Traveling Patient Services

Being away from home while you get the best care for your child can present many challenges for parents and their families. That’s why UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh created Traveling Patient Services. Traveling Patient Services combines clinical excellence, exceptional healing-friendly new facilities, and family concierge to help patients and families feel at home during their stay with us – whether you are traveling from outside of Pennsylvania or internationally.

To help overcome the challenges of arriving in an unfamiliar place, our international services team offers a variety of services throughout all aspects of a child’s clinical care and the family’s stay in Pittsburgh, including:

Hospitality Services

Helping you find housing that suits your needs, whether on campus or nearby, is part of our job. We can also recommend restaurants, museums, cultural events and other Pittsburgh attractions. We will also arrange for transportation between Pittsburgh International Airport and Children’s Hospital and provide local directions for recreation, shopping, or other activities.

• Coordination of short- or long-term housing
• Transportation from airport to housing facility or hotel
• Assistance planning tours, day trips, and shopping trips
• Information on Pittsburgh landmarks, recreational activities, and restaurants

Medical Services

• Communication with local or referring physician
• Coordination of necessary appointments, testing, procedures and surgery
• Coordination of discharge planning with medical staff
• Follow-up care, including rehabilitation, pharmacy, and special therapy
• Preventive medicine, including regular check-ups and clinic visits

Administrative and Financial Services

If you need assistance navigating the business of an extended hospital stay, we can help. Our services include:

• Coordination of information exchange with referring physician and/or local insurance provider
• Assistance with hospital admission and registration process
• Scheduling appointments and tests
• Communications and computer assistance
• Assistance with local banking, wire transfers, and other transactions
• Coordination of bills and payments for medical care
• Relaying reports of your child’s progress to your physician at home

Translation Services

We make communication easy in any language among patients, families, doctors, caregivers, and hospital staff. That includes translating forms, questionnaires, and other documents. Every member of our International Services team is fluent in at least one language other than English. In addition, our diverse group of doctors and staff includes many native speakers of non-English languages.

• Communicating with hospital physicians and staff
• Understanding administrative and financial documents
• Translating medical documents

Cultural Services

• Arrangements for cultural and religious dietary needs
• Liaison to appropriate ethnic or religious communities

Stay in Touch

Learn about the experience of other families who have traveled to UPMC Children's Hospital for care.