Patient and Family Resources

The Animal Assisted Activities Program allows patients who are isolated from their own pets, friends, schoolmates, and normal activities to touch part of the outside world. Wagging tails, cold wet noses, and affectionate doggie nudges bring smiles and laughter to hospitalized children. Dogs of varied breeds are pre-scheduled for bedside visits.

Each dog is screened by a veterinarian and has been awarded a Canine Good Citizenship Certification. All pet owners are processed through the Volunteer Department and the Child Life Program.

There are ATMs in the lobby of University Hospital, the 11th floor of Golisano Children's Hospital, the Physician's Office Building at 725 Irving Ave., and several nearby banks.

medical care. Beads are given to patients to honor their courage and to represent their journey through their medical experience.

Beads of Courage is available through Upstate Golisano Children’s Hospital for children experiencing or living with the following:

• A blood disorder, such as sickle cell anemia or hemophilia
• A burn injury
• A cancer diagnosis
• Cystic fibrosis
• A kidney disease requiring dialysis
• Any other chronic condition requiring regular infusions, such as Crohn’s disease

The patient must be treated in an area that staffs a child life specialist. Please refer to our contact page for inquiries.

We have a dedicated lactation room with an electric pump and attachments for your use. The room provides a private and quiet environment. It is located on the 11^th floor across from the family lounge.

The child life team is made up of child life specialists, art therapists, music therapists, and gaming and technology specialists. You can learn more about the services available to your child here.

The EyePlay is an interactive floor space that allows children to run, jump, and play on games projected onto the floor. It is located on the 12^th floor and is open to all patients and family members.

Designed as a cozy and welcoming space, the Family Resource Center (FRC) represents Upstate’s system-wide commitment of service to its community while providing patients and families with a space that is familiar and enjoyable. FRC services are free and include the lending of fiction and nonfiction books, multimedia resources, and medical texts. While visiting, patients and families are encouraged to enjoy our in-house game console, television, craft area, and business center (complete with computers and printer/fax/scanner).

Find more information, including hours, availability, and updates regarding Covid-19 accommodations, here.

When patients are admitted to the hospital, they receive three meals a day delivered right to their room. A member of our food services team will come take their order from the bedside. Caregivers can also request a meal tray for an additional $5 charge. If the caregiver is breastfeeding the patient, their meal tray is free. Please ask your nurse how to order the caregiver meal.

Depending on your child’s diagnosis, you may be able to bring in outside food. Each unit has a kitchenette with a refrigerator where you can store food, a microwave to heat food, and plastic utensils. Please ask your nurse for personalized labels before you place your food in the kitchenette. The kitchenette has free water and coffee available 24/7.

Food Alternatives

• University Hospital cafeteria on the second 2nd floor across from the main elevators
• Lounge refrigerators and microwaves if you want to bring food from home
• Lounge and hospital vending machines
• PerkUp Cafe & Bistro in the main lobby of University Hospital
• Numerous restaurants in the Marshall Street area, one block east of the children's hospital
• Mobile food delivery from local restaurants

If you are having food delivered, the address for delivery is One Children’s Place, Syracuse, NY 13210.

It is important to find joy in the everyday, especially during times of stress. The staff at the children’s hospital can find any reason to celebrate, with events ranging from National Pretzel Day to Halloween. All children’s hospital programming is respectful of our patients’ and families’ diverse backgrounds.

Upstate Golisano Children's Hospital is the first children's hospital in the U.S. to dedicate a space on an acute care unit to be used as a multisensory environment (MSE). This type of room originally was developed in the Netherlands in the 1970's. Today, multisensory rooms are being created all over the world. Typically, such rooms are found in rehab settings, outpatient clinics, and psychiatric facilities, to name a few.

A multisensory environment is a room designed in a way that is calming to the senses and where the pediatric patient can experience visual, auditory, and tactile stimuli. It is furnished with items that are physically comfortable and pleasing to the senses in order to provide a sanctuary from anxiety, stress, and pain. The MSE is an empowering environment for all of our pediatric patients where the patient is offered choices, fostering control and promoting relaxation. The MSE is especially beneficial for patients with autism spectrum disorder and children with a multitude of sensory issues. The MSE is a treatment area and accommodates one pediatric patient at a time. This patient is supervised one on one with a child life specialist. Sessions are usually 20 minutes long depending on the needs of the pediatric patient. Referrals can be made by pediatric staff to the patient’s child life specialist.

Playrooms are located on each of the inpatient units and in the pediatric cancer center. Patients and family members can utilize the spaces during the day to engage in normal, everyday play. Play helps children exert control, work through their emotions, and have fun! Toys and games are also available for use in patient rooms.

Security officers patrol Golisano Children's Hospital regularly. All staff wear identification badges. From time to time, staff may ask visitors to identify themselves. You will be asked to obtain a visitor's pass in the main lobby of the hospital. This is to help identify people that may be staying the night in case of an emergency.

For your safety please do not leave valuables unattended. If you need to leave the hospital at night, please do not walk alone. Security will escort you to your car if needed.

We are committed to keeping your child safe. Golisano Children's Hospital is a member of Solutions for Patient Safety (SPS). SPS is a network of over 120 children's hospitals in the US and Canada joining together with the shared goal of ending serious harm across all children's hospitals. SPS is focused on reducing harm by preventing readmissions, safety events and over 10 hospital acquired conditions including falls, pressure injuries, and infections due to a medical device. We have teams working to improving your child's care and outcome. Please feel free to speak with a nurse about our current projects to improve your child's safety. You are a part of our healthcare team and we value your input.

The Luke Frechette classroom is staffed by a full-time, certified school teacher. The hospital school program can offer a familiar routine and normal activity for children and teens in the hospital.

Goals of Hospital School

• Use the hospital stay as a positive event.
• Develop an academic plan for all school age patients, taking into account their medical condition.
• Provide instruction that will enable a child to return to class/homebound instruction with little loss of educational standing.
• Prepare the students for all required tests, including Regent exams.

Patients must meet certain criteria and the hospital school teacher must speak with the patient’s school prior to instruction.

Televisions and PlayStations are provided at no cost for any child in the hospital. We also have a wide variety of games and movies to help the time pass. If your child has a favorite movie, you may bring it with you. Due to the different ages of our patients, no movies rated higher than PG-13 are allowed in the units.

Please see our Visitors' Guide for the most up-to-date information.