Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplant ProgramBMT Home The BMT Our Team • The Doctors • Contact Us Specific Treatment Options Coming for a BMT Laboratory Research Virtual Tour Information Booklets Glossary |
Our Team
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| Members of the BMT team in clinical conference |
Our team is made up of doctors, nurses, social workers, child life specialists, pharmacists, and nutritionists. Together, we strive to provide the best care possible for our patients and their families.
The attending physiciansThe BMT attending physician is a full-time member of the Pediatric Faculty
with special training in Immunology, Hematology, or Oncology, plus a special interest in bone
marrow transplantation. There are five attending
physicians who share overall responsibility for
the patients in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit. Pediatric BMT residents and fellows
The pediatric residents,
who are doctors training to become pediatricians, work with the attending
physicians to care for the transplant patients. The BMT fellows are
pediatricians who are training to become specialists in
Immunology, Hematology or Oncology. The attending physician changes every 2
weeks, while the residents and fellows change each month so that during
the hospitalization for the transplant it is likely that you will get to know many members of
the physician team. Other physicians who are specialists in a particular area,
for example, infectious disease, dermatology (skin), and gastrointestinal (stomach
and intestines) may be asked to consult.
The nursesThe BMT clinical nurse specialist and the BMT nurse coordinator are
involved in many aspects of the BMT patient's preparation for transplant and
treatment in the hospital. This includes the pre-transplant evaluation and
teaching, hospitalization and post-transplant care, and outpatient follow-up.
They work closely with the nursing staff and transplant physicians. The clinical
nurse specialist also coordinates the Peripheral Blood Stem Cell
Program and the Unrelated Marrow Donor Program.
The nursing staff members in the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit are
experienced in caring for the special needs of bone marrow transplant patients.
The primary nurse team is composed of nurses who are identified for each
patient. These nurses, along with other members of the health care team, are responsible
for planning care for that patient. The primary nurse team and other staff nurses
are responsible for direct nursing care on a daily basis. While members of the
primary nurse team often will care for "their" patient, due to
staffing requirements (and 12 hour shifts), it is impossible for this to occur
all of the time. You and your family will get to know many of the nursing staff
in the BMT Unit during the hospitalization. The Nurse Manager for
7Long Pediatrics is responsible for the nurses in the BMT Unit and on 7Long
Oncology and Rehabilitation. She is available if there are any concerns or
questions that may arise regarding the care of your child. The social workerThe average hospital stay for a bone marrow transplant patient is two months.
The social worker helps families develop strategies to minimize the
disruption that this extended hospitalization causes. This includes providing
counseling for all family members about coping with the stresses of bone marrow
transplantation. The social worker can also provide information regarding
lodging, transportation, and other community resources that may be helpful. The dieticianSince foods need special preparation to minimize bacteria, the dietician
monitors and assesses the daily diet. Some foods (i.e., raw fruits and
vegetables) must be temporarily eliminated from the diet. The nutritionist helps
plan the diet in the hospital as well as at home during the early
post-transplant period. The child life specialistChild life specialists help children of all ages cope with
hospitalization. They provide activities and projects during the hospitalization
with emphasis on normalizing life in the hospital. They offer emotional support
and encourage patients to express their feelings through play. The child life
specialist will meet with the sibling donor prior to hospitalization in order to
help prepare him or her for the hospital stay and the marrow harvest. The pharmacistPharmacists assist the health care team in administering and
monitoring the effects of the various drugs that are used during and after
hospitalization. They also provide teaching and follow-up consultation regarding
the patient’s discharge medication schedule. The teacherThe teacher coordinates a study program during hospitalization and
regularly comes to the transplant room to work in various areas of study. After
discharge from the hospital we recommend home tutoring for at least the first 6
months post-transplant or until the child can return to school. The search coordinatorThe search coordinator is responsible for coordinating the
Unrelated Donor Program searches for both volunteer bone marrow donors and
umbilical cord blood units. The financial counselorThe financial counselor is the contact person for any
insurance/financial questions regarding the unrelated donor search and/or BMT. Laboratory personnelThe laboratory personnel consist of staff research associates who process
and prepare bone marrow stem cells for transplantation, and postdoctoral fellows and research faculty who
focus on specific research projects which ultimately will advance the field of knowledge about transplantation. Other support staffThere are many other professionals who are members of the health care
team and who will be involved as needed. They include respiratory therapists,
lab technicians, chaplains, psychiatrists, physical therapists
and others. |
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