Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital: Pediatric Care & Info

Current campus capacity published by Vanderbilt

Major designations and advanced programs

• ACS-verified Level I Pediatric Trauma Center.
• Tennessee Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center.
• Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
• Level 4 Pediatric Epilepsy Center.
• Pediatric Heart Institute.
• Heart transplantation.
• ECMO.
• Pediatric organ transplantation.
• Pediatric cancer and stem-cell transplant.
• Complex pediatric surgery.
• Pediatric neurosurgery.
• Fetal and neonatal specialty care.

Monroe Carell does not use one universal appointment phone number for every specialty. Most specialty pages provide their own appointment line.

Pediatric Heart Institute

Neurology and neurosurgery

Gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition

Main-campus GI appointments: 615-322-7449.

Hematology and oncology

Hematology-Oncology: 615-936-1762.

Pediatric surgery

Monroe Carell’s Pediatric Emergency Department provides round-the-clock care for routine pediatric emergencies, critical illness and severe injury.

Fast Track

The Emergency Department includes a Fast Track setting designed to move eligible children with minor illnesses or injuries through care more quickly.

Use the ER for serious symptoms such as

• Severe breathing problems.
• Major injury.
• Uncontrolled bleeding.
• Seizure with concerning symptoms.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Severe allergic reaction.
• Poisoning or overdose.
• Serious burns.
• Other potentially life-threatening illness.

Vanderbilt also identifies Monroe Carell as one of the country’s busiest verified Level I pediatric trauma centers.

Level I pediatric trauma resources include

• Pediatric emergency physicians.
• Pediatric trauma surgeons.
• Pediatric anesthesiology.
• Pediatric critical care.
• Neurosurgery.
• Orthopedic trauma care.
• Advanced imaging.
• Blood bank and laboratory support.
• Rehabilitation and child-life services.
• Neonatal and pediatric transport.

The PICU team includes pediatric critical-care physicians, advanced practice providers, nurses, respiratory therapists, social workers, case managers, Child Life specialists, pharmacists and nutrition specialists.

PICU care can include children with

• Severe infections.
• Respiratory failure.
• Major trauma.
• Postoperative critical-care needs.
• Complex neurologic illness.
• Organ transplantation.
• Burns.
• Multisystem disease.

The PCICU cares for children with serious congenital or acquired heart disease, including patients recovering after complex cardiac surgery.

PCICU team includes

• Pediatric cardiac intensivists.
• Cardiac surgeons.
• Pediatric cardiologists.
• Nurse practitioners.
• Cardiac nurses.
• Respiratory therapists.
• ECMO specialists.
• Child Life.
• Social Work and case management.

Vanderbilt describes the NICU as its highest-level neonatal unit, able to care for extremely premature infants and newborns with highly complex medical or surgical conditions.

NICU services can include

• 24-hour neonatology.
• Advanced respiratory support.
• Complex neonatal surgery.
• Congenital-heart care.
• Neurologic newborn care.
• ECMO when appropriate.
• High-risk newborn transport.
• Family-centered rooms.
• Developmental follow-up.

The Pediatric Heart Institute combines fetal cardiology, pediatric cardiology, electrophysiology, congenital cardiac surgery, critical care, transplant and long-term congenital-heart follow-up.

Heart services include

• Fetal cardiology.
• Congenital-heart diagnosis.
• Cardiac imaging.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• Electrophysiology.
• Pacemaker and rhythm management.
• Congenital-heart surgery.
• Norwood, Glenn and Fontan procedures.
• Heart transplantation.
• ECMO.
• Ventricular assist devices.
• Heart failure and cardiomyopathy.
• Adult congenital-heart transition care.

Specialty neurology programs include

• Epilepsy.
• New-onset seizures.
• Pediatric stroke.
• Neuromuscular disease.
• Neurovascular disease.
• Headache and migraine.
• Multiple sclerosis.
• Leukodystrophy.
• Rett syndrome.
• Tourette syndrome.
• Neurocritical care.

Current pediatric neurosurgery programs include

• Brain tumors.
• Spinal-cord tumors.
• Hydrocephalus.
• Congenital brain and spine conditions.
• Epilepsy surgery.
• Spasticity surgery.
• Neurovascular disorders.
• Peripheral nerve and brachial-plexus injury.
• Craniofacial disorders.
• Skull-base and pituitary surgery.

Vanderbilt describes its pediatric GI, hepatology and nutrition program as the largest program of its type in the Southeast.

Programs include

• Inflammatory bowel disease.
• Functional bowel disorders.
• Esophageal disease.
• Eosinophilic GI disorders.
• Nutrition disorders.
• Interventional endoscopy.
• Pediatric liver disease.
• Pediatric liver transplantation.
• Feeding and swallowing disorders.
• Constipation and bowel-management care.

Current programs include

• Leukemia and lymphoma.
• Solid tumors.
• Brain and spinal-cord tumors.
• Sickle cell disease.
• Bleeding disorders.
• Clotting disorders.
• Hemophilia treatment.
• Stem-cell transplant.
• Immunodeficiency care.
• Long-term survivorship.
• Clinical trials.

Vanderbilt states that the main Nashville hospital’s surgical facilities are used especially for trauma and complex surgery requiring multiple specialties, overnight stays or specialized equipment.

Children’s surgical specialties include

• General pediatric surgery.
• Thoracic surgery.
• Neonatal surgery.
• Cardiac surgery.
• Neurosurgery.
• Orthopedic surgery.
• ENT surgery.
• Urologic surgery.
• Transplant surgery.
• Oncologic surgery.
• Trauma surgery.
• Minimally invasive surgery.

