Rady Children’s Hospital: Pediatric Care & Info

Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center

Rady Children’s is San Diego County’s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center. Pediatric trauma teams are available around the clock for severely injured children.

Trauma Center Administration: 858-966-4010 during normal business hours. Health professionals arranging an urgent trauma transfer are instructed to call the main operator at 858-576-1700 and ask for transfer assistance.

Emergency Department wait time

Rady Children’s publishes an estimated live ER wait time online, but that number changes throughout the day and is not appropriate to hard-code into an article. Children are triaged according to medical urgency rather than simple arrival order.

Behavioral Health Urgent Care

Heart Institute: cardiology and cardiovascular surgery

Main cardiology location: Rose Pavilion, 1st Floor South, 3020 Children’s Way. Cardiology: 858-966-5855. Cardiovascular Surgery: 858-966-8030.

Neurology doctors

Neurology: 858-966-5819. Main-campus clinic is in the Medical Office Building, 4th Floor, 3030 Children’s Way.

Orthopedics and scoliosis surgeons

Orthopedics: 858-966-6789. Main clinic: Medical Office Building, 3rd Floor, 3030 Children’s Way.

Endocrinology and diabetes doctors

Main clinic: Medical Office Building, 4th Floor North. Phone: 858-966-4032. Published telephone hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m..

ENT / pediatric otolaryngology doctors

ENT appointments: 858-309-7701. Main clinic: Medical Office Building, 1st Floor North.

Urology doctors

Main-campus clinic: 7920 Frost Street, Suite 200. Urology contact: 858-966-8603. Current urology location page also lists appointment scheduling at 858-966-5999.

Cancer and blood disorders physicians

Peckham Center: 858-966-5811. Outpatient treatment is centered in the Viterbi Outpatient Clinic, Acute Care Pavilion, 2 West.

Services available across Rady Children’s

Why hospital-based visits may create separate charges

Hospital-based specialty care can involve a hospital/facility component and a physician/professional component. The final patient responsibility may then be affected by insurance network status, deductible, copay, coinsurance, prior authorization and the services actually performed.

How to obtain a real estimate

Before the appointment

• Bring the current insurance card to every visit.
• Ask your insurer whether the hospital is in-network.
• Ask whether the individual specialist is in-network.
• Ask whether a PCP referral is required.
• Ask whether prior authorization is required.
• Ask about expected copay, deductible and coinsurance.

Current published uninsured-patient assistance tiers

The January 2025 hospital policy also provides assistance pathways for certain insured patients or cost-sharing-program patients with high medical costs or non-covered charges. Eligibility is determined by the hospital under the current policy and requires a completed application or an applicable presumptive-eligibility determination.

Documents families may need

• Financial Assistance Program application.
• Recent tax return or recent pay stubs when available.
• Documentation of insurance or lack of coverage.
• Documentation of qualifying high medical costs when applicable.
• Other information requested by Financial Counseling to determine eligibility.

Main patient and visitor parking locations

Current main-campus parking rates

The hospital also offers extended-parking options and Partner in Care parking benefits. Follow the current parking instructions at the garage because discounted or extended parking can use a separate validation/pass process from the standard rate.

What is in the Medical Office Building?

The Medical Office Building at 3030 Children’s Way houses many high-volume outpatient services, including Allergy & Immunology, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Infectious Diseases, Laboratory/Pathology, Neurology, Orthopedics, ENT, Pediatric Surgery, outpatient pharmacy and Pulmonary/Respiratory Medicine.

What is in the Acute Care Pavilion?

The Acute Care Pavilion at 3010 Children’s Way includes the Peckham Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, Medical Behavioral Unit, MRI, NICU, surgical-care areas and the Warren Family Surgical Center.

Visitors must check in at an information desk and wear the hospital-issued visitor badge or Partner in Care wristband. The wristband is not transferable.

Who should not visit?

• Anyone with cold or flu symptoms.
• Anyone coughing, sneezing or with a sore throat.
• Anyone with vomiting, diarrhea or rash.
• Anyone with certain recent infectious-disease exposures.

During periods of increased respiratory illness, inpatient visitor restrictions can become more stringent. Check the hospital’s current visiting notice before bringing siblings or additional family members.

Early outpatient-procedure check-in

Current hospital procedure directions instruct very early arrivals around 5:30–6:00 a.m. to check in at the Acute Care Pavilion Information Desk, Entrance 2, 3010 Children’s Way. Later morning check-in instructions can direct families to the Rose Pavilion, depending on the procedure.

Outpatient pharmacy

The outpatient retail pharmacy is at 3030 Children’s Way, Suite 108. Phone: 858-966-4060.

Email for completed authorizations: Releaseofinformation@rchsd.org.

Information required on the authorization

• Patient’s full name.
• Date of birth.
• Specific records and/or dates of service requested.
• Purpose of the disclosure.
• Recipient’s name/address.
• Signature of the patient or authorized legal representative.
• Date of signature.

MyChart support: 877-902-4278
Email: MyChart@rchsd.org

Language and interpreter services

Spanish medical interpreters are available on site Monday–Friday, 6:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.. Reduced weekend and holiday staffing is available.

Telephone and video interpretation for more than 200 languages is available at any time. Video ASL interpretation is available on demand, and an in-person ASL interpreter can be arranged with advance notice.

TDD line: 858-627-3002.

Child Life Services

Certified Child Life specialists help children understand and cope with surgery, medical procedures, tests and hospitalization through preparation, therapeutic play, coping techniques and age-appropriate education.

Child Life information: 858-966-8608.

Ronald McDonald House

The Ronald McDonald House is across from the Acute Care Pavilion at 2929 Children’s Way, San Diego, CA 92123. Phone: 858-467-4750.

Families with a seriously ill or injured child may be eligible for overnight lodging with a referral from a hospital social worker.

Family Care Center

The Ronald McDonald House Family Care Center is open daily, 7 a.m.–9 p.m. to families whose children are receiving care at nearby hospitals, even if they are not overnight House guests.

Other Family Care Center resources include napping/nursing rooms, laundry, showers, play spaces, fitness facilities for adults, computers and an interfaith chapel or reflection room.