Employee Identification
All UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh employees are required to wear a photo ID badge that includes the employee's name, title and department clearly printed next to his or her photo. ID badges are color-coded for easy recognition:
- Pink badges indicate individuals who are authorized to make direct patient contact.
- Yellow badges indicate individuals who are Children’s employees not involved in direct patient care.
- Green badges indicate individuals who are temporary employees or outside contractors.
Here are brief descriptions of many of the people who may be directly involved in your child's care:
Your Child's Care Providers
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh is a teaching hospital and includes health care professionals and supervised students from various health-related fields who are involved in your child's care.
Care coordination/home care
The care coordination/home care team are registered nurses who work in conjunction with your child's medical team to coordinate your child's care. They assist physicians and families with discharge planning and are liaisons to most major medical carriers and arrange for home care equipment and services.
Clinical social work
Clinical social workers help families deal with the stresses of hospitalization; sudden, long-term or life-threatening illness; child behavior problems; family conflict; disabilities and more. They provide individual, parent and group support, planning for discharge and help with financial concerns.
Health unit coordinator
The health unit coordinator plays a key role in maintaining your child’s medical record and coordinating communication between you, your child and all members of your child’s health care team.
Medical ethics representatives
A medical ethics representative consults with patients and families on ethical issues in patient care, particularly involving life-sustaining treatment.
Patient care technicians
A patient care technician is a trained caregiver who provides direct basic care to your child. Appropriate aspects of your child’s care such as taking vital signs, assisting with feeding and bathing and supporting the activities of daily living will be done by these care providers.
Pharmacist/clinical pharmacist
A pharmacist or clinical pharmacist is a licensed professional who evaluates your child’s medication orders and oversees the dispensing of all medication. Each medication order is evaluated for allergies, drug and disease-state interactions and appropriate dosage. In collaboration with your child’s physicians, the pharmacist also will make recommendations for the most effective medication therapy for your child’s condition.
Physical/occupational therapists
When needed, physical and occupational therapists can help your child rehabilitate motor and/or sensory skills, including muscle strength and joint mobility, as well as daily living skills such as dressing and feeding.
Physicians
Several doctors may be involved in directing your child’s care. The physician responsible for the treatment your child receives during his or her hospital stay is called the ‘attending physician.’ This attending physician will keep your child’s primary care physician (usually his/her pediatrician or family physician) informed about treatment, follow-up care and discharge information that will be needed after your child returns home.
Registered nurses
A registered nurse is a licensed professional who collaborates with your child’s attending physician and other health care team members to evaluate, plan, implement and coordinate your child's care. Registered nurses also make up the IV team; they are trained specifically in placing and caring for your child's IV and focus on minimizing pain and stress. Questions, concerns or suggestions related to your child’s care may be directed to your child’s nurse.
Resident physicians/fellows
Residents are licensed physicians who have completed medical school and are training in a specialty (such as pediatrics or surgery). Interns are residents in their first year of specialty training. Because Children’s Hospital is a teaching facility, resident physicians play a valuable role in providing care to your child under the guidance of a senior physician. Fellows are physicians who have completed their specialty training and are being trained in another specialty or subspecialty.
Respiratory care therapists and technicians
Respiratory care therapists and technicians provide assessment and treatment of children with respiratory illnesses. They also collaborate with physicians, nurses and other health care members to provide other aspects of direct care for your child.
Service assistants
Service assistants provide basic, indirect patient care and unit support services. The service assistant is responsible for cleaning your child’s room, delivering specimens and requisitions and maintaining the unit's environment.
