Cardiovascular Services
The Pediatric Cardiovascular Center at Wolfson Children's Hospital has a team of doctors, nurses, and other health professionals who are specially trained to diagnose and treat infants, children, and young adults with congenital and acquired heart disease. As a joint venture of Wolfson Children's Hospital and the University of Florida (Shands), our highly skilled team includes specialists in interventional cardiac catheterization to correct many forms of congenital heart disease without surgery. These procedures include balloon angioplasties, catheter closure of congenital heart defects, and stenting of blocked arteries and veins.

Childhood Cancer Program
Our childhood cancer program is known throughout the region. Pediatric hematology and oncology physicians see patients with any form of childhood cancer, including:

• leukemia
• central nervous system cancers
• bone tumors
• Hodgkin's disease
• lymphoma

Treatment options include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. Patients whose cancer has not responded to these therapies may be candidates for our Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant program, a partnership with Nemours Children's Clinic and Mayo Clinic Jacksonville. The oncology unit also treats patients with blood disorders, such as sickle-cell anemia, aplastic anemia and ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura).

Diabetes Center
When a patient in Wolfsons Children's Hospital is diagnosed with either diabetes or pre-diabetes (i.e., blood glucose levels that are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes), the Pediatric Diabetes Center staff begins the education process with the patient and family. Initial education during the hospital stay includes survival skills such as blood sugar testing, administration of insulin shots and meal planning. The Pediatric Center nurse and dietitian accompany the physician on rounds at the hospital so the team of patient, family and medical staff can coordinate treatment and education.

Emergency Services
The Children's Emergency Center only serves patients who are under 18 years of age. When a child enters the Emergency Center, a pediatric triage nurse evaluates him or her. When the patient's condition warrants hospitalization, the child can be admitted directly from the Children's Emergency Center into Wolfson Children's Hospital.

Within the Children's Emergency Center is the Fast Track area which specializes in the care of urgent (non-life threatening) conditions. This specialization matches the patient to pediatricians, staff and facilities geared to test, diagnose, and treat these types of conditions.

Heart and Lung
This incredible machine with its long name, Extracorpeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO), takes over the work of the heart and lungs of critically ill and surgical patients. With it onsite at Wolfson, patients no longer need to be transported to facilities hours away from home and family. This is one of only eight ECMO programs in the state.

After a procedure to insert a catheter into an artery, blood is circulated by ECMO. The machine is able to enrich the blood with oxygen, and then acting as a "heart" it warms and returns the blood to the patient's body. It may also substitute for the function of the lungs. This bypass function allows the body's natural healing process to work more efficiently, and can be used for days instead of the hours offered by traditional heart-lung bypass support.

Imaging
Wolfson radiologists using the latest imaging system - GEHealthcare LightSpeed®VCR 64-slice CT scanner - can capture a beating heart within five beats, an organ in a second or a full body scan in 10 seconds. This means children are more comfortable and doctors are provided faster information on a child's injury or illness. Since the scan is performed quicker child have to undergo little if any sedation, and the enhanced image provides more information than conventional multi-slice scanners. The final results are 64-high resolution images as thin as a credit card that can be combined to form a three-dimensional view of patients. This technology advancement has allowed for new and enhanced diagnostic procedures.

Kids Kare Mobile ICU
Kids Kare, the specialized transport team for Wolfson Children's Hospital, provides services for children and their families in Northeast Florida and South Georgia. The team uses a specially-equipped ambulance to transport critically ill newborns and pediatric patients with cardiovascular or medical/surgical emergencies, bringing them to Wolfson's Level three (highest level) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Pediatric Unit for specialized services, or Pediatric Emergency Center.

Neurodiagnostic Services
The Brunell Family Children's Neurodiagnostic Center has five neurophysiology beds and digital EEG equipment for monitoring children who have epilepsy and other seizure disorders. More than 1,000 local children have been diagnosed as having seizure disorders, and many of those children have been treated or diagnosed at Wolfson.

In 2004, we also began offering the ERG (Electroretinogram) which is a diagnostic test that records the eye's electrical response to a flash of light by measuring the function of the cells in the retina. This test provides information about the function of the rods and cones in the retina (the back of the eye) both in the dark and light.

Newborn Intensive Care Unit
The Newborn Intensive Care Unit cares for newborns who are born prematurely or who are born with serious disorders and dysfunctions or critical illnesses. The unit's three parenting rooms provide family supportive care and serve as teaching areas to educate parents about specialized care techniques that can be used when they return home with their babies.

Pediatric Dialysis Unit
The Pediatric Dialysis Unit (four beds) offers care to the child in acute, as well as chronic kidney failure. Hemo or peritoneal dialysis treatment is provided to chronically ill children with End Stage Renal Desease (ESRD). Peritoneal dialysis instruction is given to the patient and an adult family member by registered nurses, who provide 24-hour support for the families.

Pulmonary Services
Pulmonary services are provided for the smallest (neonatal) patients through teenagers. The Sleep Disorders Center staff uses specialized monitors to evaluate sleep patterns.

Rehabilitation Services
Children's Rehabilitation Services offers comprehensive outpatient and inpatient services to children, including:

Outpatient therapy services are conveniently located at clinics in downtown Jacksonville, the Beaches, Mandarin, and in Orange Park. Call our central registration office at to schedule an appointment.

• Children receiving whirlpool treatments should report to 2 East - Main building at Baptist Medical Center.
• Children who need swallow studies should report to Wolfson Children's Hospital's Radiology Department.

Spiritual Offerings
Wolfson Pastoral Care Program provides trained and caring chaplains 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering comfort, support and guidance to children and families facing difficult challenges. The Godly Play children's program presents interfaith and interactive spiritual growth opportunities to children at bedside or in group settings. Children's Chapel is held weekly, and a chaplain is always available through the GetWell Network or by dialing the hospital operator.

Pediatric Education Family Resource Library
Our Pediatric Education Resource Library has brochures and videotapes that cover a number of children's health topics. The library is on the hospital's first floor, in the hallway behind the Rainbow Deli restaurant. We encourage parents to use the library's computers, which have Internet access, to conduct searches for medical information about their child's condition.