Meet Your Care Team

Your child’s care team is a compassionate group of health care professionals from several different specialty areas who are dedicated to meeting your child’s individual needs. The team also will provide you with education and training on how to support your child.

As caregiver, you are an important part of your child’s team. You will be encouraged to participate throughout the therapy process. Your involvement will help your child cope emotionally through this journey and will ease the transition home.

Care Coordinator: Care coordinators assess and monitor your child’s needs in preparation to go home. This includes coordinating family education, equipment and supply needs, follow-up care and insurance coverage of services.

Child Life Specialist: Child life specialists bring expertise in child development to help your child and family cope with challenging events related to your child’s injury and hospitalization. Child life specialists use play to provide education about your child’s illness or injury, prepare your child for medical procedures, and provide distraction during procedures to minimize stress and anxiety.

Dietitian: Dietitians specialize in assessing your child’s diet and food preferences and develop a diet plan to provide adequate calories, fluids and nutrition for optimum recovery.

Education Liaison: Education liaisons are the link between your child’s school, your family, and our medical team to help your child continue education while in the hospital when possible and make it easier for your child to go back to school.

Music Therapist: Music therapists use their skills to stimulate your child’s brain functions that control movement, cognition, speech, emotions and the senses. Music therapy may include creating, singing, moving to music and/or listening to music to address your child’s physical, emotional, cognitive and social needs.

Nurse: Nurses are responsible for your child’s care at the bedside and beyond the bedside. They give medication, plan your child’s daily activities, and communicate with the doctors and health care team about your child.

Nurse Assistant: Nurse assistants help the nurses care for your child. They may be called a “tech” (Patient Care Technician) or CNA (certified nursing assistant) and can help clean and bathe your child, assist with bathroom use, and take blood pressure and temperature.

Nurse Practitioner: Nurse practitioners have completed advanced nursing education and are trained in diagnosing, treating, evaluating, and managing illnesses. Nurse practitioners work closely with doctors and other nurses to care for your child.

Occupational Therapist (OT): Occupational therapists help your child live more independently with their spinal cord injury. The OT may work with your child on self-care skills such as dressing, bathing, and eating, as well as other skills.

Pharmacist: Pharmacists are medication experts who help your child get the best results from medications. Pharmacists prepare prescriptions, ensure medicines and doses are correct, prevent harmful drug interactions, and ensure medications are being used safely and appropriately.

Physiatrist: Physiatrists are doctors who specialize in physical medicine and rehabilitation for the brain, spinal cord, nerves, bones, joints, and ligaments. They manage your child’s plan for physical, occupational and speech therapy to improve function.

Physician: Physicians are doctors who provide the overall care in diagnosing, treating, evaluating, and managing your child’s health.

Physical Therapist (PT): Physical therapists assess and treat children who have physical impairments and limitations, including spinal cord injuries. Physical therapists will use exercises, education, and devices to improve your child’s ability to move.

Psychiatrist: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who focus on your child’s mental health. They may prescribe medication for your child to treat any psychological and behavioral disorders, including anxiety or depression, as they go through treatment.

Psychologist: Psychologists are mental health professionals with specialized training in diagnosing and treating psychological and behavioral disorders through psychotherapy and behavioral support. They can help your child and your family children cope with any traumatic events, the spinal cord injury, and the stress of being in the hospital.

Recreational Therapist: Recreation therapists promote wellness and physical and emotional functioning in your child through recreational activities. They provide specialized programming and activities for your child to help them adapt to a “new normal” after their injury and to prepare them to go home.

Respiratory Therapist: Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat various breathing disorders and closely manage patients on ventilators and artificial airway devices. The medical equipment at Ranken Jordan is mobile so respiratory therapists can provide care and treatment to your child anywhere—including outside, in a common dining room, or on the playground.

Restorative Nursing Assistant (RNA): A Restorative nursing assistant provides therapeutic activities established by a therapist. Activities may include standing, positioning, exercise or range of motion.

Social Worker: Social workers serve as your advocate to help you navigate hospitalization, financial needs and transitioning home. Social workers connect families to resources both inside and outside the hospital.

Speech Therapist (ST): Speech therapists specialize in treating oral motor, feeding, and swallowing functions. STs will be involved in your child’s care if the spinal cord injury is impacting your child’s ability to talk, communicate, or eat.

Spiritual Care Team: The spiritual care team is compassionate and respectful of the diversity of the children and families we serve. The team’s role is to help all the children, families and staff at Ranken Jordan find solace, comfort and hope during challenging circumstances.

Therapy Tech: Rehabilitation assistants help physical therapists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists with your child’s care.

Wound Nurse: A wound nurse has specialized training in the treatment and healing of wounds that may occur. Provides education and treatment about wound prevention and wound treatment. Wounds can be from pressure injuries and healing surgical incisions.