Pediatric Services & Accommodations

What to Expect

Your child’s stay in the Allegiance Health Pediatric Unit is very important. Your child will be cared for 24 hours a day by a team of professional nurses. Understanding this information will help make your child’s stay a pleasant experience.

What you can expect from us during your child’s stay

  • Provide quality and compassionate care for your child and your family.
  • Provide an environment that is safe and secure.
  • Always introduce ourselves.
  • Treat you and your family with respect and confidentiality.
  • Answer questions about your child’s care quickly, correctly and honestly.
  • Listen, value your input and include you as part of the team.
  • Provide clean surroundings for your child.
  • Provide play activities for your child, including bedside toy activities and access to the playroom when possible.
  • Provide sleeping arrangements for one parent or guardian to stay with your child overnight.
  • Supply your child with special services, as needed (i.e., dietitian, chaplain).
  • Attend to your child’s specific needs, understanding that your child is a special individual.

What we expect from you during your child’s stay

  • Ask questions about your child’s illness and medical treatment.
  • Inform us of any special needs your child may have, such as special diets and sleeping needs.
  • Alert us to problems so that we might make your child’s stay more comfortable.
  • Alert us of your child’s need for relief of pain or discomfort.
  • Allow us to assist you when you need help.
  • Label things from home (i.e.. blankets, pillows, games, bath items) and help keep the room neat.
  • Remove personal items from the shower or tub rooms after your use.
  • Respect hospital policies that are for the safety of your child and others.
  • Be considerate to other patients and visitors and follow the visitation policy.
  • Keep the noise level down (especially at night) so that loud talking or the television volume will not disturb other patients.

We understand that having a child hospitalized may be a very stressful time for the family. We hope you find the pediatric team helpful and supportive during this time.

Pediatric Hospitalists Provide Consistent, Compassionate Care

If your child has an illness or injury requiring hospitalization, he or she may be cared for by a Pediatric Hospitalist. These specialists are medical doctors who have four years of medical school, three years of pediatric residency training and are board certified or board eligible.  

Besides giving consistent, around the clock care, your Pediatric Hospitalist will be immediately available to assess your child’s condition, rather than the patient having to wait until morning to be seen by their pediatrician or primary care physician. Hospitalists are also available to answer questions for the patient’s family, manage complex cases, coordinate patient care and modify treatment such as a medication change, and can quickly follow-up on tests. Allegiance also has an experienced Nurse Practitioner who works closely with the Pediatric Hospitalists to provide prompt, high quality care.

Our hospitalists communicate regularly with the primary care physician regarding the patient’s care. If there is a significant change in your child’s condition, a Pediatric Hospitalist will update your pediatrician. When your child leaves the hospital, a Pediatric Hospitalist will give your pediatrician an overview of your child’s hospital stay and detailed instructions for any future care that may be necessary. 

Pediatric Echocardiogram

A pediatric echocardiogram service is now available for pediatric patients through age 16 on an inpatient and outpatient basis in conjunction with University Physicians for the Detroit Medical Center. Video is streamed to a pediatric cardiologist at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) who remotely supervises the performance of the echocardiogram. The DMC cardiologist will review the study and generate a report for the child’s physician.

There are no specific patient preparations for the test. However, as a comfort measure, we do encourage parents to bring their child’s favorite stuffed animal and a bottle to the exam, as appropriate. The child’s list of current medications is also required. 

Echocardiograms are considered the most effective tests to demonstrate the structure and function of the components of the heart. The echocardiogram can measure the size and thickness of the heart’s chambers, the operation of the valves in the heart, and how the heart is handling the pumping of blood through the chambers and heart valves.

Typically pediatric echocardiograms are used for newborns to detect structural abnormalities of the heart (such as a hole between the chambers) and show valve shape, motion, narrowing or leaking. Echocardiograms are also used to evaluate heart murmurs in both newborns and pediatric patients. The pediatric echocardiograms are also useful on an outpatient basis for follow-up and repeat echocardiograms.

Advantages of having pediatric echocardiograms through Allegiance Health: 

  • Saves drive time for parents
  • Offers confidence that the pediatric cardiogram is being read in real time
  • Provides the test in a friendly, familiar setting

All tests are scheduled through the Central Patient Scheduling Department at 788-4905.

Accommodations

Visiting

Often it is helpful for a parent or other adult to sleep in the child’s room. This provides comfort for a frightened child. A cot will be provided for your use during night hours. The pediatric team is available to assist parent and child so each will have a comfortable stay.

While parents are welcome to remain with their child continually, others should come between noon and 8 p.m., including siblings and friends. Children who visit will need parental supervision during their visit. Please limit contact of family and visitors to the child they are here to see.

Special arrangements for visitation should be discussed with your child’s nurse. To prevent the spread of germs, people who are sick should not visit. We also ask that you do not hold or provide care to other patients.

Meals and food

On our unit, patients are served breakfast at 8 a.m., lunch at noon and dinner at 5 p.m.

For families, the Commons Café is a cafeteria located on the second floor. Vending machines are also located in the cafeteria, as well as on the first floor of the Anderson Building. Ask your child’s nurse about guest trays that may be purchased through the cafeteria.

Our kitchen on the Pediatrics Unit has refreshments for your child’s needs. Please see your child’s nurse before giving your child anything to eat or drink. A limited supply of beverages is available on the unit for parents/caregivers who are staying with their child. These include coffee, tea and other refreshments.

Playroom and entertainment

As your child’s health improves, playroom activities will be available. Do not leave your child unattended in the playroom. The playroom is open 24 hours a day.

Televisions and telephones are provided in each patient’s room. They are available at no charge. Please inform your child’s nurse of your needs. A VCR is available on the unit so please feel free to bring in movies labeled with your child’s name for your child’s entertainment.

Restrooms

Public restrooms are located near the visitors’ elevators on each floor. Showers are available for parents staying overnight. Please ask your child’s nurse for details.

Parking

Parking is free in the specially marked visitor parking lots that surround the main hospital and Anderson Building.

Tips and safety

Please keep side rails up on cribs when a parent/caregiver is absent. When children are in infant seats or high chairs, they must be securely belted. Never leave a child alone in a high chair. Please keep your child’s nurse informed of any broken toys, furniture, etc., which might be unsafe for your child.

Special hospital services

Your nurse can provide more information about these special services:

  • A Patient Representative is available to help you with any concerns.
  • Dietary consultation is available on request from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • A chaplain is available 24 hours a day to provide comfort for your child and family, and there is a chapel located on the third floor of the main hospital.
  • Our Physical Therapy Department will provide appropriate therapy with a physician’s order.
  • Inpatient and outpatient respiratory treatments are available when ordered by a physician.
  • Discharge planning is provided by our Case Management Department.