The beginning of Children's Memorial's HIV program
Children's
Memorial Hospital began treating HIV-infected pediatric patients in 1984
under the direction of two pediatric infectious disease specialists, Drs. Ram Yogev and Ellen Gould Chadwick. Children's Memorial formally
established a multidisciplinary HIV program in 1987.
Within three years, the HIV-affected patient population
dramatically increased from 10 to 90 patients. By 1989, the program began to provide
treatment for mothers at the clinic; this was designed to meet the
needs of women who were
often sacrificing their own health
by missing their appointments simply because they did not have the energy to make
two sets of visits. More than 3,500 children and 620 families have been
served by the program since 1987. Today the clinic cares for more than 250
children and adolescents from all over Chicago and vicinity.
The team of professionals
Exceptional HIV/AIDS health care services are provided by the following team
members:
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Doctors specializing in HIV and AIDS and other infectious diseases (such
as sexually transmitted diseases [STDs] )
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Adolescent specialists Rob Garofalo, MD, and Jennifer Kershaw, advanced
practice nurse
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A Child Life specialist helps the children feel more comfortable while
receiving medical care by using play and art activities.
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A nutritionist helps patients and their families with their special
nutritional needs.
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A speech therapist provides treatment for children with
language/communication delays or suck/swallowing dysfunction.
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A physical/occupational therapist helps with motor difficulties.
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A developmental specialist assists families with emotional or behavioral
concerns and tracks how the disease affects the development of brain in
children and adolescents.
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A special phlebotomist obtains blood samples for needed tests and starts
patients IVs.
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A dedicated passenger van and van driver to assist patients in need of
transportation to clinic or to take staff on home visits. This is available
for Chicago and all nine of its surrounding counties.
Bi-lingual staff members are available to serve Spanish-speaking families.
Translation services for every language are available through the hospital.
Additionally, the team collaborates with other HIV services available in the
community and makes referrals as needed.
Advanced
laboratories
The program has an on-site laboratory certified in various HIV
tests from which we can obtain tests faster than any other institution in the
Chicago area. Our lab has become one of the top rated pediatric
HIV/AIDS labs in the country.
In fact, the
advanced on-site lab at Children's Memorial provides pediatric HIV testing for
Cook County Hospital, the University of Chicago, Loyola University Medical Center, Lutheran General Hospital, Mt.
Sinai Hospital and other
institutions.