Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

About the Hematology/Oncology Clinic

Our families come from near and far. Virtually all children from Rhode Island with cancer or serious blood diseases come to our clinic for treatment. We also have many children from Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as from distant states and countries.

Our clinic is open from 8:30 am until 5 pm. During these hours, we see children and adolescents from different backgrounds with a wide variety of diseases. Some children come in for consultation from a pediatrician to determine specific types of blood disorders such as anemia (low red blood cells) or idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (children with very low numbers of cells that are required for clotting). These children usually have some blood work done, and may need to be followed for only a short time. They are then referred back to their pediatrician.

Some children come here for comprehensive care for cancer or serious blood disorders. They come to have their condition accurately diagnosed and to receive appropriate and state-of-the-art treatment. Treatment may consist of transfusions or chemotherapy.

Children also come to the clinic to have the side effects of treatment managed. Some kids require platelet transfusions, or medications to control pain or nausea. During their time in the clinic, we have child life specialist and volunteers to make time in clinic more bearable—some children have so much fun, they don’t wish to leave! Social workers are also available during these hours to help support the family, as well as help children cope.

Though our clinic has closing times, our coverage doesn’t. We have two doctors on call 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We can treat children in our pediatric emergency room, or if the need is more intense, we can admit the children to our inpatient service at Hasbro Children’s Hospital, where a dedicated team of nurses, nurse practitioners and doctors manage their care.

As part of Hasbro Children’s Hospital, we have access to expertise in many different areas. We have pediatric surgeons well versed in the surgical management of pediatric tumors, as well as the placement of the latest catheters and lines. We invite you to tour the pediatric surgery website for more details.

We provide most of our procedures under sedation or anesthesia, to minimize pain and anxiety about the procedure.

Our pathologist are experts at diagnosing tumors, as well as disorders in blood and coagulation. Also to help us with diagnosis and staging of tumors, we have pediatric radiologists versed in the latest imaging and interventional techniques including CT scan, MRI scan, ultrasound, PET and nuclear medicine.

When needed, we have support from our other subspecialist colleagues in orthopedics, endocrinology, cardiology, immunology, neurology, urology, nephrology, radiation oncology, ophthomology and many others. We also have the support of other disciplines, including nutrition, physical therapy, audiology and dental experts.

Our heroes: Meet the team

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