Monroe Carell provides complex pediatric transplant care supported by Vanderbilt’s larger academic transplant infrastructure.

Pediatric transplant services include

• Heart transplant.
• Liver transplant.
• Kidney transplant.
• Stem-cell transplant.
• Mechanical circulatory support.
• Pre-transplant evaluation.
• Post-transplant follow-up.

A child’s bill can include

• Hospital/facility services.
• Physician professional services.
• Emergency services.
• Laboratory testing.
• Radiology.
• Anesthesia.
• Pharmacy.
• Procedures.
• Surgery.
• Critical care.

My Health at Vanderbilt can also create or review out-of-pocket estimates for selected scheduled services.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s current March 2026 Financial Assistance Policy explicitly includes Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital.

Eligible care generally must be

• Emergency care; or
• Other medically necessary care covered by the policy.

Applications may require

• Tax-return information.
• Income documentation.
• Social Security documentation when applicable.
• Support documentation when another person provides basic living expenses.
• Additional information based on the family’s circumstances.

Vanderbilt currently lists numerous plans for Monroe Carell. Examples include:

• Aetna.
• Aetna Better Health of Kentucky Medicaid.
• Ambetter of Tennessee Commercial Exchange, with stated exceptions.
• Ascension.
• BlueCross BlueShield.
• BlueCross BlueShield TennCare.
• Cigna.
• Farm Bureau.
• Humana.
• Optum.
• Oscar.
• PHCS.
• TRICARE.
• UnitedHealthcare.
• UnitedHealthcare Community Care Plan.
• Veterans Affairs.
• WellCare Medicare Tennessee.
• WellCare of Kentucky.
• Wellpoint.

Before a non-emergency visit

1. Verify Monroe Carell with the insurer.
2. Verify the individual physician or physician group.
3. Ask whether referral is required.
4. Ask whether prior authorization is required.
5. Ask about deductible, copay and coinsurance.

Vanderbilt uses different billing customer-service numbers based on the patient’s last name.

Billing representatives can help with

• Account questions.
• Detailed statements.
• Insurance corrections.
• Payment processing.
• Payment plans.
• Financial-assistance referrals.
• Billing appeals.

Bills and statements can also be reviewed through My Health at Vanderbilt when the parent or guardian has appropriate access to the child’s account.

Vanderbilt’s patient portal is My Health at Vanderbilt.

Parents and patients can use the portal to

• View appointments.
• Schedule eligible visits.
• View upcoming tests and procedures.
• View test results.
• View medications.
• View allergies.
• View immunizations.
• Complete forms.
• Request prescription refills.
• Message participating providers.
• View billing.
• Pay bills.
• Download medical records.
• Share records with an outside provider.

Access for a child’s account

Parents and legal guardians may need delegate/proxy access to manage a child’s My Health account. Access rules change as children reach specific ages because of privacy laws.

Current inpatient visitor rules

• Two parent-approved adult visitors may stay with the child 24/7.
• Up to four people may be in the patient’s room during visiting hours.
• Visitors staying overnight should arrive before 8 p.m.
• Visitors should clean hands when entering and leaving the room.
• Do not visit when you have fever, rash, vomiting, diarrhea or infectious symptoms.
• Only non-latex balloons are permitted.
• The Vanderbilt campus is smoke-free.

NICU, transplant and selected specialty floors may require additional screening for young child visitors.

Free valet

Free valet service is currently available Monday–Friday, 5 a.m.–8 p.m. inside the South Garage entrance.

If self-parking

1. Enter South Garage from Children’s Way.
2. Park in patient/visitor spaces.
3. Go to the second floor.
4. Use the connecting breezeway into Monroe Carell.

Long stays and shuttles

Vanderbilt provides a hospitality shuttle for eligible families with extended stays. On-call service includes destinations such as:

• Ronald McDonald House.
• Hospitality House.
• Selected nearby hotels.

RV parking

Vanderbilt provides RV parking in Lot 75 near Blakemore Avenue and Natchez Trace. Call 615-936-1215 and select option 3 for current availability.

The current dedicated pharmacy location page lists service 7 a.m.–11 p.m. every day.

Family services include

• Child Life specialists.
• Social workers.
• Case management.
• Family business centers.
• Free guest Wi-Fi.
• Breast-milk pumping rooms.
• Free laundry machines.
• Playrooms by age.
• Sibling play space.
• Lodging assistance.
• Spiritual and psychosocial support.

Ronald McDonald House Family Room

A Ronald McDonald House Family Room is located on the fifth floor behind the greeter’s desk. Vanderbilt lists hours as 9 a.m.–9 p.m. daily when volunteers are available.

Playrooms

Monroe Carell has age-specific playrooms and a teen room. Children restricted to their rooms may be able to borrow toys and activities.

The main Children’s Way Café food court is on the second floor.

Current examples

The Friends Shop

Current listed hours:

• Monday–Friday: 10 a.m.–4 p.m.
• Saturday: noon–2 p.m.

Vanderbilt provides communication assistance for patients, family members and visitors who:

• Have limited English proficiency.
• Are deaf or hard of hearing.
• Have visual impairment.
• Have other communication-access needs.

After normal Patient Relations hours, call the Vanderbilt Operator at 615-936-1000.

Use Patient Relations for

• Questions about the hospital experience.
• Communication concerns.
• Service issues.
• Unresolved patient/family concerns.

Suggested escalation path

1. Discuss the issue with the bedside nurse or treating clinician.
2. Ask for the charge nurse or unit leader.
3. Contact Patient Relations if the concern remains unresolved.