Who's Who
The Health Care Team
All members of the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital staff are specially trained to meet the needs of children and families. A team of health care professionals with highly specialized skills works together to care for each child. Every team member is dedicated to our philosophy of caring for the whole child, including his or her physical, emotional, developmental and social needs. We've developed the following "Who's Who" guide to help you understand the role that each health care professional plays in your child's care.Admissions
Admissions personnel expedite the admission process by screening both medical and insurance information.Back to top
Doctors
Attending physicians are members of the medical staff. They determine and supervise the course of treatment for your child. Each patient is assigned to an attending physician, who has primary responsibility for that child's care at the hospital.Fellows are physicians who have completed their residency training and are pursuing additional specialized training in pediatrics. Fellows work with attending physicians in providing patient care.
Interns and residents are physicians in specialized training from Stanford University School of Medicine. They work with attending physicians in patient care.
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Nursing
Case managers are registered nurses assigned to the service lines who coordinate and manage your child's care throughout hospitalization and plan for your child's discharge.Charge nurses are responsible for overseeing the nursing care on a unit during a particular shift.
Clinical nurse specialists and nurse practitioners are registered nurses who possess additional preparation and skills in physical diagnosis, psycho-social assessment and management of health-illness needs in primary care.
Nurse managers (clinical operation managers) are responsible for managing the nursing care on all shifts of a particular unit.
Nursing staff are the caregivers who work with physicians and other health professionals. Nursing care is provided to your child around the clock by registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, milieu counselors and nursing assistants.
Unit service assistants provide clerical support to the nursing units and direction to visitors.
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Physician Assistants
Physician assistants (PAs) are health care professionals licensed to practice medicine with physician supervision. A PA can make medical decisions on their own and provide services to diagnose and treat patients. They can conduct physical exams, order and interpret tests, write prescriptions, provide preventive health education, and assist in surgery.Back to top
Hospital Support Services
Chaplaincy staff participate in an inter-faith, hospital-based program designed to help meet the spiritual and religious needs of patients and families. They offer support, spiritual resources, and comfort during the difficult experiences of illness and hospitalization. Chaplains also help families who wish to contact clergy from their own faith tradition.Family Resource Center librarians help patients and families use library resources, such as books, pamphlets, computer databases, audio and video tapes, as well as opportunities for experiential learning.
Financial counselors assist patients and families with financial matters related to medical care.
Housekeepers ensure that the hospital is clean and neat.
Interpreters help patients, parents and staff to communicate in their native language about medical and other information.
Laboratory phlebotomists draw the blood samples used in diagnosing a child's condition.
Nutritionists and diet technicians help prepare a diet for your child according to medical, ethnic, religious and personal preferences. They also educate parents about their children's nutritional needs relative to their medical conditions.
Occupational therapists help children with physical limitations become more independent and adapt activities of daily living to their special needs.
Patient Relations staff serve as advocates for both patients and their families. They can intervene to help resolve problems encountered during a hospital stay, including providing helpful information in crisis situations.
Pharmacists prepare and distribute medications and are available to provide information on how to use a medication properly, how drugs may interact with each other, and how a drug may affect the progress of a disease.
Physical therapists treat infants and children with acute or prolonged physical dysfunction or pain, with emphasis on movement disorders.
Psychologists assist children in dealing with the normal effects of illness (such as pain and anxiety) and help them find ways to live with the demands of illness and treatment in their everyday lives.
Radiologic technologists perform X-rays, ultrasound, CAT scans, MRI scans, and other tests to help physicians with diagnosis and treatment.
Recreation therapists use play, recreation, education, self-expression and theories of child development to help normalize the hospital experience and reduce the stress children and families associate with health care experiences.
Respiratory therapists focus on restoring and maintaining proper and healthful breathing.
School teachers help patients in grades K-12 keep up their studies. They contact students' home districts and facilitate school re-entry upon hospital discharge.
Social workers offer crisis intervention, information and referral to community agencies and other services.
Speech-language pathologists evaluate and treat children with communication problems.
Volunteers are community members who generously give their time and talents to the hospital. They work in a variety of areas providing both direct and indirect patient care.
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