Your clinic visit begins when you check in at the Patient Registration desk. Your child will get an identification (ID) armband. The armband must remain on your child while in the hospital.
You will get a schedule card that lists the areas your child needs to visit that day. You can also see your schedule in the Our St. Jude patient app or in St. Jude MyChart. The app provides reminders and notifications of schedule changes.
Your first visit may take longer than usual as St. Jude staff gather necessary information from you.
The usual steps of your day are:
- Patient Registration
- Pre-Clinical Assessment (also known as Assessment and Triage)
- Clinic check-in with patient representative
- Check-up by a member of your clinical team
- Treatment
Other steps may include:
- Special testing, such as x-rays, CT, or MRI. The tests are different for each child. The staff will explain all tests to you. Test results are needed to be sure of your child’s diagnosis (disease or condition). The tests also help decide what treatments your child will need. If you have questions, please ask.
- Meeting with a psychologist, social worker, chaplain, or child life specialist
- School lessons in a hospital classroom
- Food and nutrition counseling
- Dental or other specialty clinic visit
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, or speech-language therapy
Patient Representative
Before each outpatient visit, including your child’s first, you will check in with a patient representative. In turn, this staff member will alert the proper clinic that you have arrived. Patient representatives are located in every clinic and at each of the waiting area reception desks. These staff members offer customer service for all outpatients and their guests. Your patient representative can be a great source of information about your visit to St. Jude.