Question:

Answer:

• Medications used at home – please bring all medications currently used at home. Please bring medications in their original containers. Also bring any other herbs, vitamins or nutritional supplements you are using. Any medications prescribed by a physician at Shriners Hospitals for Children® while a child is in the hospital will be provided.
• Appliances or other aids – bring crutches, walkers, braces, prosthetics, special shoes or any other medical appliances. Even if your child has outgrown them please bring the most recently used devices.
• Applicable legal documents – if applicable, bring any legal documents pertaining to custody, divorce, separation, adoption or name change of a parent or child.
• Immunization records – please bring an up-to-date record of your child’s immunizations. Your child may also require additional immunizations prior to arrival, depending on his or her age and state requirements. Please call our Applications Department at 800-850-2960 for more information about immunization requirements.
• Insurance or state aid information – when possible and covered by insurance or state aid, Shriners Hospitals for Children will bill your insurance/state aid provider for services provided for your child. In addition, if your child needs diagnostic testing, consult services and/or equipment not provided by Shriners Hospitals for Children, we will use outside resources or facilities. Those resources/hospitals will request that your insurance/state aid provider be contacted to assist in the payment of these expenses and the hospital will contact them for payment authorization. It is important to note that if your child is medically qualified to receive treatment from Shriners Hospitals for Children that care will be provided regardless of whether you have insurance/state aid, or your ability to pay.
• Comfort items from home – to help your child feel more comfortable and secure you may want to bring a favorite toy, blanket or other item from home. Please label this item with your child’s name and we will send it with your child into the operating room. If your child uses a special nurser, cup or formula please bring that as well.
• Personal care items – patients are supplied with a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush and deodorant, but you are welcome to bring your own items, as well as any other personal care/grooming items you or your child prefer.
• Items for parents – Parents are welcome to stay in the room with their child during their stay and should bring personal toiletries, money for meals, a cell phone or calling card, and any reading materials or crafts you may enjoy. There is no gift shop in the hospital for supplies, but there are grocery stores and drug stores near the hospital.
• Primary care physician information – bring the name, address and phone number of your child’s primary care physician and any other care provider who needs a treatment report.
• A 24-hour supply of special food or medical equipment – the hospital will supply such needs after that period.
• A list of any allergies – this includes food, medication and materials such as latex.
• Money for medicine for when your child goes home – the hospital cannot fill any prescriptions and you may need to stop at a drugstore to fill a prescription prior to going home.