Pediatric physiatrists specialize in the rehabilitation care and medical management of children with brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, neuromuscular disorders, and an array of musculoskeletal conditions. Our physiatrists understand how cognitive and physical disabilities affect growth and development. They incorporate this knowledge to work with patients and their families to develop and direct individualized treatment programs. When the time arrives our physicians provide strong continuity of care as patients transition to adult services.
At Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC pediatric physiatrists see patients in both the outpatient setting and inpatient consultative setting at the Children's Hospital Rehabilitation Unit. Our physicians also participate on the Benedum Trauma team and conduct a weekly clinic at Easter Seals West Virginia in Wheeling, a community-based clinic serving children and youth with a variety of disabilities.
The physicians and nurse practitioners provide evaluation and care to patients in our rehabilitation clinics, Cerebral Palsy and Related Disorders Clinic, and the Spina Bifida Clinic, and regional outreach clinics.
The division's comprehensive multidisciplinary teams can include:
- Certified Registered Nurse Practitioners (CRNP)
- Nursing
- Social workers and case workers
- Physical therapists
- Occupational therapists
- Speech and language therapist
- Neurologists and neurosurgeons
- Orthopaedic surgeons
- Nutritionists
Other common conditions pediatric physiatrists treat are:
- Cerebral palsy
- Spina bifida
- Limb deficiencies
- Gait abnormalities
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Branchial plexus palsy
The Pediatric Neuropsychology Program at the UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) provides a variety of inpatient and outpatient clinical services. On the outpatient side, we service the entire Children’s Hospital, offering comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations to children with complex medical conditions that affect cognition. We work with children who have experienced brain injury, stroke, seizures/epilepsy, cerebral palsy, prematurity, spina bifida, congenital heart disease, brain tumors, solid tumors, leukemia and lymphoma, toxin exposure, genetic disorders, and transplants. We also participate in CHP’s multidisciplinary Acquired Brain Injury Clinic by providing screening services, as well as ongoing management for neurocognitive sequelae. We support the ENT/Audiology Division with pre- and post-cochlear implant evaluations and screenings for more comprehensive assessment needs. Additionally, we offer streamlined baseline assessments for children newly diagnosed with brain tumors. We also provide clinical services on the 8-bed inpatient Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Unit (CHRU). As part of this transdisciplinary team, we provide psychoeducation, school planning, treatment planning, and brief inpatient assessment for children and their families.