Departments

Yale has long experience in caring for the most vulnerable pediatric patients. In the early 1960s, a Yale physician started the world’s first newborn intensive care unit (NICU), recognizing that such young patients needed their own space with dedicated resources in order to deliver the best and safest care. Today, our skilled physicians, who are trained in both pediatrics and critical care medicine, work quickly to stabilize, evaluate, and treat infants, children, and adolescents with life-threatening medical and surgical problems. We collaborate with pediatric and surgical specialists, as well as those in diagnostic and therapeutic radiology, to bring a multidisciplinary approach to critical care. Our medical and nursing staff are close to our patients at all times. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit multidisciplinary team includes pediatric critical care attending physicians and fellows, pediatric residents, advanced practice nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, child life specialists, case managers, social workers, and nutritionists. The team works around the clock to ensure attentive care to infants, children, and teens recovering from catastrophic illness, trauma, or surgery.

At any time and every day of the year, our highly trained specialists are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to prevent, diagnose, and manage a vast array of acute illness and injuries among infants, children, and adolescents. We collaborate with pediatric medical and surgical specialists to bring the best emergency care to infants and children. Each year, the Pediatric Emergency Department at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, a Level I trauma center, treats more than 40,000 children from infancy to age 20. The state-of-the-art, dedicated children’s department features 16 rooms and two major treatment/trauma rooms. It is in close proximity to but distinctly separate from the adult emergency department, and is staffed by physicians and nurses skilled in caring for children. Full-time pediatricians, each of whom has completed additional training in pediatric emergency medicine, oversee patient care. Our staff is ready for any medical emergency, but common conditions we treat include: Respiratory and gastrointestinal illnesses Poisoning, including environmental toxins Major and minor trauma, including head injury Suspected child abuse and neglect Abdominal emergencies Behavioral and psychiatric emergencies In addition to our attending emergency medicine physicians, our team includes fellows, physician assistants, pediatric residents, nurse practitioners, nurses, social workers, sexual assault nurse examiners, and forensic experts. Our patients have 24-hour access to experts from all pediatric specialties, including toxicology and critical care. Child life specialists and pediatric social workers are also ready to ease the emergency room experience for children and families. Our team is expert in the fields of bedside ultrasound, injury prevention, and disaster preparedness.

We care for children with a variety of allergic and immunologic disorders, and chronic respiratory diseases. Our highly specialized, board-certified clinicians diagnose and treat everything from the most common to the very rare conditions. Nasal and eye allergies Asthma Hives Medication allergy Chronic sinusitis Angioedema Hereditary angioneurotic edema Common variable immunodeficiency Secondary immune deficiencies Cystic fibrosis Sleep disorders Chronic lung disease in infants and older children Acute respiratory failure Treatments we offer include: Allergen vaccine immunotherapy (allergy shots) Asthma environmental controls and pharmacological controller therapy Intensive antihistamine regimens Biological therapy for hereditary angioneurotic edema Intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin replenishment Aspirin desensitization Desensitization to antibiotics and other medications Our services include: Pediatric pulmonary function testing:We evaluate and follow lung disease in children with a full spectrum of tests, including diffusion analysis, challenge tests, and exercise. Physicians may order a pulmonary function test by calling 203-688-4667. Bronchoscopy:Bronchoscopy is the examination of the bronchi (the main airways of the lungs) using a flexible tube (bronchoscope). Bronchoscopy helps to evaluate and diagnose lung problems, assess blockages, obtain samples of tissue and/or fluid, and/or to help remove a foreign body. Bronchoscopies are performed in the pediatric operating room, and in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Our pulmonologists who perform this procedure have extensive experience with flexible bronchoscopy, including its use in newborns. In many cases, flexible bronchoscopy, which can be safely and comfortably performed under conscious sedation, eliminates the need for an exam under general anesthesia.

