St. Christopher’s Hospital for: Pediatric Care & Info

Who staffs the pediatric ER?

Board-certified pediatric emergency medicine physicians are in attendance at all times. They work with pediatricians, nurse practitioners and nurses trained specifically in pediatric emergency care.

Medical and surgical pediatric subspecialists are available for consultation when an emergency requires specialty expertise.

What makes this ER pediatric-specific?

• Pediatric emergency physicians onsite around the clock.
• Pediatric-trained nursing staff.
• Level I pediatric trauma capability.
• Verified pediatric burn services.
• Direct access to pediatric specialists.
• Specialized behavioral-health room.
• Video interpretation.
• Social-services coverage.
• Pediatric transport service.

Emergency transport

St. Christopher’s operates a pediatric critical-care transport team 24 hours a day, seven days a week for children who need transfer from another medical facility.

Serious injuries treated include

• Airway obstruction.
• Motor-vehicle injuries.
• Blunt abdominal trauma.
• Complex fractures.
• Facial trauma.
• Gunshot injuries.
• Lung contusions.
• Organ damage.
• Serious burns.
• Traumatic brain injury.

Trauma resources

The trauma program provides direct access to specialists including pediatric surgery, orthopedics, plastic/reconstructive surgery and neurosurgery.

Additional resources include PICU care, Child Life, social work, pediatric transport and ECMO for selected critically ill children with severe respiratory or cardiac failure.

What to bring

• Parent/caregiver photo ID.
• Child’s insurance card.
• Required copayment.
• Current medication list.
• Requested medical records or X-rays.
• Forms requested by the doctor.
• A book, tablet, toy or other comfort item for waiting.

Pediatric cardiology

Main cardiology clinic: 160 E. Erie Ave.
Phone: 215-427-4820
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Pediatric neurology

Pediatric gastroenterology

Pediatric surgery

Hematology and oncology

Pediatric critical-care doctors

Critical-care services include:

• PICU.
• Cardiac intensive care.
• Pediatric burn intensive care.
• Rapid Response Team.
• ECMO.
• Pediatric procedural sedation.
• Palliative-care support.
• Critical-care transport.

Babies are transferred to St. Christopher’s for care ranging from extreme prematurity to severe medical conditions that need surgery, ECMO or multiple pediatric specialists.

Neonatal teams work closely with:

• Neurology and neurosurgery.
• Urology.
• Nephrology.
• Cardiology.
• Genetics and metabolism.
• Immunology.
• Pulmonology.
• Gastroenterology.
• Pediatric surgery.

Heart services

• General pediatric cardiology.
• Congenital heart disease.
• Adult congenital heart disease transition care.
• Fetal echocardiography.
• Pediatric echocardiography.
• Electrophysiology.
• Arrhythmia management.
• Cardiac catheterization.
• Catheter-based interventions.
• Cardiothoracic surgery.
• Heart failure and cardiomyopathy care.
• Pulmonary-hypertension care.

Fetal Evaluation Center

Cancers treated

• Leukemia.
• Lymphoma.
• Bone tumors.
• Brain and spinal-cord tumors.
• Eye cancer.
• Kidney and liver cancers.
• Skin cancer.
• Other pediatric solid tumors.

Treatment options

• Chemotherapy.
• Targeted therapy.
• Immunotherapy.
• Radiation therapy.
• Surgery.
• Stem-cell / bone-marrow transplant.
• Clinical-trial access through pediatric cancer research networks.

Blood disorders treated

• Sickle-cell disease.
• Hemophilia.
• Von Willebrand disease.
• Anemia.
• Thalassemia and other hemoglobin disorders.
• Blood clots and thrombosis.
• Platelet disorders.
• Bone-marrow failure.
• White-blood-cell disorders.

Doctor fees

A pediatric specialist visit can vary according to:

• The specialty.
• New-patient versus follow-up visit.
• Tests performed.
• Imaging.
• Procedures.
• Hospital/facility charges.
• Insurance contract.
• Deductible, copay and coinsurance.

Emergency Room fee

An ER bill can change substantially depending on whether a child needs blood tests, imaging, IV medication, procedures, trauma care, burn treatment, specialist consultation, observation, surgery or inpatient admission.

