The hospital can be a scary place for a child. That is why Emerson Health's Pediatric Intervention Team (PIT), comprised of certified child life specialists, offers emotional support to help ease the fears and anxiety of children — and their families — wherever they are in the hospital.
Role of the Pediatric Intervention Team
Whether your child is receiving care at Emerson or visiting a family member who is, our Pediatric Intervention Team is available to help them — and you — cope during the experience. We are here to:
- Guide children and families through the surgical experience by providing day-of preoperative teaching and education. Preoperative teaching and/or a tour of our surgical area can also be arranged in advance of your child's surgical date by calling 978-287-3423.
- Support children during diagnostic imaging, blood draws, IV starts and difficult procedures, whether during an inpatient, outpatient or emergency visit
- Reduce children’s fears and anxiety by creating an environment that promotes coping and builds resiliency
- Offer activities for distraction and relaxation while using play as a child’s way of understanding his/her hospital experience
- Provide age-appropriate explanations to children who are visiting critically ill family members and comfort families through end-of-life and bereavement
- Consult with caregivers who have received a serious illness diagnosis on how to share the difficult news with their child
Podcast
Listen to our Health Works Here podcast with Vicky Hopley and Mallory Harrison, Emerson child life specialists, who talk about their role on the Pediatric Intervention Team and how they assist parents in preparing a child for surgery. [Apple Podcasts | Google Play Music | Spotify]