We provide preventive and urgent health care to children and adolescents in the greater New Haven community. Our pediatricians work in the Yale New Haven Hospital Pediatric Primary Care Centers at three locations: York Street, St. Raphael campus, and at Chapel Pediatrics in Hamden. We offer routine vaccinations and wellness exams, screening for childhood illness, and positive parenting support and programs. We also have particular expertise in handling conditions that occur during adolescence. Our physicians are highly trained and committed to advocating for children. In our offices, we see children with Husky or commercial insurance, and offer a sliding scale for those without insurance. In our specialty programs, we treat infants and children with a broad range of childhood problems, including: Developmental and behavioral disorders Physical and sexual abuse Rheumatologic conditions, such as arthritis and lupus

The dedicated pediatric hematologists and oncologists of the Yale Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Program provide comprehensive and compassionate care for children with all forms of cancer and blood diseases, including leukemia, malignant tumors and lymphomas, as well as sickle cell disease, hemophilia, coagulation abnormalities, and platelet disorders. Our program utilizes a team approach to care, and is active in research that seeks to advance the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric cancer and blood diseases. Cure rates continue to rise for children with cancer. At Yale, we are determined that more and more children will survive, and that they will thrive. We work to design treatments that cause less discomfort to patients in the short term and fewer serious complications in the long term. Smilow Cancer Hospital and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital’s care team works with patients and their families to design individual treatment plans. In addition to an oncologist, our multidisciplinary team includes advanced practice providers, registered nurses, social workers, a psychologist, psychiatrist, neuropsychologist, nutritionist, and child life specialists, all who have expertise in the medical, social, emotional and educational needs of children and teens. Understanding that children with cancer and blood disorders need more than medical care, we work with patients and their families to help them meet their social, emotional, educational, and behavioral needs. Our support services include: Routine psychosocial evaluations for newly diagnosed patients and their families. Home visits for the most gravely ill or psychiatrically symptomatic children and their families. A school integration program that includes counseling for families and children about their rights to have special services. We work with school districts to make appropriate accommodations for students returning to school, including providing special education services, if necessary. Psychoeducation and neuropsychological testing for patients at risk for neurocognitive problems. Support groups for siblings and parents. End-of-life support team for children and families. HEROS Survivorship Program The HEROS (Health, Education, Research & Outcomes for Survivors of Childhood Cancer) Survivorship Program at Smilow promotes the lifelong health of pediatric cancer patients after their cancer treatment has ended.It was the first childhood cancer survivorship program in Connecticut to offer comprehensive care for adults and children who had survived pediatric cancer. In our specialty clinic, patients receive detailed cancer treatment summaries and an individualized schedule for future screening for chronic conditions related to their original cancer treatment. Our multidisciplinary team that includes a pediatric oncologist, nurse practitioner, psychologist, registered dietician, and nurse educator are committed to caring for each patient as a whole person and empowering survivors

We provide expert evaluation and treatment to adult and pediatric patients across the entire spectrum of allergic and immunologic disorders. Our board-certified specialists have specific clinical and scientific expertise, and are highly capable of providing comprehensive, thoughtful care from the most common to the rarest conditions. Our physicians meet weekly to discuss the management of complicated cases. Yale has been the site of several key research breakthroughs in the field, including the discovery of new inherited immunological diseases and the development of a crucial understanding of the underlying causes of allergies. We offer comprehensive evaluation of both common and rare allergy and immunology conditions, including allergy skin and blood testing, oral food challenges, drug allergy testing, and contact dermatitis patch testing. We offer allergic rhinitis and asthma care through recommendations for environmental controls and pharmacological controller therapy, and biologic therapies for severe asthma, chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis, as well as chronic urticaria and hereditary angioedema. We have expertise in management of immune deficiencies with intravenous and subcutaneous immunoglobulin replenishment. We also provide consultations for drug allergy desensitization when needed. Among the conditions we treat are: Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis (nasal and eye allergies) Asthma Chronic rhinosinusitis Food allergy Insect sting allergy Medication allergy Urticaria (hives) Angioedema Hereditary angioedema Atopic Dermatitis Contact Dermatitis Common variable immunodeficiency Secondary immune deficiencies Our service has specific strength in the management of inherited immune deficiencies, with a dedicated service that closely collaborates with experts across other specialties. Through a long-standing collaboration with Yale Laboratory Medicine, patients have access to a broad array of state-of-the-art immunological testing. Our care for children and adolescents includes treatment for: Asthma Our doctors collaborate with colleagues in the Pediatric Asthma Program to ensure that our patients receive comprehensive asthma care, including: Evaluation, diagnosis, and management of childhood asthma for patients with varying degrees of severity Testing for allergic precipitants Mechanical analysis of respiratory function Outreach care at patients' homes when needed Allergy Testing for allergens, desensitization, and immunotherapy Allergic rhinoconjunctivitis Drug allergy Food allergy Insect venom allergy Urticaria (hives), mastocytosis, anaphylaxis Hereditary angioedema Primary Immunodeficiency and Recurrent Infections Testing for antibody deficiency, cellular immunodeficiency, and complement disorders Treatment of primary immunodeficiency diseases, including intravenous immunoglobulin therapy Evaluation and management of recurrent infections, including fungal infections

