Pediatric Neurosurgery Story Book:

(Acrobat pdf version)

Pediatric & Developmental Neurosurgery Center:

multidisciplinary
family-centered care

“Once when Callie and I were out shopping, I looked at her incision and thought it might be opening up. I called Dr. Chapman using my cell phone and he said come in right away. So, we went straight from the store… I would call with questions all the time. There was always that access and availability. There weren’t designated hours to reach some one. That would be torture for a family if there were.”

excerpts from an interview with Callie’s mother

“We live out-of-state and it was important to us that Alex receive as much of hisfollow-up care as he could near home.
The MassGeneral Hospital for Children staff communicated all the time with our family pediatrician, and worked with our local hospital staff to treat infection between chemotherapy treatments.”

excerpt from aninterview with Alex’s mother

At the very core of our multidisciplinary team are the child and the parents. At each stage of treatment—evaluation, team meeting, family meeting, surgery, and follow-up care—we offer not only emotional support, but also intensive education. We respect that the family is the center of the child’s life and welcome families to participate in every aspect of the child’s care and encourage them to tell us their needs and those of their child. We are committed to making the hospital experience as positive and comfortable as possible. In addition to the usual amenities a children’s hospital offers, we also have:

• Rooming-in accommodations, including overnight stays adjacent to the Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units
• Comprehensive, one-on-one education for the child and family
• Aback-up childcare center for the siblings of patients
• Acomfortable, private, recently renovated and expanded surgical waiting area for patients’ families
• Interpreter services for non-English speaking and hearing impaired patients
• An International Patient and Family Center offering translation services, assistance with accommodations, financial information and a wide range of guest services
• Achapel open 24 hours a dayand a pediatric chaplain as well as access to clergy of every faith
• A family resource center containing the latest information about a wide variety of healthcare issues.