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Pediatric Day Hospital

Some care fits into a single day. Our pediatric day hospital cares for kids who need a short procedure, an infusion or lab work, with a team that helps them feel at ease.

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A hospital day is a lot to ask of a child. There's the early alarm, the waiting, the questions they can't quite put into words and the worry you carry for both of you. Much of that fear comes from not knowing what will happen.

At HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital, the pediatric day hospital helps make that unknown feel more manageable. As the area's only pediatric day hospital, we can care for your child close to home instead of traveling to a hospital hours away. 

Child life specialists — staff trained to help kids understand and cope with medical care through play and preparation — are part of the team. They help your child understand what will happen before it starts. The space, pace and language are built for children.

You'll leave knowing what was done, what to watch for at home and who to call.

Care Your Child Can Receive Here

  • Medicine to help your child relax or sleep during a procedure. This is called sedation and is available when your child's care team decides it is medically necessary. 
  • Medicine, fluids or donated blood given slowly through an IV, a small tube placed in a vein. This includes chemotherapy, medicine used to treat cancer. Giving medicine this way is called infusion therapy.
  • Lab tests that take longer than a regular blood draw. This includes catheterization, blood drawn from a tube already placed in a vein, called a central line, and hormone studies, which measure hormone levels in several samples over a few hours.
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Who Will Care for Your Child?

Two kinds of specialists care for your child here.

  • Registered nurses trained in pediatric critical care, meaning they can care for children who are very ill. The nurse placing your child's IV or watching them wake up after sedation knows how to recognize changes early.
  • Child life specialists support your child and family through the visit. They explain a procedure in words your child can understand and offer distraction during a needle poke or other uncomfortable moments.

Schedule Your Child's Visit

Visits are by appointment. Your child's doctor also needs to send a physician's order, which is the written instructions for your child's care.

  • Call 217-757-6122 to schedule a date and time that works for your family.
  • Ask your child's doctor's office to fax the order to 217-757-6179 at least 48 hours before the appointment so the team has time to prepare the right medicines and supplies.
  • If your child gets sick in the 24 hours before the appointment, call 217-757-6122 to reschedule.
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What to Know Before Your Visit

  • Location: Off the lobby at HSHS St. John's Children's Hospital, 800 E. Carpenter St., Springfield, Illinois 62769  |  Map
  • Hours: Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Parking: The 9th Street ramp
  • Entrance: The Children's Hospital lobby, to the left (east) of the ramp
  • Phone: 217-757-6122 

A few things to do ahead of time:

  • Bring what comforts your child. A favorite blanket, stuffed animal or tablet can help.
  • Plan for a daytime visit, not an overnight stay. Most visits start in the morning and end the same day. Ask when you schedule how long your child's visit usually takes.
  • Write down your questions. You can ask the team before, during or after the visit.

Common Questions

No. The day hospital is for care that starts and ends the same day. If your child needs more time or closer monitoring, the team will talk with you before you go home.
Yes. Up to two adults may stay with your child during their treatment. Other than the patient, no children under 18 may stay in the room. Accompanying adults cannot stay in the room during sedation services. 
Yes. A physician's order is the written instructions for your child's care. Your child's doctor faxes it to the team at least 48 hours before the appointment.
Sedation is medicine that helps your child stay calm, still or asleep during a procedure.

Like any medicine, it carries some risk, so our pediatric team takes steps to keep your child safe from start to finish.
Before the procedure, they review your child's health history to choose the right medicine and dose. During sedation, they watch your child's breathing, heart rate and oxygen levels the whole time.

Your child stays with us until they're awake and ready to go home.

The team will explain what to expect before and after, including how your child may feel as the medicine wears off.