Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

About Us

The Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Division at Weill Cornell Medicine provides exceptional, state-of-the-art care for children with a wide range of blood disorders and cancers. Each patient's plan is carefully tailored to his or her needs, with the goal of returning children to lives that are as normal and productive as possible.

What Sets Us Apart

• We are the most comprehensive center in the New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut area for treating children with noncancerous (benign) blood disorders, with specific programs for platelet disorders, bleeding and clotting problems, as well as thalassemia and other red blood cell disorders.
• We offer a Children Adolescent and Young Adult Late Effects, Survivorship and Fertility Preservation program.
• Our Comprehensive Thalassemia Center is the oldest and one of the largest centers of its kind in the United States
• New York State Department of Health has recognized our practice as a designated Hemoglobinopathy Specialty Center providing comprehensive care to children and adolescents with disorders such as the thalassemia syndromes, sickle cell anemia, and other red blood cell disorders

Affiliated with Top-Ranked Komansky Children's Hospital

Our practice is affiliated with top-ranked NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Children's Hospital. Children and their families benefit from:

• Our board-certified pediatric specialists, who see patients exclusively in our newly renovated day-hospital facility — designed with children and adolescents in mind.
• Pediatric to adult transition care. As adolescents transition to the adult practice, our pediatric physicians continue to provide care in collaboration with colleagues trained in internal medicine.
• Emotional/psychological support. Expert and experienced social workers, a child life specialist, and an art therapist are available to help children and their families navigate their medical experience.
• Skilled pediatric nurses, who provide compassionate and expert care in our infusion center and facilitate the administration of medications, blood products, infusions, and chemotherapy in the newly renovated facility.

Diagnosis & Treatment

Our clinical practice is located in a recently renovated space on the sixth floor of the Payson Pavilion at the NewYork-Presbyterian Phyllis and David Komansky Children's Hospital at Weill Cornell Medical Center. Flooded with natural light and decorated with light woods, a cheerful New York City mosaic, and colored glass panels, our outpatient pediatric treatment center is comfortable and welcoming to patients of all ages, and their families.

Our Facility

Our facility consists of:

• Five examining rooms
• A procedure room
• A phlebotomy room
• A transfusion solarium which accommodates eight bays dedicated to the treatment of cancer and other diseases that require infusion/transfusion therapy.

What to Expect

Children are seen for consultations or ongoing treatment in our outpatient day hospital setting Monday through Friday. For children who are referred for a consultation, the visit typically last 1-2 hours.

In addition to our physicians and practitioners, our service is complemented by clinical and research nurses, a dedicated phlebotomist, two social workers, a child life therapist and an art therapist.

A dedicated phlebotomist is able to draw blood for testing in our facility itself. Some results are available within an hour and can be discussed right away during the visit, while others may be discussed the next day or when they are ready.

If radiologic tests are required, the Pediatric Radiology facility is just around the corner on the same floor.

For many children, there may be one or more follow up visits. Children who receive ongoing care for additional chronic conditions can see their dedicated provider on a regular basis, and receive most, if not all, of their treatment as an outpatient. Typically, an infusion of up to 4-6 hours may be administered in this manner. Children who need longer treatments may be admitted to the hospital.

Child Life Services and Creative Arts

Our child life therapist and art therapist see children while they may be waiting for test results, or while they are receiving their treatments.

Research

Research is a major focus of the Division. Our researchers are well known in their fields, and their work has been widely published. Specific areas of focus include both clinical and basic science, including the biology of cancer and metastasis, cancer survivorship and late effects, platelet disorders, and hemophilia, thrombosis and thalassemia clinical trials.