Billing and itemized charges

The hospital publishes standard charges, but St. Christopher’s specifically warns that standard-charge files are not an estimate of what an individual family will owe.

Current assistance levels

Documents the policy may request

• Current pay stubs or employer income verification.
• W-2 or 1099 forms.
• Unemployment/workers’ compensation documentation.
• Government/public-assistance income verification.
• Tax documents for self-employed applicants.
• Recent bank statements when asset verification is required.

Application timing

The published policy allows families to request financial-assistance consideration within 240 days from the first patient statement date. The policy states that a decision is generally made within 14 days after a complete application is received.

Specialties reached from the St. Chris Drive entrance

The campus map lists offices including:

• Audiology.
• Cardiology.
• Child Protection.
• Dental Medicine.
• Developmental Pediatrics.
• General Surgery.
• Infectious Diseases.
• Neurology.
• Neurosurgery.
• Oncology/Neuro-oncology.
• Ophthalmology.
• Orthopedics.
• ENT.
• Plastic Surgery.
• Pulmonology.
• Fetal Evaluation Center.

Visitor rules

• Every visitor must obtain a visitor badge from Guest Services.
• Siblings and other children must be supervised by an adult.
• PICU and other intensive-care areas can have different hours and age rules.
• The number of people allowed in a room may be restricted.
• Tobacco and vaping are prohibited throughout the campus.
• Alcohol and illegal drugs are prohibited.
• Weapons, including guns and knives, are prohibited.
• Cell-phone use can be restricted in areas where signals could affect equipment.

Security

Pharmacy services

• Pediatric prescriptions.
• Compounded medication.
• Over-the-counter medication.
• Automatic refills.
• Text notifications.
• Prescription transfers.
• Parent/caregiver medication counseling.
• MyTowerHealth refill management.

Curbside pickup

Place the prescription order, drive to the designated curbside pickup sign and call 215-427-5599. Pharmacy staff can bring the completed order to the car.

Clinical pharmacist

Outpatient laboratory

The outpatient laboratory is on the main floor behind Admissions.

Laboratory phone numbers

Radiology scheduling

St. Christopher’s participates in the Image Gently program and uses pediatric-focused strategies to minimize radiation exposure whenever medically appropriate.

Hospital records include

• Inpatient records.
• Emergency Department records.
• Same-day surgery records.
• Observation records.
• Outpatient diagnostic records.

Specialty-office records

For follow-up appointments, physician-office visits or specialty-clinic notes, contact that department directly.

Child Life

Child Life specialists help children understand hospital tests and procedures, cope with fear and anxiety and maintain age-appropriate play and development during treatment.

Interpreter and translation services

Interpreter and translation support is available in multiple languages, including American Sign Language and communication assistance for patients who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Free Wi-Fi

Free wireless internet is available to hospital patients and visitors.

Food

• Cafeteria: ground floor; serves breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
• Jungle Hut: hospital lobby; coffee, pastries, yogurt and grab-and-go food.
• Vending: snack and beverage machines on the ground floor.
• ATM: ground floor outside the cafeteria.

St. Christopher’s does not currently publish a dependable detailed meal-period timetable on the visitor page, so this guide does not invent exact cafeteria opening times.

Parent guest meal

Parents/spouses can buy a guest-meal voucher in the cafeteria and order a meal tray to the child’s room by calling hospital extension 5123.

Gift shop

The gift shop is on the first floor near the main entrance and carries flowers, cards, gifts, balloons, toiletries and over-the-counter items.

Medical library

The medical library is on the lower level near the cafeteria. Librarian assistance is currently available Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m..

Spiritual care

The interfaith chapel is on the first floor next to the gift shop and is open 24 hours a day.

Community and social support

The hospital’s Center for the Urban Child connects families with resources including:

• Social workers.
• Care coordinators.
• WIC enrollment.
• Medical-legal assistance.
• Food-support programs.
• Parenting support.
• Specialty referrals.

The St. Christopher’s campus information describes the Front & Erie Ronald McDonald House as a temporary residence capable of serving 20 families with home-like accommodations and staff/volunteer support.