Patient and Family Support Services
Our Services
In addition to world-class health and wellness care, the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center provides a variety of additional services — from compassionate adoption and legal aid to comprehensive home care assistance — designed to support the needs of your family.
Learn more about the variety of services available:
Pediatric Home Care
Pediatric home care offers sophisticated medical services from compassionate pediatric caregivers provided where your child feels most comfortable — at home.
Social Workers
Clinical social workers are an important part of your child's care team. Our social workers know that your child’s illness or complex medical needs can be challenging and stressful for all members of your family. Our goal is to provide you and your family with the support, resources and interventions that will strengthen your family’s ability to cope with your child’s illness or medical needs.
Child Life
Child Life specialists build relationships with children, teens and families by providing opportunities for play and self-expression during health care encounters. Play is an essential, natural part of childhood. It promotes effective coping when children are in distress due to new or potentially frightening health care experiences. To contact Child Life Services, call 410-955-6276.
Pediatric Palliative Care
The pediatric palliative care team provides extra support alongside primary medical teams for patients with serious or life-threatening illnesses. The care can begin at any stage of life or in any stage of illness. Team goals are to relieve pain, symptoms and suffering, and to provide the best quality of life for your child and family. This multidisciplinary team can be reached at [email protected] or can be discussed as an option with your primary medical team.
Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Services
Spiritual care and chaplaincy services are available to all patients and their families for emotional and spiritual support, with 24/7 emergency coverage, regardless of your religion. The Bunting Interfaith Chapel is in the arcade on the main level and is open 24/7. To arrange a pastoral visit, ask your nurse or contact the Spiritual Care and Chaplaincy Office in Halsted 144. The office is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The phone number is 410-955-5842.
Family Care Coordinator
Acting as a link between you and the hospital staff, the family care coordinator will connect you with needed resources and help address concerns and resolve any problems. The phone number is 410-955-1821.
Case Manager
A case manager or discharge coordinator is a nurse who is automatically assigned to every patient. They can help you and your child prepare to go home. They can also help with education, equipment, home services and many other needs.
Clinical Customer Service Coordinator
CCSCs welcome and orient families to the unit, create and maintain a positive patient stay, and act as points of contact for patient and family concerns. They round daily with patients and families to make sure the unit is meeting their needs.
Patient Relations
You and your family members have the right to express concerns with your doctor, nurse manager or department manager about the care your child is receiving. You may also contact Patient Relations at 410-955-2273 to speak to one of our patient relations specialists. You are also welcome to place concerns in writing and send them to Patient Relations, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, 1800 Orleans St., Baltimore, MD 21287, or email them to [email protected]. You can also visit our Patient Relations Feedback page.
Ethics Consultation
Advances in medical technology can raise difficult questions about the best treatments for children and adolescents. Such decisions are usually reached by the family, the physician or the child, if he or she is mature enough. When concerns or disagreements arise, consultation with the hospital’s ethics committee may be helpful. A request for a consultation may come from the patient, family member/legal guardian, and/or a health care professional involved in the patient’s care. Call the hospital operator at 410-955-5000 and request the ethics consult service be contacted or page them by calling 410-283- 6104 and enter your phone number for a call back. You can also ask your care provider to place a “secure chat” request to the ethics committee and a committee member will follow up with you.