The Child Life Department at Oishei Children's Hospital works to reduce fear and anxiety in order to improve the patient experience and bring about better health outcomes.
A friendly face in a time of uncertainty
The mission of the Child Life Department is to provide support, facilitate coping, minimize emotional trauma and encourage normal growth for infants, children and adolescents who are hospitalized. The department’s goal is to promote positive hospitalization for children and their families. Child Life specialists help children and their families cope with the fear and anxiety that can accompany medical encounters.
From pre-admission orientation to pre-procedural preparation and education, to planning and implementing approved therapeutic interventions, and even providing bereavement care when needed, the child life specialist serves as an advocate for children and their families throughout their hospital stay.
“Child Life specialists work as part of a multidisciplinary team to offer psychosocial support to pediatric patients and their families,” said Director of Family Support Services, McKenzie Mattison. “They teach children about their diagnosis through medical play, procedural teaching and accompaniment, bereavement support, and facilitating entertainment groups, among other activities.”
Oishei Children’s Hospital team of eight Child Life Specialists are certified through the National Association of Child Life Professionals, a process which includes an internship, experience in a healthcare or child care setting, training in death, dying and bereavement, and passing a certification exam.
“We have an amazing team who work hard to support our kids and families, and help children heal through play,” said Mattison.
Team members will be celebrating Child Life Month in March with a fun staff activity on their assigned units.
Photos (top to bottom): Family Services Manager McKenzie Mattison; some team members; patient artwork.
Facts & figures
Location: 5th Floor, Room J-0518, Oishei Children’s Hospital, 818 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY 14203.
Hours: Sunday-Saturday, 8:30 a.m. – 12 a.m.
Patient populations: Pediatric Intensive Care Unit; Radiology; Hematology/Oncology; Emergency Department; Medical/Surgical; Pre-operative/OR/Radiology; Long-Term Monitoring; PICU; NICU – consult.
Patient volume: approximately 25,000 patients per year at OCH.
Core staffing: 8 Child Life specialists; 2 ED specialists (evenings, 7-days-per-week coverage); 2 Med/Surg; 1 each Radiology, Hem/Onc/LTM, PICU (days); Same-Day Surgery.
Employees’ combined years of service: 110 total years of experience in the department.
Opportunities: Child Life is always on the lookout for opportunities to engage the community from a donor perspective to enhance the services that they are providing to patients and families. Always striving to achieve optimal family intervention and increase the impact of services provided.