27 Oct Progress created by the integrated

You’ve been pleased to see the progress created by the integrated

health care team at the children’s hospital. An experiment in combining medical, psychological, social services and spiritual care for young patients, the team was set up two months ago to focus on children recovering from major surgery. The result you’ve seen is more comprehensive care than the team’s doctor, Chris Solynat, and its nurse, Lee Robivic, could deliver alone, and speedier adaptation by the children to their recuperation at home.

As the social services assistant on the team, you’re charged with linking young patients with community resources they’ll need after they leave the hospital – resources such as physiotherapy, home tutoring or home nursing – based on recommendations made by other members of the team.

Young patients often seem confused and overwhelmed when you explain to them about the other professionals they’ll be seeing while they’re recovering at home, though. So you came up with the idea of hiring Claris the Clown to explain it to them. Claris is a feature attraction at many children’s parties in town, with proven ability to establish rapport with youngsters. The clown would add a fun, light-hearted aspect to the vital information about post-hospital care, and might make young children more open to understanding it.

what is an example of a written hardcopy message to the other members of your integrated healthcare team – the doctor and nurse, the hospital chaplain, Rev. Armstrong, and the hospital’s child psychologist, Dr. E. J. Stein – explaining your plan and asking them to agree to a trial with Tommy McDermott. Tommy is scheduled to go home in a few days, where he will be getting visits from a physiotherapist and a tutor. Claris is enthusiastic about helping young patients, and eager to see if a clown can make the information about post-hospital care more helpful and less frightening for Tommy.