Preparing for your visit or stay at Children's Health℠

Specialist appointment 

Check in for your appointment before you arrive! Children's Health now offers contactless check-in through MyChart. Arrive early to allow extra time for parking and check-in for your child's appointment. 

Items to bring for check-in: 

• Insurance information 

• Important documents, such as X-rays or other pertinent medical records 

• Your child's immunization record 

• A list of all medications your child is taking (including prescription, over- the-counter and herbal) 

• Photo ID of the parent or legal guardian escorting the child 

Service Line Specific Guides 

• Craniofacial Program 

• Diabetes 

• Epilepsy 

• Food allergy 

• Gastroenterology (GI) 

• Genetics 

• The Heart Center 

• Neonatal THRIVE 

• Neurology 

• Neuromuscular disease 

• Psychiatry and Psychology 

Surgery 

We focus on a family-friendly environment to help make your child's surgery day at Children’s as comfortable as possible. We want you and your child to know what to expect every step of the way. If your doctor is sending you to Children's Health for surgery for only the day, you will have access to all our special services and care. 

Pre-operative/pre-surgical assessment 

If your child is having day surgery, you will be scheduled for a pre-surgical assessment appointment. At that time, you will get important information about preparing for surgery, such as limiting food and drink in the hours before surgery. Please follow these instructions carefully. 

Pre-registration

Our staff will call you to confirm personal information, including details about insurance. If we are unable to reach you by phone and you do not hear from us the day before surgery, please call 214-456-2190 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. to ensure a timely appointment. 

If you are unable to keep this appointment, please call 214-456-7000. 

Day of Surgery: items to bring to check-In 

To process your check-in smoothly, please bring the following items with you: 

• Insurance information 

• Important documents, such as x-rays or other pertinent medical records 

• Your child's immunization record 

• A list of all medications your child is taking (including prescription, over-the-counter and herbal) 

• Photo ID of the parent or legal guardian escorting the child 

• Your child's favorite stuffed animal or toy 

Resources for Surgical Procedures: 

• Preparing your child for anesthesia 

• Surgery Day 

• The transplant process 

• Gastroenterology (GI) Surgery 

• Pediatric Surgery FAQ 

After surgery 

If your child is scheduled for day surgery or outpatient surgery, you can expect a surgery with a quick recovery time. Your child will not need to spend the night in the hospital. 

Insurance and co-pays 

Insurance deductibles and co-payments for the facility use are due when your child checks in for surgery. The fees that are being collected on the day of surgery cover the use of the facility only and do not include laboratory, pathology, surgeon or anesthesiologist fees, which will be billed separately. 

Please contact your insurance company to confirm that the surgery is authorized and to learn what your personal out-of-pocket expenses will be. Be sure to specify that it is “outpatient surgery.” Any questions about the insurance approval for surgery should be directed to your surgeon’s office. Visit Billing and Insurance for more information. 

Overnight stays 

There’s nothing like your presence to make your sick child feel better. That is why parents or legal guardians are welcome to stay 24 hours a day with their child. 

One adult friend or family member may also be assigned to stay overnight in place of a parent or legal guardian.  However, children younger than 18 are not permitted to spend the night in your child’s room. 

Hospital amenities 

For your comfort, each patient room has a recliner, sleeping chair or sofa, and additional hospital amenities are available for your comfort. 

What you should bring 

If you and your child are spending the night, please review the following list to find out what you need to bring: 

• Some of your child’s favorite things to make the room more comfortable. 

• Extra clothing for you and your child 

• Insurance information 

• Important documents, such as X-rays and other pertinent medical records 

• Your child's immunization record 

• A list of all medications your child is taking (including prescription, over-the- counter and herbal) 

• Photo ID of the parent or legal guardian escorting the child 

• Any medications or other items that parents will need while away from home 

Our gift shops offer personal items for sale, or if you have forgotten something from home, please contact Social Work at 214-456-2300. 

Laboratory / Imaging (x-ray) 

Laboratory 

View your lab results within MyChart or the Children’s Health Mobile App! All laboratory tests ordered during an outpatient visit should be posted to your patient record within 96 hours. 

If you do not see your most recent test results, contact your provider and ask them to release the results. 

Radiology/imaging 

At Children's Health we follow Image Gently and ALARA (as low as reasonably achievable) guidelines to limit radiation exposure, while still producing the highest-quality imaging. Our radiologists have sub-specialty training and formal certification in pediatric radiology providing a unique level of experience. 

Analytical Imaging and Modeling Center (AIM) 

When you visit the Analytical Imaging and Modeling (AIM) Center at Children’s Health, an imaging specialist will welcome you and provide you with an overview of the imaging procedure planned for your child to the imaging lab. All images are obtained in a private lab, and one patient is scanned at a time. Appointments at the AIM Center may vary in length depending on the imaging employed and the protocol used. 

Note: Imaging results will not be available online.