Pediatric Complex Care Clinic

How do new patients schedule an appointment with the Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic?

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic does not require a referral. If you think your child or teen would benefit from being seen in a complex care clinic, you can schedule an appointment by calling 504-703-2559 or 504-842-3900. When you call, a member of the Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic team will view your child’s medical chart before scheduling the appointment to ensure your child is eligible.

How do current patients schedule an appointment with the Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic?

Current patients and their families can call the Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic at 504-703-2559 to schedule or ask questions about routine appointments.

If your child is experiencing an emergency, call 911.

For non-emergency urgent issues after hours, patients and families can call either the:

• On-call Ochsner pediatric nurse at 504-842-3155
• The healthcare provider listed on your child’s plan of care as the point of contact for urgent issues

During your child’s first appointment in the Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic, we will take the time to learn about your child and family, answer your questions and develop an individualized care plan.

For your child's first appointment with Ochsner's complex care program, bring with you:

• A written list of your concerns and questions
• Copies of medical records from providers not connected to Ochsner
• Your child’s current medication bottles or a list of all medications including dosages, or how much your child takes

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic provides a medical home for our patients. However, if your family lives outside of the New Orleans area or has challenges with transportation, Ochsner offers the option to keep your current pediatrician while seeing a specialist in the Pediatric Complex Care Clinic every six months and as needed. Ochsner also help with coordinating care for children and youth within the larger Ochsner system. Virtual visits are available for patients living in Louisiana and Mississippi.

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care team includes two physicians, a nurse navigator and a social worker. We bring more than 30 years of combined experience working in pediatric care at Ochsner.

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care's physicians also work in several of Ochsner’s pediatric multidisciplinary clinics, including the:

• Craniofacial Clinic
• Down Syndrome Clinic
• High-Risk Newborn Follow-Up Clinic

The Ochsner team's experience allows us to provide a comfortable, trusted medical home for our patients and the ability to effectively partner with additional Ochsner pediatric providers as needed.

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic provides comprehensive care for children and youth with complex medical needs in Louisiana and Mississippi. Our clinic is located within the Ochsner Health Center for Children - New Orleans.

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic provides personalized, expert care to children and youth with complex medical conditions and care needs. This includes children:

• Diagnosed with two or more chronic conditions
• Who rely on technology daily, such as:
• Gastrostomy-dependence
• Oxygen-dependence
• Tracheostomy or ventilator-dependence
• Use of a wheelchair for mobility

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic also provide advocacy, support and training services for patients and their families.

In addition to providing routine primary care to manage chronic medical conditions and help children and youth be as healthy as possible, the Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic also offer several services not available in most pediatric programs, including:

• Gastrostomy feeding tube (G-tube) replacement
• Placement or replacement of an acute or long-term nasogastric feeding tube (NG tube)
• Training and support in the use of medical equipment

The Pediatric Complex Care Clinic team can also provide some breathing treatments and medications in the clinic to help children and youth avoid a visit to the ER.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children and youth with complex medical needs account for less than 1% of all children in the United States. Still, for families that include a child with medical complexity, it can often feel like life revolves around medical care. The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic offers comprehensive, holistic support to address the needs of our patients and their families beyond medical treatment.

These services include:

• Advocacy with insurance, government programs, schools or workplaces
• Assistance with hospice or palliative care
• Care coordination for your child’s appointments, procedures, referrals and tests
• Education about your child’s diagnosis, treatments and support services
• Guidance during the transition to adulthood and guardianship issues
• Help to understand and follow recommendations from other providers
• Training and support related to managing your child’s care needs at home

The Ochsner Pediatric Complex Care Clinic team can also connect you to and help coordinate additional resources and services, such as:

• Assistive technology and adaptive equipment
• Durable medical equipment
• Family counseling
• Infusion services
• Nutrition services
• Occupational, physical or speech therapy
• The Ochsner Specialty Pharmacy