All posts by CHOC Childrens

Interventional Radiology

Interventional radiology utilizes imaging guidance, (eg. MRI, fluoroscopy) to perform minimally invasive treatments across the body. IR procedures have less pain, risk and recovery time compared to traditional surgeries.

CHOC has the most advanced imaging equipment available, calibrated just for kids. CHOC is proud to be the first in Orange County to offer pediatric interventional radiology (IR). From blood clots to tumors, IR treats the toughest medical problems no matter how big or small.

Since every child is different, every treatment is different. For this reason, procedures for specific targeted areas can be overwhelming and complicated. Yet, IR is comprehensive enough to access, diagnose and treat almost every part of the body with a needle.

CHOC’s radiology team includes a pediatric board-certified interventional radiologist who helps bridge diagnosis and treatment. CHOC has been designated a Diagnostic Imaging Center of Excellence® (DICOE) by the American College of Radiology (ACR) for best-quality imaging practices and diagnostic care. With a foundational knowledge of medical imaging and expertise, our interventional radiologist partners with other specialists like the Heart Institute and primary care to treat many of today’s toughest medical problems.

Neurodevelopmental Medicine

The CHOC Specialists Neurodevelopmental Medicine division is dedicated to bringing the latest
treatments and resources to the autism community in Orange County.
The Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC provides a centralized location for our unique programs, giving children and their families one convenient place to receive early diagnosis, advanced therapy and the possibility to reach their true potential.
Our patient care teams include pediatric neurologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, developmental behavior pediatricians, occupational therapists, speech language pathologists, applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapists, child life specialists, social workers, nurses and more.

Leading-Edge Programs and Resources
  • The Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC offers the following:
  • Assessment Program: Providing comprehensive assessments for children ages one through six
  • Behavior Program: Addressing challenging behaviors through evidence-based therapies and
    compassionate care, including toilet training and applied behavior analysis (ABA)
  • Co-Occurring Conditions Program: Providing care under one roof for children with ASD and a co-occurring condition, such as ADHD, sleep disorders, anxiety, depression, gastrointestinal issues, epilepsy or other similar issue
  • Research studies and clinical trials looking to transform the future of ASD, provide a better
    understanding of ASD and other neurodevelopmental differences and bring the newest findings
    to families in the region
  • Family support, including support groups for parents, grandparents and siblings; access to community programs and resources; transition into adult care, including education, work plans, college or secondary school; and legal consultations
  • Education assistance through the Families and Schools Together (FAST) at CHOC Program, in
    partnership with Chapman University; IEP coordination; and access to school system resources.
Thoughtfully Designed Facilities
The Thompson Autism and Neurodevelopmental Center at CHOC was designed with the unique needs of patients and families in mind. Design details that create a safe and comforting space for children and their care teams include: extra rooms for multiple specialist visits for each patient in one place; soft color themes; rounded corners and shapes; calming artwork; small alcoves for patient relaxation; a sensory- friendly calming room; and two large classrooms for family support programs, social skills programs, group therapy and occupational therapy.

Palliative Care

Palliative care is specialized, additional medical care for people living with a serious illness. This type of care is centered around providing relief from the symptoms and stress of illness to enhance quality of life. The goal is to improve quality of life for both the patient and the family.

Palliative care is based on the needs of the patient, not on the patient’s prognosis. It is appropriate at any age and at any stage in a serious illness, and it can be provided along with curative treatment. Palliative care is adjacent to hospice and end-of-life care, but it is not actual end of life care.

CHOC’s Palliative Care program aims to enhance the level of support and reduce the amount of suffering experienced by patients with complex medical conditions, as well as for the people who love them and the healthcare team that cares for them.

The Palliative Care Team supports patients by:

  • Providing initial consultations and follow up encounters in the hospital, OPI, and other clinics
  • Easing pain and managing symptoms and side effects
  • Fostering communication between families and health care providers
  • Identifying goals of and aligning all involved with the medical care plan
  • Delivering effective educational programs to healthcare staff

As the only children’s hospital in Orange County with a pediatric palliative care program, this team is available to provide care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, in partnership with other healthcare providers.

A palliative care consultation is appropriate for patients with serious illnesses who would benefit from enhanced symptom and, or pain management and an increased focus on improving quality of life and family support. During a consultation, families and members from our care team would discuss the goals of care, care preferences, advanced care planning and any spiritual and/or psycho-social distress.

Psychiatry

The CHOC Children’s Specialists Psychiatry Division strives to provide the best possible care for children and adolescents with psychiatric conditions. We offer diagnostic evaluation and treatment, including psychopharmacology and psychotherapy.

The CHOC Psychiatry Division is unique in that we are part of a continuum of care delivery which includes comprehensive inpatient, intensive outpatient care, outpatient and emergency psychiatric care and consultations. Our team uses evidence-based interventions to help children, teenagers and their families overcome behavioral health issues.

We also have a Mental Health Inpatient Center that offers the very best patient- and family-centered care 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The center is exclusively dedicated to the treatment of children ages 4-17 with mental illness who are in immediate risk of hurting themselves or others. It is the only inpatient facility in Orange County that can treat patients younger than 12.

What We Treat at CHOC Children’s Specialists Psychiatry

Services are complemented by the multidisciplinary are provided by other pediatric subspecialists, nurses, pharmacists, psychologist, therapists, clinical dietitians and social workers.

 Programs