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What to Expect as a Patient

At Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, providing quality, expert, innovative care is one of the many reasons we are consistently recognized for being at the forefront of pediatric care among the nation's best children's hospitals.

Yale New Haven Children's Hospital offers a full spectrum of primary and specialized medical care for infants, children and adolescents. You can expect the following from your visit here:

  • The experience, expertise and leading-edge care expected from one of the nation’s top hospitals
  • Universal access to the latest, clinically-proven techniques, procedures and technologies
  • The most comprehensive, compassionate care provided in a comfortable, family-friendly environment
  • Leading-edge clinical trials, medical research and healthcare service
  • Educational programs and support services for patients and families
  • Free services and assistance, including translators and interpreters, hearing-impaired assistance, prescription discounts, wheelchairs, and spiritual care
  • An inpatient hospitalist service to coordinate care and ensure the most effective treatment possible
  • Multidisciplinary teams who work together to deliver individualized health care programs to meet the unique needs of each patient and family
  • A patient- and family-centered philosophy of care that encourages families and caregivers to participate as equal members of our team
  • The best and brightest minds in medicine, who are leaders in their fields, engaged in clinical research and always at the forefront of medical technology. 
  • The latest, clinically-proven techniques, procedures and technology
  • The most comprehensive, compassionate care possible in a comfortable, family-friendly, safe and secure environment

What to Expect Before Your Child’s Procedure with Sedation 

Comprehensive, Coordinated Care

Our innovative approach to providing comprehensive, coordinated care relies on maintaining a strong partnership between patients, families and healthcare providers. Our multidisciplinary teams work together to deliver individualized health care programs to meet the unique needs of each patient and family.

A Patient- and Family-centered Philosophy of Care

At the heart of all our services is a patient- and family-centered philosophy of care. We invite families and caregivers to participate as equal members of our team. We believe mutual respect, information sharing, participation and collaboration between patients, family members, caregivers and healthcare providers is key to maintaining health and achieving the best possible outcomes.

At Yale New Haven Children's Hospital, we understand that family members know their loved one better than anyone else. Informed, involved patients and families can offer important information, make better decisions and improve the quality and safety of care. We provide information that patients and families need to make educated decisions about treatment. At the same time, we rely on personal input from families, we support the choices and we respect the decisions patients and families make.

Patient- and family-centered care means involving and responding to patients and families. To do this, we:

  • Recognize that each child and each family is unique
  • Provide open, honest communication
  • Involve the family in the planning, delivery and the evaluation of health care
  • Offer a welcoming, supportive environment
  • Provide timely and expert care
  • Provide access to information and resources

Patient- and Family-Centered Care Concepts

Dignity and Respect

We try to listen and honor patient and family perspectives, choices and backgrounds. We try to identify strengths in every patient and family. We try to be flexible with our policies and procedures by tailoring care to the needs, beliefs, and religious and cultural values of each person. Patient- and family-centered care requires mutual trust and respect.

Information Sharing

We try to share complete, accurate, timely and unbiased information with family members of our patients. Information sharing builds trust and strengthens the partnership between patients, families and caregivers.

Collaboration

We partner with patients and families in the plan of care. We respect and value the understanding families bring to this partnership. We also try to involve patients and families when we create and evaluate hospital policies and procedures.

Participation

We offer families choices about approaches to care and we support them in the level of decision-making and participation they choose:

  • 24-hour visitation
  • Rooming-in with child
  • Rounding with the medical team
  • Parent support groups
  • The Pediatric Family Advisory Council, a group of parents and pediatric staff who work together to bring about positive changes in patient care.

Patient and Family Advisors

We like to involve patients and family members in our Patient- and Family-Centered Care Program. One way is to volunteer to become a Patient and Family Advisor. Patient and Family Advisors help bring the patient and family perspective to our work at Yale New Haven Children's Hospital. Our patient and family volunteers work with staff and other patients and families on a variety of projects and programs to help improve our service and the healthcare experience for everyone.

If you would like more information about becoming involved with the Patient- and Family-Advisor Program, please email the program.

Learn more at The Institute for Patient- and Family-Centered Care

The Best and Brightest Minds in Medicine

As the primary teaching hospital for Yale School of Medicine, we attract some of the nation's most highly skilled healthcare professionals. This means a diverse, experienced team of physicians, faculty members, nurses, residents and fellows diagnose and design treatment plans to address your individual needs. Leaders in their fields, engaged in clinical research and always at the forefront of medical technology and techniques, our team brings these innovations to the table to offer you the highest quality, most effective care possible.