Clinical Programs and Services

Services Provided

Our division treats patients with a variety of health issues including: hemophilia, sickle cell disease, general hematology, solid organ tumors, hematological malignancies and late effects of anticancer therapy.

We offer the latest standard of care and experimental therapies for childhood blood disorders and cancer, with faculty involved in basic, translational, and clinical research within the University of North Carolina and in collaboration with national cooperative groups.

Our division provides a full array of social support services including:

• Instruction from public school teachers who conduct classes and tutor those undergoing long-term care.
• Guidance from a social worker to provide information on funding for clinical care and to assist with transportation concerns.
• Coordination of home health care referrals and patient/family education regarding how to manage care at home.
• Recreational therapy to teaches patients how to use recreation to cope with their cancer.
• Child psychology service to help patients and their families deal with cancer and adjust to cancer as a chronic illness.

Clinic Overview

The pediatric hematology/oncology clinic is located on the first floor of the NC Cancer Hospital. Our clinic provides a friendly atmosphere that is appropriate and comfortable for young patients of all ages.

In most cases, procedures are pain-free (such as bone marrow and spinal taps) as they are done under general anesthesia or conscious sedation.

Our waiting area has a virtual reality mat with interactive games, as well as books donated by the Book Fairy and Karl’s Books for our patients and siblings to enjoy and take home. The Mary Claire Satterly playroom has lots of age-appropriate toys, weekly craft projects, and homemade hats made by various community groups. The playroom is staffed by our recreation therapists and by community and UNC-Chapel Hill student volunteers. We have two computers dedicated to patient and family use, and a nutrition center with snacks and drinks. A refrigerator located in the nutrition center is available for patient and family use during your clinic stay. Each infusion bay has its own TV and Playstation 3 console, we also have Nintendo DS game systems and movies that can be checked out for use during your time in clinic. We participate in the Beads of Courage program as well as several local and national childhood cancer awareness events such as Pedal for Peds, St. Baldrick’s, and the CureSearch Walk.

A school classroom is located in the back of clinic for use by our hospital school teachers and patients as they attend school or work on homework in clinic. A recreation therapist staffs our clinic daily, and plans activities for patients as well as providing therapeutic play and coping techniques during stressful procedures. A social worker and child psychologist also staff the clinic, and counsel patients and their families, and a nutritionist is available by appointment.