FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES

Child Life

Play is an important part of every child's life. It's how they learn, cope and experience the world. Child life specialists make play an integral part of every child's health care experience and recognize that hospitalized children and their families have special needs.

For more information, please call (210) 575-7399.

Case Management

This department is staffed by registered nurses and licensed master's-level social workers. Each unit at Methodist Children's Hospital is assigned a case manager who follows patients from admission to discharge.

Their services include:

• Arrangements for home health nurse visits
• Lodging
• Arrangements for home care equipment
• Referrals to outside agencies

For more information, please call (210) 575-4543.

Pastoral Care

At Methodist Children's Hospital, the Methodist tradition of providing ecumenical, non-denominational pastoral care is an integral part of the care we provide to our patients and their families.

Chaplains with experience and interest in pediatric patients provide the following services:

• Worship: Catholic, daily; Protestant, weekly
  Pre-surgery pastoral care for children and families
• Pastoral care visitation for children and families
• Staff consultation for child care and family management
• Bereavement services
• Perinatal Bereavement Program
• Pediatric Bereavement Program
• Books and toys designed to nurture the spiritual growth of children and their families
• Consultation for discharge planning
• Crisis intervention
• Outpatient psychotherapy for patients and families through the Center for Counseling and Wellness

Call-A-Nurse for Children

Call-A-Nurse for Children provides answers to non-emergency medical questions.

Kids' Express

Kids Express is designed to help you and your family understand the hospital and what goes on inside, and to help make sure you feel comfortable while you are here. If you ever have to come to the hospital for simple procedures (like having a blood test), or to feel better by getting a breathing treatment, Kids Express is the place you will visit.��

Young Heroes' Club

The Methodist Young Heroes' Club® is a fun program full of activities designed for children up to age 10 who live in the San Antonio and South Texas area. For more information and to sign up, click here.

Room Above the Clouds

A special room at Methodist Children's Hospital is dedicated to helping parents survive one of the most tragic experiences - the loss of a child. The Room Above the Clouds provides a supportive environment for parents and families as they say good-bye to a terminally-ill child. The Palliative Care Team includes child life specialists, pediatric social workers, specially-trained staff members and chaplains and help guide the family through this difficult process

Additional family support resources are available through the Methodist Resource Center.

Financial Counseling

Patient Financial Resource
Charity Care Mission
Methodist Healthcare provides care to patients without financial means to pay for hospital services. Charity care will be provided to all patients who present themselves for care at any Methodist Healthcare facility in San Antonio without regard to race, creed, color or national origin and who are classified as financially or medically indigent.