Our uncompromising faculty and staff are dedicated to the welfare of children and adolescents. One of two major pediatric centers in Connecticut, Yale offers an extensive range of services for patients through our 14 specialties. In addition, we have several interdisciplinary centers and programs that involve collaborations with multiple departments throughout Yale Medicine and Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital. Thanks to our reputation for comprehensive pediatric care, we serve as a regional and national center for referral and consultation. Many of our physicians are internationally recognized for their innovative approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of conditions including arrhythmias, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, childhood cancers, juvenile diabetes, dyslexia, blood disorders, infectious diseases, and complications of premature birth, as well as many other disorders. We are leaders in the global pediatric community, advocates for childhood health and development, and innovators in research. We rank among the top pediatric centers in the country with respect to National Institutes of Health support for research. Neonatal and pediatric ICUs that serve our most vulnerable patients with the highest level of care 24/7 subspecialty telephone consultation service for primary care clinicians with expected response time of three minutes More than 20 years of experience with neonatal and pediatric Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, a sophisticated machine that acts as an artificial heart and lungs, crucial for some seriously ill infants One-call center that provides centralized appointment scheduling for all pediatric specialties Close collaboration with other Yale departments to provide such services as molecular and genetic diagnostic services, state-of-the art management of high-risk fetuses and newborns, bone marrow transplantation, and management of complex malignancies

We provide expert, compassionate inpatient and outpatient care for children with a variety of gastrointestinal, liver, and metabolic disorders including inflammatory bowel disease, esophageal disorders, diarrheal disease, acute and chronic liver disease, and metabolic liver diseases, including lysosomal diseases. Our care team harnesses the expertise of gastrointestinal nursing, nutrition, radiology, surgery and genetics experts, as well as Yale’s programs in inflammatory bowel disease and liver transplantation. Our multidisciplinary approach for our patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease also includes a clinical psychologist, a dietician, and an endocrinologist.The program also offers selective shunts for patients with noncirrhotic portal hypertension. Gastrointestinal conditions we often manage include: Abdominal Pain Celiac disease Constipation/Encopresis Eosinophilic esophagitis/allergic bowel disease Failure to thrive Feeding problems/swallowing problems Helicobacter pylori infection Hirschsprung’s disease Lactose intolerance Malabsorption Pancreatitis Peptic ulcer disease Vomiting Our pediatric hepatologists treat a range of liver diseases. Some can be managed with medication, while others require surgery. For example,acute liver failure(ALF) occurs when many of the cells in the liver die or become very damaged in a short period of time. ALF has many causes, such as metabolic conditions or toxicity from incorrect dosages of acetaminophen.ALF can sometimes be treated with medication, if it is identified early, but about half of all children who develop ALF require a liver transplant. Biliary atresiais a disease of the liver and bile ducts that occurs in infants. In children with biliary atresia, bile—a liquid that helps the body digest fat—cannot properly drain from the liver. This damages liver cells and can lead to liver failure. Surgical procedures can correct bile flow problems, but the liver disease progresses and requires specialized care to improve growth, development, nutrition, and long-term outcome.A multidisciplinary team consisting of pediatric liver specialists, surgeons, and a dietician provides comprehensive care for patients with biliary atresia. Other hepatology conditions we treat include: Alagille syndrome Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency Autoimmune hepatitis Neonatal cholestasis Progressive Familial Intrahepatic Cholestasis (PFIC) Urea cycle defects Wilson's disease Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Glycogen Storage Disease Viral hepatitis Hepatoblastoma Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Pediatric surgeons dedicate their practice to treating children ranging from the neonatal stage through late adolescence. The medical needs of a child differ from those of an adult, requiring pediatric surgeons to have additional education and advanced training. Our pediatric surgeons are recognized as experts in a broad range of specialties, including minimally invasive surgery, pediatric surgical oncology, fetal diagnosis, and treatment of congenital birth defects, pediatric trauma, and surgical procedures for intestinal failure. Through the most current and state-of-the-art surgical techniques, we help treat each child’s condition so he or she can focus on being a kid.Our team has expertise in the latest surgical technologies and the most delicate surgical situations, including neonatal surgery and ECMO (heart and lung bypass for severely ill infants). Our surgeons use advanced, minimally invasive surgical techniques wherever possible to help secure outpatient surgeries or shorter hospital stays, and less postoperative discomfort for the child. All of our team members have extensive experience in working with children, and take extra measures to ensure that each child feels safe and comfortable. Specialized care is offered in the following areas: Mechanical cardiac assist device program Newborn surgery, including repair of severe newborn congenital malformations of the airway, respiratory, gastrointestinal, and genital tracts Operations for inguinal hernias, hydroceles, correction of undescended testicles, and other groin problems Pediatric abdominal surgery Pediatric heart transplant Pediatric thoracic surgery Surgical management of complex solid tumors Thoracoscopic and laparoscopic treatment of such conditions as abdominal and thoracic tumors, congenital lung masses, intestinal atresia, and trachea-esophageal fistula The first pediatric Level I trauma center in Connecticut at Yale New Haven Hospital Six conveniently located outpatient pediatric centers across the state where patients can be evaluated by a pediatric surgeon International recognition for new ways to reduce anxiety and pain in children who need surgery

