The Healthcare Team

You’ll see a lot of health care professionals attending to your child’s needs.  Their identification tags will show their name and position. 

The list below will help you understand who these health professionals are and what their role is in your child's care:

Doctors

Attending Physician
A supervisory doctor who has completed training in a specific field of medicine.

Fellow
A doctor who is now completing a more specialized program.

Resident/Intern
A doctor who has completed medical school and is in hospital training.

Medical Student
A student who is studying to be a doctor.

Special Note
There are more than 550 attending doctors who are granted privileges by the hospital's Medical Staff to provide care to patients at the hospital. These doctors are not employees or agents of Children's Hospital Los Angeles. This means that the doctors and the hospital issue separate bills and the hospital is not responsible for the doctor’s services.

Nurses

Nurse Manager
A Registered Nurse (RN) who has 24-hour a day responsibility for the unit.

Charge Nurse
A RN who oversees all unit activities during a shift. She or he is there to solve problems your child’s nurse may not be able to resolve.

Registered Nurse
Your child has a RN assigned at all times who is responsible for ensuring that your child’s condition is constantly monitored, and that care and teaching are provided.

Nurse Resident
A new graduate nurse who is transitioning into a professional RN.

Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN)
An LVN may be assigned to assist the RN with your child’s care.

Patient Care Services Aide (PCSA)
A PCSA is an assistant to the RN who can help with routine care.

Other Healthcare Professionals

Blood Donor Program – Ext. 12441

  • At Children's Hospital Los Angeles, a “directed donor program” supports families who wish to donate blood specifically for their child.

Child Life Specialists

Clinical Dietitians

  • Specialists in nutrition for children.

Ethics Resource Committee – Ext. 12270

  • The Ethics Resource Committee is a multidisciplinary group available to patients and families for guidance if ethical dilemmas arise.

Language Interpretation (Diversity Services) – Ext. 12596

  • Language and Cultural Specialists/Interpreters are available for most languages.

Patient Care Coordinators

  • Coordinate your child's care during hospitalization.
  • Inform insurance companies about your child’s progress.
  • Arrange community health or home medical services for discharge, if needed.

Patient Experience/Patient and Family Advocate – Ext. 14682

  • Our goal is to provide the best health care and service possible.
  • If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s care, ask any member of the healthcare team.
  • If you need further assistance, or if you would like to file a grievance, please contact the Office of Patient Experience from Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Pediatric Phlebotomists

  • Staff who are specially trained in taking blood samples from children.

Pharmacists

  • Review patient drug therapy to ensure safety and efficacy.

Pharmacy – Ext. 14182

  • Discharge prescriptions or prescriptions for outpatients may be obtained at the Pharmacy, located on the third floor of the Outpatient Tower.
  • Open Mon. - Fri., 9 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Radiology Technologists

  • Licensed technologists who are specially trained to perform a variety of imaging/radiology tests.

Rehabilitation Therapists

  • Occupational Therapists (OT), Physical Therapists (PT), and Speech Pathologists are some of the rehabilitation professionals at our hospital.
  • Your child’s doctor will refer your child, if needed.

Respiratory Care Practitioners

  • Provide treatment to patients with breathing problems.
  • Your child’s doctor will refer your child, if needed.

Schooling – Ext. 12210

  • School-aged children who are hospitalized for six days or more will be assigned a teacher to keep up with their required lessons.

Social Workers – Ext. 12485

  • Can provide emotional and psychological support to patients and families.
  • Can help you solve problems and refer you to community agencies and resources.
  • Can connect you with support groups.

Spiritual Care Services – Ext. 12482

  • Spiritual Care Services are available for members of all faiths or religious traditions.
  • Our Chaplains offer support for patients and families through listening, spiritual counseling and religious rites, if desired.