At St. Christopher’s, we recognize that medical issues don’t exist in isolation of the patients and families affected by them. In many cases, social workers play an integral role in consulting with a patient’s healthcare team and helping develop a plan of care both during and after hospitalization.

Our Department of Medical Social Work takes a family-centered approach to helping people adjust to the many demands illnesses place on them and provides referrals for such services as resource access and coordination with the child welfare system. Our medical social work services include:

Developing Support Systems: Social workers identify and obtain appropriate support systems to help patients and families cope with the various stressors and demands that often accompany illness.

Communication: Department staff members help patients and families better understand healthcare issues and also serve as a liaison by facilitating communication between a patient’s family and the healthcare team, other family members and school personnel.

Information and Referral: The Department provides information about resources for needs such as health insurance, transportation, finances, legal services, counseling and vocational services.

Six of our 17 professional social workers, all of whom are master-level prepared, provide services to emergency room patients and hospital inpatients. The remainder provide services to patients seen in the clinics and sub-specialty clinics such as oncology and hematology clinics. The Department also has on staff a family consultant to help families become more effective caregivers for children with special healthcare needs.

For more information, please call 215-427-5031.