Avera Children's Services
Avera Children's Hospital & Clinics provide a wide range of pediatric specialty services for children, from birth to age 17. From minor surgery to a complex and critical health crisis, we are your trusted resource for the best in children's care. Using state-of-the-art technology and the most advanced medical science available, our expert specialists and staff deliver the compassionate care Avera is known for.
A total of 110 beds are devoted to the care of infants, children and adolescents in our Pediatric Unit, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Level IIIC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Avera Behavioral Health Center.
Learn About Our Hospital Services
Learn About Our Clinic Specialty Services
In addition to Avera Children's dedicated hospital pediatrics unit, pediatrics intensive care, and neonatal intensive care units, we also provide an experienced, skilled team of physicians in over 20 different specialties.
These physicians are not only specialists in their area of medicine, they are also specifically trained and solely focused on the unique needs of children and adolescents.
Anesthesiology
Our anesthesiologists ensure that children are comfortable before, during and after any surgery. They are skilled in proper amounts of anesthesia to administer to young children.
Behavior Health Services - Psychiatry and Psychology
The experts at Avera Behavior Health Center provide evaluation and treatment for psychiatric and psychological services for children and adolescents. Our staff cares for people with expertise, compassion and confidentiality. The Avera Behavioral Health Center includes a wide variety of programs and services - all delivered with the latest technology and the personal care you expect from Avera. Services include individual, group and family counseling, outpatient, intensive outpatient (partial inpatient), Heisler Program for Substance Abuse Treatment of Adolescents (in partnership with Volunteers of America), Family Visitation Center, grief programs, Avera Crisis Team, Children's Camps and more. For more information, visit www.averabehaviorhealth.org.
Cardiology
Avera's pediatric cardiologists diagnose, treat, and help manage heart disorders in children. Whether there are concerns of the heart in premature infants or athletes, they manage it all.
Critical Care
Critical care physicians, called Intensivists, can be trusted to completely care for your child during times of emergency. They coordinate and manage the care of extremely ill children in our state-of-the-art Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU).
Dermatology
Our dermatologists evaluate and diagnose disorders dealing with the skin, hair and nails - and prescribe the proper medicine for your child and their symptoms.
Endocrinology
This pediatric specialty deals with hormone imbalances and irregularities in children. These physicians can diagnose, evaluate, and help manage hormone inconsistencies that lead to diabetes, pituitary, adrenal, thyroid, and growth disorders.
Feeding Clinic
Proper nutrition is key in the growth and development of infants and children. The feeding clinic managed by a team of physicians, as well as physical, occupational and speech therapists, nutritionists and clinical psychologist. This team approach is important to identify, diagnose and help manage feeding difficulties in children with special needs.
Gastroenterology
This specialty deals with problems arising from the digestive system. Some conditions requiring the services of our gastroenterologists include reflux (heart burn), chronic abdominal pain, constipation and diarrhea, irritable bowel disease and celiac disease. Many of these conditions affect the emotional and physical aspects of children.
Hematology/Oncology
Avera Children's hematology/oncology physicians evaluate infants and children with suspected blood disorders and cancers. These include anemia, leukemia, bleeding and clotting tendencies, and various other cancers in children. These physicians also work with the Avera Cancer Institute, the region's first and premiere comprehensive cancer treatment center. For more information on Avera Cancer Institute, visit www.averacancer.org.
Infectious Disease
Our infectious disease department is available to help if your child suffers is lacking immunities for any disease. Our doctors can assist with care, consultation, or medical prescriptions for your child, and they can provide long-term care and treatment, whether your child's infectious disease is occasional, frequent, or recurring.
Neonatology
Neonatologists practice in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Assisted by nurse practitioners, they care for premature babies. These babies are often very small, sometimes weighing less than a pound. All sub-specialties are involved in the care of these little babies through to their discharge. After discharge, some of these babies are re-evaluated in the NICU follow-up clinic.
Neurology
Our neurologists specialize in diagnosis and management of disorders of the nervous system, namely, the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and muscles. Some of the common disorders include seizures and epilepsy, neuromuscular disorders (like muscular dystrophy and myasthenia gravis), cerebral palsy and spasticity. They also specialize in the use of Botox for severe muscle spasm.
Orthopedics
The development of your child's skeletal system is essential to the growth and capabilities of their body. As children's bones are very different from adults, our orthopedic doctors are specialized in treating and evaluating the development of their individual skeletal structure. They are also trained in emergency room procedures and reconstructive surgery.
Pulmonology
Our pediatric pulmonologists are skilled in the evaluation and management of children with asthma, chronic cough, cystic fibrosis, allergies, cough and shortness of breath with playing, and recurrent wheezing. Lung function testing, airway endoscopy, and evaluation of sleep disorders in children are other avenues of interest of this team. They have the research experience to evaluate infants with chronic lung disease and sleep disorders as well.
Radiology
Our pediatric radiologists are specially trained to meet the needs of your child. They are well-versed in pediatric radiology procedures and use their specialized training to find whatever disease or ailment your child is experiencing. We have an ambulatory sedation team for children who are not bedridden, and a doctor trained especially for children's injuries and disorders.
Sedation Services
We all know it is difficult for children to sit still at times, especially when it comes to special tests such as CT scans and MRIs. The sedation of children for these procedures is important to obtain the clearest picture or best possible results from the tests. During the process of sedation, children become less anxious and transition to a light sleep. This is performed under the watchful eye of our intensivists.
Surgery
Pediatric surgeons are primarily concerned with the diagnosis, preoperative, operative, and postoperative management of surgical problems in children. Some medical conditions in newborns are not compatible with a good quality of life unless these problems are corrected surgically. All pediatric procedures are performed keeping the physical and emotional health of the child in mind.