground

Child Life is a service designed to support the developmental and emotional needs of children in the healthcare setting. The Child Life Specialist minimizes the stress of the medical environment through play, music, art, coping activities and preparation experiences. The Child Life Program offers a variety of age and developmentally appropriate materials. Our music therapist, clown, social worker and educational tutors, work collaboratively with the child and family to help make their hospital stay as pleasant as possible.

We also have adolescent and infant playrooms, as well as a Roof Top Playground available to aid in patients' recoveries. The playground gives children a chance to play and forget their illness for a while. The Pediatric Department cares for more than 22,000 Boston area children, some with debilitating and life threatening illnesses. Our safe and whimsical rooftop playground was designed and built through the efforts of BMC’s Kids Fund and a generous cast of supporters, including the Boston Celtics and Mayor Thomas Menino. Our goal is to create a fun, supportive and culturally sensitive environment.

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Parents' Resource Room

We want to help you take care of your child after you leave the hospital, so we have a Parent Resource Room to provide you with information about your child's illness, as well as information about support groups and other community resources.

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Reach Out and Read

We are one of the few pediatric inpatient units that participate in the nationally recognized Reach Out and Read program which promotes literacy to our patients and their families.

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Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU)

The PICU is designed to care for critically ill children of all ages who require intensive monitoring and interventions.

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Tutoring Program

The public school system is obligated to provide on site and at home tutoring for children who are likely to miss 14 days of school during the year. Boston Public Schools has contracted with Home Education Service to provide tutoring for inpatients for the school year. Tutors are available for a minimum of 10 hours per week. Home Education Service will also provide services for students who attend school outside Boston and will be responsible for all contacts with the local school system.

Goal: To assist in the timely provision of mandated services to the inpatients on 4 East and the PICU.

Eligibility: Any child who is likely to miss at least 14 days of school during the school year. The missed school days do NOT have to be consecutive.

How to Arrange for a Tutor

1. Physician must sign and complete tutoring request form, SPED 9. This form is available from the Unit Coordinator.
   
   
2. Nursing staff or housestaff should contact Karen Pepe of Social Work at 617.414.5453 to inform her of tutor requests with patient name, age and diagnosis. This referral must be documented in the patient's chart.
   
   
3. Karen Pepe will make the referral to Home Education Service and follow up with the patient and Home Education Service regarding provision of services.

What Home Education Services Does

1. Identifies core group of tutors with appropriate medical clearance and orientation to the ward.
   
   
2. Provides on-site tutoring within 24 hours of referrals (except weekends or holidays or for highly-specialized subject areas).
   
   
3. Tutors will sign in Tutoring Log Book located in the Fishbowl.

Important Numbers

Karen Pepe
Call: 617.414.5453
Beeper 617.638.5795 ID# 4663
Fax: 617.414.4248

Home Education Service
Ken Muniez
Call: 508.584.9877
Fax: 508.587.7967

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Additional Services

• Social Services
  Social workers assist with families and children in accessing assistance they need.
  
  
• Nutrition
  Dietary and nutrition experts prepare suggestions to improve child health and growth.
  
  
• Occupational and Physical Therapy
  Experts help children with their physical recovery and home or work activities.
  
  
• Interpreter Services
  Provide a linguistically and culturally sensitive interface between the providers and children/families.
  
  
• Administration, Housekeeping and Transport Staff
  
  
• Discharge Planners
  Prepare a plan for going home and follow-up care.
  
  
• Pastoral Care
  The Chapela Capella, open for non-denominational spiritual counseling and worship is located on the first (street level) floor of the Menino Pavilion. It conducts the Interfaith Worship Service at 1:00 pm on Sundays although its doors are always unlocked.

In addition, the chapel offers daily Silent Prayer/Meditation services from 12:15 to 12:30. Pastoral counseling, the sacraments, and outreach to local clergy are also available.

From the information desk in the Inpatient Lobby, turn right, cross the plant-filled lobby and go through the double glass doors. The chapel is immediately to the left.
For Carmela Delia, Chaplain, call: 617.414.5366.