Newborn Specialists at The Children's Hospital

Below is a brief description of your baby’s healthcare team in the Newborn Center at The Children's Hospital. A variety of these professionals may be involved with your baby’s care.

• Case Managers are registered nurses who work closely with your insurance provider and the Newborn Center staff to help guide questions you may have regarding insurance issues and to keep your insurance carrier informed of your baby’s progress. They also assist the healthcare team with discharge planning.
• Chaplains are non-denominational and are available to patients and family for counseling and spiritual support. They can also baptize your child, if requested. Your clergy is also welcome to visit at any time. A chaplain is on call 24 hours a day. Their phone number is (720) 777-6325.
• Clinical Assistants (CA’s) are support staff who provide clinical assistance in the Newborn Center under nursing supervision.
• Clinical Coordinators or Charge Nurses are registered nurses responsible for supervision and coordination of the nursing activities in the unit.
• Clinical Director is the registered nurse who has the responsibility and accountability for the overall administration of the Newborn Center.
• Clinical Nurses are registered nurses who provide continuous care for your baby. These nurses have been specially trained in the care of critically ill newborns. Your baby may have a primary team of nurses who are responsible for coordinating your baby’s nursing care from admission through discharge. During your baby’s stay, several different nurses will also be involved in the care of your baby.
• Clinical Social Workers are specially trained to assist families to cope with the issues of having a sick infant. They can help with concerns about your infant, coping with the hospital environment, finances, housing, transportation and care for your infant at home.
• Clinical Technicians (CT’s) are support staff who provide supplies and equipment and help maintain a clean, safe environment in the Newborn Center.
• Community Resource Consultants help families and Newborn Center staff access community resources.
• Developmental Specialists are registered nurses who work with families and clinical nurses to assess and implement an individual plan of care to support your baby’s developmental needs. This may include assessing oral feeding readiness, developing a feeding plan, assessing motor tone and developing a plan to enhance self-calming skills.
• Lactation Specialists are registered nurses who work with mothers and clinical nurses to support your goal to provide breast milk for your baby. They can assist you with pumping, obtaining the right equipment and transitioning to breastfeeding.
• Neonatal Nurse Practitioners (NNP) are experienced registered nurses who have undergone advanced training to provide care to critically ill newborns.
• Neonatology Attending Physicians are the medical doctors that will supervise and direct the medical care of your baby and will communicate with you throughout your baby’s hospitalization. Staff neonatologists (pediatricians who specialize in the care of critically ill newborns) are your baby’s primary doctors in the hospital. These doctors are members of the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (UCHSC) faculty. There is a neonatologist present in the hospital at all times. In some cases, doctors other than the neonatologist will coordinate your baby’s care.
• Neonatology Fellows are pediatricians who are completing extra training in neonatal medicine.
• Newborn Center Volunteers are specially trained volunteers that spend time with babies and their families. Some are trained to hold and comfort your baby, others are available as Patient Representatives to listen to your concerns and help communicate them to staff members. These volunteers are available upon your request or at the request of a Newborn Center staff member.
• Occupational Therapists (OT) help with your baby’soral motor development and assessing oralfeeding skills, .
• Pediatric Resident Physicians are medical doctors receiving their specialty training in pediatrics. Residents are fully supervised by attending doctors and neonatal-perinatal fellows.
• Pediatric Sub-Specialists are medical and/or surgical doctors with training in additional specialties, who may consult and participate in the care of your baby (e.g. Surgeons, Cardiologists, Radiologists).
• Physical Therapists (PT) help with your baby’s development, especially regarding movement, strength, muscle tone and positioning.
• Primary Care Physician (PCP) is the doctor you choose to coordinate your baby’s overall healthcare needs.
• Respiratory Therapists (RT) have specialized training in the care of babies with breathing problems.
• Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) help your baby’s development of communication, feeding and swallowing skills, including strategies in play and social development.
• Unit Secretaries are support staff who provide clerical assistance