Complex Care Inpatient

Complex Care Inpatient

If your child has a complex medical need or existing chronic condition and requires a hospital stay for an unrelated procedure or ailment, he or she will need comprehensive and coordinated care—otherwise known as complex care inpatient.

A complex care inpatient team manages inpatient care for children with spasticity and movement disorders, myelomeningocele, feeding problems, Down syndrome and other chronic conditions, including neurodevelopmental disorders. Children who need this care may be in the hospital for a surgery, such as an orthopedic or urological procedure, or for an illness like pneumonia. Some children who require complex care inpatient services are dependent on certain medical technologies such as a G-tube or tracheostomy.

At Riley at IU Health, your child's complex care inpatient team will include developmental pediatric physicians, Child Life specialists, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, medical residents and medical students. Led by a developmental pediatric physician, the team collaborates to provide the best care for your child’s specific condition.

The complex care inpatient team is highly knowledgeable and able to incorporate your child’s special needs with the care required for his or her inpatient stay. The team will work with you and your family to make sure your child's primary care doctor and specialty doctors are aware of his or her hospitalization and any ongoing care he or she needs after discharge. The complex care inpatient approach allows healthcare providers to collaborate as they individualize and streamline your child’s care plan.

What to Expect

You can expect a high level of care when your child is admitted to the hospital for a reason unrelated to his or her existing complex medical condition. Complex care inpatient specialists work in the same way hospitalists (doctors who focus completely on the care of inpatients) do, with a targeted approach to the needs of your child’s specific disorder.

If needed, your child’s doctor can contact our 24/7 transport services at 877.44.RILEY for special assistance with transporting your child to the hospital for admission.

In addition to the care and management of your child’s health, the complex care inpatient service also provides:

  • Communication. Developmental pediatricians talk and share your child's care plans with family caregivers, his or her primary care doctor, home care teams and school staff to support medical and developmental needs.
  • Connections. The complex care inpatient team assists families in connecting with a wide variety of community resources that can improve your child’s quality of life, including in-school support, home care assistance, state and local agencies and other families.
  • Continuity of care. The complex care inpatient doctor serves as a central point of contact among your child’s other healthcare providers from inpatient and outpatient settings.
  • Support. The goal of the complex care inpatient team is to provide the best care for your child and to support your family in any way necessary to ensure continuity of care. The doctors, Child Life specialists, social workers and other team members work closely with you to offer the most comprehensive solutions for your child’s medical and developmental needs.

Key Points to Remember

  • The complex care inpatient service provides individualized care for children with existing medical needs or chronic conditions when they are admitted to the hospital for a procedure or illness.
  • A complex care inpatient developmental pediatrician works in the same way a hospitalist does and is focused on the complete care of the child admitted to the hospital.
  • The complex care inpatient team uses a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach and includes developmental pediatric physicians, Child Life specialists, pharmacists, dietitians, social workers, medical residents and medical students.
  • The complex care inpatient doctor ensures that everyone involved in a child’s care receives the most up-to-date information about his or her needs, including primary care doctors and home care teams, school personnel and other specialists.
  • The complex care inpatient team also acts as a resource for patient families, connecting them to community resources to improve a child’s quality of life.

Locations

Locations

In addition to our primary hospital location at the Academic Health Center in Indianapolis, IN, we have convenient locations to better serve our communities throughout the state.

Related Conditions & Departments

Conditions

Departments