Children’s National Hospital: Pediatric Care & Info

Children’s National describes its Emergency Medicine and Trauma Center as the only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. It serves as a regional referral resource for seriously injured children from D.C., Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.

Emergency capabilities include

• Pediatric trauma resuscitation.
• Emergency pediatric medicine.
• Emergency imaging.
• Laboratory testing.
• Fracture and wound care.
• Neurologic emergency treatment.
• Surgical consultation.
• Critical-care consultation.
• Pediatric burn evaluation.
• Emergency transport coordination.

Fast Track Unit

The Emergency Department’s Fast Track Unit is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for selected minor acute illnesses and injuries.

Evaluation and Treatment Unit

Children who need additional observation or treatment without immediate hospital admission may receive up to approximately 24 hours of care in the Evaluation and Treatment Unit.

Telehealth

Selected Children’s National specialties provide video visits for patients in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia. Ask whether a new-patient or follow-up visit can be completed virtually.

Heart services include

• General pediatric cardiology.
• Congenital heart disease.
• Fetal cardiology.
• Echocardiography.
• Advanced cardiac imaging.
• Interventional cardiology.
• Electrophysiology.
• Cardiac intensive care.
• Heart failure.
• Ventricular assist devices.
• ECMO.
• Heart transplantation.
• Congenital heart surgery.
• Adult congenital heart disease care.

Programs include

• Epilepsy and seizure disorders.
• Headache and migraine.
• Neuromuscular disease.
• Pediatric stroke.
• Neurocritical care.
• Neurogenetics.
• Movement disorders.
• Brain and spine tumors.
• Hydrocephalus.
• Epilepsy surgery.
• Cerebrovascular neurosurgery.
• Complex pediatric spine surgery.

Major programs include

• Pediatric oncology.
• Leukemia and lymphoma.
• Solid tumors.
• Brain tumors / neuro-oncology.
• Sickle cell disease.
• Bleeding and clotting disorders.
• Bone marrow failure.
• Blood and marrow transplantation.
• Cancer genetics.
• Clinical trials.
• Survivorship care.
• Psychology and social-work support.

Orthopaedic care includes

• Fractures and pediatric trauma.
• Sports injuries.
• Scoliosis and spinal deformity.
• Hip disorders.
• Limb lengthening and deformity correction.
• Neuromuscular orthopaedics.
• Hand conditions.
• Bone health.
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation.

Programs include

• General pediatric surgery.
• Neonatal surgery.
• Thoracic and foregut surgery.
• Colorectal and pelvic reconstruction.
• Chest-wall surgery.
• Inflammatory-bowel-disease surgery.
• Pediatric gynecologic surgery.
• Thyroid surgery.
• Minimally invasive surgery.
• Robot-assisted procedures.

Children’s National provides specialized intensive care for critically ill children, including pediatric, cardiac, neurological and neonatal critical-care services.

Level IV capability includes

• Care for extremely premature newborns.
• Full pediatric medical subspecialty support.
• Pediatric surgical subspecialists on site.
• Complex neonatal surgery.
• ECMO.
• Whole-body cooling for selected newborns.
• Neonatal neurology and neurocritical care.
• Complex lung-disease care.
• Nutrition and feeding programs.
• Developmental follow-up.

Imaging services include

• X-ray.
• Ultrasound.
• CT.
• MRI.
• Fluoroscopy.
• Interventional radiology.
• Cardiac imaging.
• Neurological imaging.

Children’s National physicians can electronically send discharge prescriptions to the hospital Walgreens so eligible medications can be picked up before a family leaves.

Children’s National also now offers a specialty pharmacy for children who require higher-complexity specialty medications.

What the facility fee supports

• Hospital clinic operations.
• Exam rooms.
• Medical supplies.
• Equipment.
• Hospital staff.
• Educational and counseling resources.

Emergency-room cost

The pediatric ER does not have one useful flat fee because charges depend on what the child actually needs, including laboratory tests, imaging, medications, procedures, trauma services, specialist consultation, surgery, intensive care or hospital admission.

Good Faith Estimate

Uninsured and self-pay families may request a Good Faith Estimate for eligible scheduled non-emergency services.

Children’s National states that its pediatric services accept Medicaid and many private health-insurance plans. Exact participation should be verified for the hospital, physician and specific plan.

Before planned care

• Confirm the hospital is in-network.
• Confirm the physician is in-network.
• Ask whether referral is required.
• Ask whether prior authorization is required.
• Confirm deductible.
• Ask about hospital facility-fee coverage.
• Confirm specialist copay or coinsurance.

Children’s National applies its Financial Assistance Policy to eligible emergency and medically necessary care and states that emergency screening and stabilizing treatment are provided without discrimination based on ability to pay.

How to apply

Long-term passes

Parking Office

The Parking Office is on the first floor of the East Tower near the Emergency Department Welcome Desk, Suite E1.103.

Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–6 p.m.

Phone: 202-476-5422 or 202-476-5457.

Valet

Valet parking is available on weekdays on P1. There is no additional valet service charge beyond the normal parking rate.

Accessible parking

Accessible parking is available on P1. Families needing a wheelchair or arrival assistance can use the assistance phone on that level.

Current inpatient limits

• PICU and NICU patients may have up to four designated people identified at admission.
• Most inpatient areas currently allow up to four visitors at the bedside.
• ICUs, the psychiatry unit and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit have a two-visitor bedside limit.
• Outpatient appointments and ED visits preferably have no more than two accompanying people.

Sibling rules

Children younger than 18 can visit when supervised by an adult. Children visiting the PICU, NICU, CICU, Heart and Kidney Unit or BMT unit must currently be at least 10 years old. Minors cannot stay overnight.

Security

Electronic security screening is in place at the main campus. Weapons, alcohol, marijuana and other prohibited drugs are not allowed.

Children’s National provides an online medical-record request tool for:

• Patients requesting their own records.
• Parents of minor children.
• Authorized caregivers.
• Healthcare providers.

Proper requests are typically processed within approximately 10 business days.

Check the portal first

MyChildrensPortal may already contain:

• Test results.
• Visit summaries.
• Admission summaries.
• Appointment information.
• Medications.
• Portions of the medical history.

How to get access

1. Ask the care team or registration staff for an invitation.
2. Open the secure email invitation.
3. Claim the invitation before it expires.
4. Create or sign into the portal account.

Main-campus amenities

• Child Life specialists.
• Social work.
• Therapy dogs.
• Healing Garden.
• Playrooms.
• Family waiting areas.
• Lactation rooms.
• Wi-Fi.
• Cafeteria and coffee options.
• RightHear audible wayfinding.

International patients

Global Services: 202-476-5779. Current office hours are Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m. Eastern Time.