UCLA Health System is passionate about making a difference in the lives of children, and helping to shape future generations. Serving more than 6,000 inpatients and 100,000 outpatients annually, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA is one of the world's preeminent institutions for pediatric research, teaching and care. In U.S. News & World Report's 2010-2011 edition of America's Best Children's Hospitals, Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA was recognized in nine out of ten categories. Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center and Orthopaedic Hospital significantly expanded its services to pediatric patients with the addition of a 15-bed general pediatrics unit. This addition, along with our 16-bassinet Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) equipped to treat a broad range of infants, allows us to make a lasting impact on the newest lives.
The Level 3 NICU specialized unit provides in-patient care to neonates and infants requiring intensive nursing and/or medical observation. Patients require interventions that include intubation, mechanical ventilation, ECMO, nitric oxide administration, indwelling arterial monitoring, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, titration of vasoactive medications, chest tube placement and management, blood/blood products transfusions, cerebral hypothermic (cool cap) management, pacemakers, pain management, and sedation. The NICU team comprised of a physician, nurse, and respiratory therapist attends all high-risk deliveries. We ensure our patients' families receive extensive education and emotional support.
The highly-skilled nurses on this unit provide care to critically ill and injured children from newborn to age 21, with an average patient age of 6 years old. Included are patients with diagnoses of cardiac diseases, liver failure, neurological diseases, sepsis, respiratory failure, hematology/oncology diseases, those undergoing liver, small bowel, pancreas, and renal transplantation, as well as the following surgeries ASD, VSD, Arterial Switch, Unifocalization, Glenn Shunt, Fontan, Central Shunt, Truncus Repair, and heart transplant. In addition, this unit cares for patients on ECMO and Ventricular Assist Devices.
Pediatrics is a multi-specialty service that provides caring and compassionate care to their young patients. The patients require comprehensive, specialized, age-specific care that necessitates close observation, frequent nursing assessment and ancillary service involvement. Scope of pediatric subspecialty services include allergy/immunology, cardiology, cardiac surgery, endocrinology, gastroenterology, genetics, hematology/oncology, Infectious Disease, Nephrology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Opthalmology, Orthopedics, Otolaryngology, Pain Management, Plastic/Reconstructive Surgery, Pulmonology, Rheumatology, Solid Organ Transplant Services (Heart, Liver, Small Bowel, Kidney), and Urology.
The Level 2 NICU provides in-patient care to neonates with less than 35 weeks gestation who require intensive nursing and/or medical observation. Frequent interventions include umbilical or other central line placement, ventilatory support, surfactant replacement therapy, fluid and electrolyte management, nutritional management and developmental care. Available interdisciplinary services are Neonatology, Cardiology, General Pediatric Surgery, Ophthalmology, Neurology, Social Services, Occupational Therapist, Registered Dietician, Lactation Consultation, and Case Manager.
Pediatrics is a multi-specialty service providing family-centered quality care to the infant, toddler, child and adolescent patient requiring acute medical and surgical care. The patients require comprehensive, specialized, age-specific care that necessitates close observation, frequent nursing assessment and ancillary service involvement. The ages of our patients range from newborn to 21 years, with the exception of the Pediatric Oncology patients under the UCLA Teen & Young Adult (TYA) program, which covers ages 13-25 years old. The patients have a variety of chronic and acute medical and surgical diagnoses. Patients in Pediatrics may require 1:2, 1:3, or 1:4 nurse to patient ratio. Patients may require skilled nursing interventions that include: central line care, tracheostomy care, chest tube management, transfusion of blood products and chemotherapy, wound and drain care, ostomy care, gastrostomy care, parenteral and enteral feeding.
Within 6NW there are four Pediatric Intermediate Care beds. Pediatric Intermediate Care a multi-specialty service providing family-centered quality care to the infant, toddler, child and adolescent patient requiring intensive medical and surgical care. The patients require comprehensive, specialized, age-specific care that necessitates close observation, frequent nursing assessment and ancillary service involvement. The ages of the patients range from newborn to 21 years. The type of care provided includes patients with disease processes such as fractures and other surgical orthopedic conditions, cardiac disease, endocrine/metabolic, hematology/oncology, sarcoma patients requiring surgery, neurological diseases, asthma and other respiratory conditions, seizure disorder, hyperbilirubinemia, pain management, hydration and nutritional management, sepsis, and other conditions.
