For Parents & Patients

Welcome to UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. We realize that hospitals can seem overwhelming, especially when your child is ill. This section of our site includes many of the services and facilities we offer as well as guidelines for requesting appointments, billing and preparing for a hospital stay.

To ensure a smooth visit, you may find it helpful to review this information — Getting Care, Additional Support, Your Hospital Stay and Billing & Records — as well directions to the hospital and tips for parking.

Special Needs

If you and your child have any special needs, please talk to your doctor or nurse about services available. Some of our special services include:

Interpreters

Interpreter services are available in many languages including Cantonese, Mandarin, Spanish and Russian. We also provide interpreters in American Sign Language. If your English is limited or if you or your child are speech or hearing impaired, please ask your doctor or nurse to contact us and an interpreter will be requested at no cost to you.

TTY Operator (415) 885-3TTY

If you or your child are hearing impaired, pay phone TTYs (Telephone Text) — also known as TDDs (telecommunication devices for the deaf) — are available throughout the hospital. We also provide bedside TTYs, phone amplifiers, pocket talkers and closed captioned television for patients. Medical center operators are available 24 hours a day by TTY.

Books on Tape

Books on tape are provided by Volunteer Services for visually impaired hospital patients. To request books on tape, contact Volunteer Services at (415) 353-1196 or 3-1196 when calling from a hospital phone.

Patient Privacy

UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital is committed to protecting your child's medical information. For information about the rights you and your child have and the obligations we have regarding the use and disclosure of medical information, please see our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Patient Relations

For other services, special requests or complaints, please speak with your nurse or call Patient Relations at (415) 353-1936.

Hospital Policies

Cellular Phones

The use of cellular phones in certain patient care and medical procedure areas, such as the intensive care unit, can disrupt the performance of medical equipment. Please do not use cell phones in areas where there are signs prohibiting their use. Hospital employees can direct you to public telephones or areas appropriate for cell phone use.

Smoke-Free Environment

UCSF is a smoke-free environment. Smoking in and around the hospital and affiliated sites is prohibited. Nicotine replacement products are available in the hospital Gift Shop at Parnassus and Mount Zion for family members and visitors who smoke. See a map that outlines the UCSF smoke-free zone at Mount Zion and Parnassus.