Special Services and Features of Pediatrics

Child Life Services

We are dedicated to giving our patients and their families the most positive experience possible. Child Life Specialists play an important role in creating a happy and relaxed environment. Child Life Specialists are educated in the use of therapeutic play and age-appropriate techniques to help minimize fears and stress experienced by patients and families alike. As often as possible, they accompany patients to the operating room and during procedures.

Child Life Specialists are also in charge of the following areas:

Programs

Pet therapy – Patients enjoy regular visits by certified dogs specially trained to work with children.

Special visits – Local athletes, student groups and members of the community often make visits, give gifts and organize activities especially during the holidays. We may need to get permission from parents for their child to participate in some activities.

Playroom

Play is the cornerstone of expression in childhood and a normal part of everyday life. In our colorful new playroom, child life specialists help children younger than 12 escape the stress of medical treatment through age-appropriate toys and games and access to TVs, a computer and a Playstation 2. The playroom is a “safe” zone which means that the staff is not allowed to physically assess patients, wear white coats, give treatments or medications or discuss treatment while patients are in this room.

Teen Room/Classroom

With computers, a 40” flat-screen TV, gaming consoles and a card table, this more mature setting is dedicated to our patients older than 12. This room is also used as a classroom for patients with lengthy stays.

Treatment Room

Our floor has a treatment room specially dedicated to procedures performed by doctors and nurses. Sometimes these procedures involve sedation. Our Child Life Specialists are often present to help reassure, distract and interpret words/actions for the patient throughout the procedure.

Safety and Security

In order to keep your child safe while staying in the hospital we have a locked unit. This means that we require all visitors to sign in and out upon entering and leaving the unit. In order to enter or leave our unit the doors must be opened by a staff member. Stairway doors are also outfitted with alarms that will go off if opened by a non-Carle employee.

In addition to our security doors the patients will be fitted with a special bracelet that will alarm if the bracelet is tampered with or the patient is taken from the unit. This bracelet is able to be turned off by staff members if the patient needs to leave their floor during their hospitalization.

You will also notice the nurse using a scanner at times on the patient ID bracelets. This is used during medication administration. At other times you may notice staff simply checking the patient’s ID band without the scanner to confirm patient identification.

Care at Carle

You won’t find more comprehensive pediatric care anywhere else in the region – or more devoted caregivers. Our staff is specially trained to work with children and understands their needs. Here are a few examples of the services you can expect at Carle Foundation Hospital.

Pain-minimizing Techniques

We work hard to minimize your child’s discomfort while undergoing treatment through various research-based distraction techniques, including:

  • Administering sugar water to infants for pain relief.
  • Allowing parents to be present during procedures to comfort their child.
  • Applying a numbing spray or cream prior to IV insertions or lab draws.
  • Providing moderate sedation given by specially trained pediatrics nurses.

Isolation Rooms

Sometimes children who are contagious or highly susceptible to disease fare better in isolation rooms. In these cases:

  • Visitors should be limited.
  • Children must stay in their rooms to help prevent the spread of infection.
  • Visitors should wash their hands before entering and leaving the room.
  • Staff can bring in toys, movies and other diversions to keep isolated children occupied.

Intensive Care Unit

For those patients who need it, we have four dedicated pediatric intensive care beds in our intensive care unit.

Specialty Services

Carle Foundation Hospital, in conjunction with Carle Clinic, offers the following pediatric specialty services:

  • Dedicated pediatric hospitalists and intensivists
  • Occupational and physical therapy to help children recover from accidents or surgeries
  • Speech therapy
  • Lactation services
  • Pediatric hematology/oncology
  • Pediatric pulmonology (lung specialist)
  • Pediatric neurology (brain specialist)
  • Pediatric gastroenterology (stomach/intestinal specialist)
  • Pediatric allergy and immunology
  • Pediatric cardiology on call