Cohen Children’s Hospital: Pediatric Care & Info

Cohen Children’s operates a dedicated pediatric Emergency Department designed specifically for children and adolescents. The hospital can rapidly involve pediatric surgery, intensive care, radiology, anesthesiology and other pediatric subspecialties when required.

Trauma center

Cohen Children’s is a Level I Pediatric Trauma Center. New York State trauma reporting lists Cohen Children’s as a Level I pediatric trauma facility serving Queens and the surrounding region.

When the ER is more appropriate than an office visit

• Severe breathing difficulty.
• Major trauma.
• Serious head injury.
• Uncontrolled bleeding.
• Loss of consciousness.
• Severe allergic reaction.
• Possible poisoning requiring emergency evaluation.
• Seizure requiring immediate medical attention.
• Any potentially life-threatening illness or injury.

Current pediatric emergency physicians associated with Cohen Children’s

• William Mak, DO – Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Ronak Patel, MD – Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Anita Pillai, MD – Pediatric Emergency Medicine
• Matthew Harris, MD – Pediatric Emergency Medicine

The exact emergency physician working when a family arrives depends on the hospital’s live staffing schedule and cannot be predicted from a static doctor directory.

Emergency-room fee

Cohen Children’s does not publish one flat ER fee that represents every emergency encounter. Costs vary based on triage severity, physician services, testing, imaging, medications, procedures, trauma resources and whether the child needs hospital admission.

Doctor consultation fee

Cohen Children’s does not publish one universal doctor-visit fee. A pediatric neurology consultation, GI follow-up, surgical consultation, cardiac visit or behavioral-health appointment may have different hospital and professional charges.

Patient responsibility may depend on:

• Insurance plan.
• Network status.
• Copay.
• Remaining deductible.
• Coinsurance.
• Hospital facility charges.
• Physician professional charges.
• Lab work.
• Radiology.
• Anesthesia.
• Procedures performed during the visit.

Emergency-room fee

There is no single flat emergency fee because emergency visits range from relatively simple pediatric evaluations to major Level I trauma care.

Northwell price estimator

Northwell provides official price-estimator tools for planned care. These tools are more useful than attempting to interpret a chargemaster because an estimate can consider the planned service and insurance information.

Cohen Children’s is part of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center campus. A visitor parking garage is available near the children’s hospital/Katz Women’s Hospital area, and valet service is also available on campus.

Before parking

• Save the hospital address: 269-01 76th Avenue.
• Follow signs specifically for Cohen Children’s / visitor parking.
• Bring the ticket with you.
• Ask the clinic whether parking validation applies.
• Tell valet staff if the child has mobility or medical-equipment needs.
• Allow extra time during weekday appointment periods.

Cohen Children’s is designed around family-centered pediatric care, and inpatient rooms include accommodations intended to let parents remain close to hospitalized children. Individual units may use different visitor rules based on infection control, patient condition, age and space.

What parents should expect

• Adult visitors may be asked for photo identification.
• Visitor screening and badges may be required.
• NICU, PICU, behavioral health, surgery and transplant units can have stricter rules.
• Visitor limits may change during respiratory-virus season or outbreaks.
• Parents should confirm the current unit policy before inviting siblings or extended family.

Cohen Children’s provides pediatric surgery across numerous specialties including general surgery, thoracic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedics, ENT, urology, plastic surgery, ophthalmology and transplant-related procedures.

Before surgery

• Confirm procedure date and arrival time.
• Confirm where to check in on the New Hyde Park campus.
• Complete any required pre-surgical testing.
• Bring photo ID and insurance information.
• Bring referral/authorization if required by insurance.
• Bring an updated medication and allergy list.
• Follow the surgeon’s and anesthesiologist’s medication instructions.
• Follow the exact eating and drinking restrictions provided for the child.

Potential separate bills

Hospital surgery may generate separate charges for the hospital facility, surgeon, anesthesiologist, pathology, radiology, laboratory testing and other specialists. Request a planned-care estimate before elective surgery.

The hospital can rapidly involve cardiology, surgery, neurology, nephrology, infectious disease, pulmonology and other pediatric specialties when intensive-care patients need them.

Northwell’s Vivo Health Pharmacy at LIJ is on the same medical-center campus at 270-05 76th Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040.

Vivo Health specifically provides pediatric pharmacy support in partnership with Cohen Children’s, including hard-to-find pediatric medications, medication counseling, specialty pharmacy services and free medication flavoring where appropriate.

Medical records are managed through Northwell Health’s health-information systems. Many patient records can be accessed directly through MyNorthwell.

Records available through MyNorthwell can include

• Test results.
• Medications.
• Allergies.
• Appointment information.
• Visit information.
• Clinical messages.
• Other portions of the electronic medical record.

If the record is not available online

What MyNorthwell can do

• Schedule supported appointments.
• View past and upcoming appointments.
• View medications and allergies.
• See most test results when they become available.
• Request prescription refills.
• Message participating care teams.
• Manage portions of the medical record.
• Access family-member records through authorized proxy access.

Parent/caregiver proxy access

MyNorthwell supports proxy access so an authorized adult can manage medical information for a child or another family member. The person receiving proxy access must be at least 18 years old.

MyNorthwell is free. Messages are generally answered within one to three business days and should not be used for urgent medical situations.

Cohen Children’s is part of Northwell Health, so hospital billing, price estimates, insurance verification and financial-assistance functions use Northwell’s patient financial services infrastructure.

Why you may receive more than one bill

• Hospital/facility charge.
• Physician professional charge.
• Anesthesiology.
• Radiology interpretation.
• Pathology.
• Laboratory testing.
• Independent or separately billing specialists.

Before planned care

Confirm all of the following with your insurer:

• Cohen Children’s / Northwell facility is in network.
• The specific doctor is in network.
• Referral requirements.
• Prior authorization requirements.
• Deductible remaining.
• Copay.
• Coinsurance.

Northwell Health provides financial-assistance options for qualifying patients who cannot afford all or part of medically necessary hospital care.

Financial-service representatives may help with:

• Insurance verification.
• Self-pay questions.
• Medicaid screening.
• Financial-assistance applications.
• Payment arrangements.
• Outstanding balances.
• Billing disputes.

One of the strongest family resources at Cohen Children’s is the Ronald McDonald House in New Hyde Park, operated by Ronald McDonald House Charities New York Metro.

What the House provides

• 42 family bedrooms.
• Eight kitchens.
• Two kosher kitchens.
• Laundry facilities.
• Library.
• Indoor and outdoor family spaces.
• Play areas.
• Home-cooked meals.
• Transportation support.
• A family community close to the child’s medical care.

Availability and eligibility depend on the child’s treatment situation and current room availability. Families should contact Ronald McDonald House directly or ask a Cohen Children’s social worker for help.

Cohen Children’s is on the Long Island Jewish Medical Center campus near the border of Queens and Nassau County, approximately 15 miles from Manhattan.

By car

Use 269-01 76th Avenue, New Hyde Park, NY 11040 in navigation. Follow hospital signs for Cohen Children’s and visitor parking rather than following signs for unrelated LIJ campus buildings.

Public transportation

The hospital campus is served by New York-area bus connections, including service in the Union Turnpike/LIJ Medical Center corridor. Families using Long Island Rail Road service generally need a connecting bus, taxi or rideshare from a nearby station.

Northwell ambulance

For a Northwell ambulance, Northwell lists 833-259-2367. Call 911 instead for an immediate life-threatening emergency.