Patients and Families

Condition Help

No one knows a child better than a parent.

Dial 412-692-3456 (692-3456 from a hospital phone)

At Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, we know that families should play an integral role in the healing process. That’s why we place such an emphasis on family-centered care. We believe that parents know their children best, and that’s why we are one of the first pediatric hospitals in the United States to create “Condition Help,” an important patient safety program that gives families an immediate voice in their child’s medical care.

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What is Condition Help?
Condition Help empowers parents with the ability to call a special phone number (412-692-3456, or 692-3456 from a hospital phone) to have your child evaluated by a different medical team if you feel your child’s immediate health could be endangered.

What is the Condition Help Team?
The Condition Help Team is available around the clock, 24-hours a day, seven days a week. It is made up of a physician, nurse administrator and patient representative who will immediately respond to every Condition Help call and listen to your concerns.

What happens when Condition Help is activated?
Condition Help calls receive the same immediate attention as life-threatening emergencies, so when a call comes in, it prompts action right away.

When the call is answered, the operator will ask you to identify yourself and give your child’s name and room number. Within minutes, a special “Help Team” will come to your child’s room to meet with you about your concerns.

When should I call Condition Help?
Condition Help is a powerful tool that has been entrusted to parents and should not be used casually. It should be used only if you have concerns about your child’s condition after you’ve spoken to the nurse, your child’s doctor or another member of your child’s medical team. Here are some examples of situations where Condition Help may be called:

If a noticeable medical change in your child occurs and the health care team is not addressing your concerns
If there is a breakdown in how care is being given and/or uncertainty over what needs to be done for your child
If your child is being given medication that you feel will adversely affect him or her, or that a member of the medical team has not explained to you
If your child is receiving treatment or medication that you feel is intended for another patient or you believe is different from what your doctor ordered
If you feel there’s something wrong with your child’s condition, and you feel the medical team isn’t addressing your concerns, you should call Condition Help

Should I call Condition Help for service problems?
No – Condition Help is a patient safety program, not a customer service line. It should be used only for medical concerns.

To report service issues, such as problems with hospital rooms, food, policies, employees or bills, or for any other non-emergency issues, please contact a patient representative at 412-692-5489.

The Josie King Foundation
The Josie King Foundation is named for Josie King, an 18-month-old girl who died tragically in 2001 from avoidable causes while she was a patient at another hospital.

In her memory, Josie’s parents, Sorrel and Tony King, have established a foundation that is focused on helping hospitals to prevent medical errors and communications mistakes from harming patients and to empowering parents to become equal partners in their children’s medical care.

Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is proud to be one of the first pediatric hospitals in the country to offer this proactive patient safety program.

Learn more about The Josie King Foundation at www.josieking.org.

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Last Update
January 6, 2012

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