Meet Your Child's Care Team
Take the time to meet everyone on your child’s care team, so you can feel comfortable with them and confident to ask questions. Introduce yourself and learn their names and what their roles are in your child’s care.
Primary Pediatrician - Your own doctor or someone covering for your doctor.
Attending Physicians - Members of the team who determine and supervise your child’s medical care. Attending physicians also teach other doctors to care for your child. Your child will be assigned an attending physician if you don't already have a primary pediatrician.
Hospitalist - A hospital-based general pediatrician. Hospitalists assume the care of hospitalized patients in the place of your primary care physician.
Specialists/Sub-specialists - A pediatrician, who went to additional schooling to specialize primarily in a certain illness or area of the body. Many are board-certified or board-eligible.
Fellow - Pediatrician in a three year program specializing in an area of pediatric medicine.
Resident and Interns - Doctors completing training in pediatrics. They work under the guidance of the attending physician to provide your child’s care.
Medical Student - A student in medical school.
Physicians Assistant - Physicians assistants (PAs) practice medicine under the supervision of physicians and surgeons.
Nurse - A nurse has graduated from an accredited school of nursing and has been registered and licensed to practice by a state authority.
Clinical Nurse Specialists - CNSs are registered nurses with advanced education in special areas. These nurses help coordinate your child’s care while in the hospital.
Nurse Practitioner - A registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a physician.
Child Life Specialists - A Child Life Specialist is a professional who is specially trained to help children and their families understand and manage challenging life events and overwhelming health care experiences.
Social Workers - Provide counseling, information, referrals to community agencies and emotional support. They can help decrease stress and guide you and your child during your hospital stay.