Our program, focused on adult primary care, is known for its excellence and emphasis on prevention and wellness. We efficiently manage potential medical problems as they arise, and collaborate with specialists when needed. Our practice includes internal medicine physicians, advanced nurse practitioners, a clinical psychologist, a social worker, registered-nurse patient care coordinators, licensed practical nurses, medical assistants, clerical office staff, and a practice supervisor. Our goal is to provide patients with the highest quality, personalized healthcare in the Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH) model of care. The PCMH model of care focuses on five areas: Building strong, collaborative health care teams that work together to meet the needs of patients Providing patient-centered care addressing the whole person, respecting patients’ values and preferences Coordinating comprehensive health care through clear communication among patients, families, caregivers, medical and behavioral health providers, hospitals, and other facilities Improving patients’ access to care, through such initiatives as expanded office hours and providing email access to electronic medical records Improving health care quality and standards by providing evidence-based care, patient and family education, and self-management support We would like to hear your direct feedback regarding your experience as a patient/family member of our clinic. Please visit the YIMA Patient/Family Comment Box to provide your feedback. Sign up for MyChart , our secure online patient portal, that gives you access to all of your Yale health information whenever you need it, wherever you may be.

At the Yale Pediatric Infectious Diseases Consultation Program, our internationally recognized team of clinicians focuses on treating a wide array of viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. Through our outpatient clinical services, we diagnose and treat infectious diseases in children. In addition to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and Lyme disease, our doctors are experts in: Acquired and congenital infections in newborns Infections in immunocompromised patients Fungal infections Respiratory tract infections Tropical medicine and parasitology Transplant ID Outpatient consultations in Infectious Diseases are provided at The Children's Hospital at Yale New Haven, the major teaching hospital of the Yale School of Medicine. Appointments require a referral from a Primary care provider. To schedule a consultation, physicians should call the YM CARE Center at 1-877-925-3637 (1-877-YALE MDS).

Our internationally recognized team of clinicians focuses on treating a wide array of viral, bacterial, and parasitic infections. Through our outpatient clinical services, we diagnose and treat infectious diseases in children from throughout New England and the Mid-Atlantic states. In addition to HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and Lyme disease, our doctors are experts in: Acquired and congenital infections in newborns Infections in immunocompromised patients Fungal infections Respiratory tract infections Tropical medicine and parasitology