About Henry Ford St. John Children's Hospital

The Henry Ford St. John Children’s Hospital is a Children’s Hospital Association certified hospital staffed with a highly experienced team of pediatric specialists who are committed to your child’s health and will work together to create a personalized care plan that we expect for our own children.

Henry Ford St. John Children's Hospital's Shery L. Cotton Pediatric Emergency Department is a dedicated level II pediatric trauma center where our board-certified pediatric emergency doctors, mid-level providers and care teams are specially trained to care for kids and deliver advanced life-saving services. Our pediatric emergency department was designed with children and their families in mind with 13 private exam rooms, including 4 behavioral health rooms, and two procedure rooms. 

Our 46-bed inpatient pediatric unit is designed to care and treat pediatric patients from birth to age 21. This unit provides a holistic, healing environment for children and their families. Pediatric hospitalists, neonatologists, and pediatric specialists provide expert personalized care for patients who require a hospital stay.

A dedicated child life activity room is led by certified child life specialists who are experienced in helping children and families cope with stress and other challenges while they are receiving care in the hospital. They are trained to provide positive distractions and calm your child when your child is feeling anxious about tests or procedures. And if your child is staying in the hospital, they offer therapeutic, emotional, and social support.

Our pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) is a 10 bed-unit, managed by board-certified pediatric intensivists. It is specifically designed to provide optimal surveillance and support of vital functions and therapy for pediatric and adolescent/young adult patients with life-threatening conditions.

Our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is a 35-bed newborn service unit, specifically designed to provide care for the sick newborn infant through the most advanced techniques of neonatology in a family-centered environment. Henry Ford St. John Hospital currently provides the only Level III NICU on Detroit’s east side. The unit provides family-centered care and the latest in treatment and technology, as well as family education programs, to provide continuous life support and comprehensive care for extremely high-risk newborn infants.

Our special care nursery is an 8-bed newborn service unit located in close proximity to the birthing center and NICU. The special care nursery team treats newborns with health problems that require intermediate care and close observation. We also provide care for premature babies who no longer require the advanced care of the NICU.

The Henry Ford St. John Birthing Center includes holistic birthing suites, 31 labor delivery recovery postpartum (LDRP) rooms, and 16 postpartum and high-risk rooms, as well as 7 triage emergency areas, a same-day service area and three operating rooms. It is a referral center for high-risk pregnancies and deliveries.

Our pediatric ambulatory surgery unit (PASU) is a 14-bed unit to accommodate scheduled surgeries and procedures, along with pediatric infusions. 

Our pediatric surgery services provide a wide range of surgical services for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults, in addition to consultations for pregnant women. Our board-certified surgeons are highly qualified and work closely with families, to ensure that the children receive high quality, compassionate, and timely care.

Our pediatric orthopedic services provide surgical and consultative care for infants through young adults, for the spectrum of orthopedic care, including trauma, scoliosis surgery, limb-lengthening and sports injuries.

Our out-patient pediatric rehabilitation services include physical, occupational, and speech therapies and are available Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Our breastfeeding clinic provides unique services directed by a board-certified pediatrician to serve breastfeeding mothers, in which specially trained lactation consultants observe and assess feeding. The physician also works directly with patients to make breastfeeding a beneficial experience for both mother and infant. The clinic has been the recipient of the 2009 Statewide Health Care Community Award from the Breastfeeding Network of Michigan, the 2011 IBCLC Care Award from the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, and the 2011 recipient of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation Grants: St John – Mother Nurture Project.

Our multidimensional obesity and lipid clinic program cares for children with obesity or that are at high risk for obesity. All aspects of weight management are provided, including exercise regimes, nutrition consult, medical and psychological support, lipidemiologist support, and referrals for surgical options.

Our concussion clinic provides evaluations, treatments and preventative screenings for children in sports, or at risk for injury/outcomes from head injury.

Our TLC Support Group Program offers families the opportunity to talk with former NICU families who had babies in the unit. These volunteers offer many services to families including phone support, visits to the unit, and a substantial lending library. TLC is a value-based program dedicated to improving the well-being and quality of life of families experiencing a neonatal crisis.