Preparing for your appointment
The timeline provided here is designed to give you an overview of what will
happen as you prepare for your child's procedure. If you have specific questions
not addressed here or in our guide Countdown to Your
Visit, talk to your child's doctor and nurse.
30 to 5 days before...
Scheduling:
Your surgeon's or physician's office
will schedule your child's procedure days or months ahead of time.
Nurse pre-screening phone call: You
will receive a call from a Surgical Services pre-screening nurse who will verify
your child's information and current health conditions. If necessary, the nurse
will complete specific pre-anesthesia documents to review with an
anesthesiologist and confirm any additional information that will be needed
prior to your child's procedure.
History and physical exam: Your child
will need a medical history and physical exam completed by a licensed healthcare
professional (usually your pediatrician) before the procedure.
Laboratory tests: Your surgeon
(or physician who has referred your child for a procedure) may tell you that
your child needs a laboratory test or blood work before the procedure. The tests
may be done at any Children's Memorial location or at your child's primary
care/pediatrician's office. If you are not sure if your child needs lab
tests or you did not receive a form for your child's labs, call the surgeon's or
physician's office who referred your child for the procedure.
If your child has tests done by his or her own primary care physician or
pediatrician, please ask the physician's office to fax the results to the
location where your child is having surgery, or bring the results with you on
the day of surgery:
- Lincoln Park; 773.880.6633 (for fax problems, call 773.880.4394)
- Glenview — please do not fax; bring a copy of
the results with you the day of surgery
- Westchester; 708.836.4907 (for fax problems, call 708.836.4853)
Obtain a letter from your child's doctor: If your child has an ongoing (chronic)
condition such as asthma or a heart, neurological, kidney or liver condition,
your child's doctor who cares for his/her condition will need to provide a
written assessment of your child's current condition and specific
recommendations. Ask your child's primary care physician's office to fax it to
the location of your child's surgery. See fax numbers above for your
location.
Gather insurance information:
Some insurance carriers
require the insured to call for pre-certification before a procedure. Please
call the number on the back of your insurance card to check your insurer's
requirements. If you are not sure or do not know your child's insurance
benefits, please contact your own insurance representative or one of the
following:
- Lincoln Park: Business Associate; 773.880.4273; 6:30
a.m.–5 p.m.; M–F
- Glenview: Central Registration; 847.657.5626; 7
a.m.–6 p.m.; M–F
- Westchester: Registrar; 708.836.4803; 7 a.m.–5 p.m.; M–F