Director: Christine Murphy MD 

Welcome

The Pediatric Complex Care clinic provides services for children and youth with medical complexity (CYMC) with developmental, feeding and nutritional, educational, equipment/supplies and care coordination needs.

In an effort to keep our patients and their families safe and healthy, the Pediatric Complex Care Clinic has transitioned most of our appointments to telehealth visits for patients needing to be seen. We will be making every attempt to schedule a video appointment. You and your child will still have evaluations by our team, but it will be over a few phone calls and/or videos. Each of these meetings will last about 30 minutes.

Every appointment is being reviewed individually, and we may be reaching out to reschedule some appointments for a later date. All appointments must be rescheduled by our Pediatric Complex Care offices.

1. Please read through the instructions below at least 2 days before your appointment.
2. Call us at 409-772-2331 if you have any questions, and we will be happy to assist you.
3. Please check this site daily for updates and changes to UTMB and our clinic.

Preparing for your TeleHealth Visit

• We ask that you have the following information ready when we contact you regarding your appointment:
  • If you have an iPhone and internet access to use FaceTime or If you have an Android, please let us know if you have a Zoom account. If you don't have Zoom, we can help you with this setup.
  • Your primary email address
  • Your home address to receive mail
  • Your primary phone number
  • If you have a scale at home to weigh your child
• Please be sure to have a second person available (if possible) to help with either the camera/phone or with your child during our TeleHealth appointments.
• If we are seeing your child for developmental evaluation, please click [here] for the ways you can prepare to help us do the evaluation.
• If we are seeing your child for feeding or weight concerns, please click [here] for ways you can be ready for the appointment.
• Please sign-up for MyChart access here to receive immediate access to your After Visit Summary and instructions from your appointment.
• If you need access to a minor's account:
  • Please click here to access your own MyChart account.
  • Once logged into your own MyChart account, review the Quick Links on the right side below your Profile and click on the Request Minor Access link.
  • Please click here to sign up if you do not have an account. UTMB will get back to you within 2 business days of your submission.
    • We will mail a copy to your AVS and any other materials to the home address we have on file.
• If video is not available during your appointment time, you will receive a telephone call instead. Note – this call may come from a blocked or unknown caller ID.
  

Your TeleHealth Appointment

Option 1. Using FaceTime

• You will receive a FaceTime call for the visit from your physician or nurse practitioner. The caller ID will read UtmbPediatricComplexCare@gmail.com, or something like it. Please note – this is not a monitored or secure email address. We love to hear from our families especially during this trying time, so call us at 409-772-2331 so we can help you personally.
• Once done, the call will be disconnected so your therapist(s), dietician, and/or special education navigator can call you back. They will use a similar Gmail address for the call.
• If needed, your physician or nurse practitioner will call back on a standard telephone call with any final recommendations. Note: this may be from a blocked or unknown number.
• Finally, you will receive a phone call from our Complex Care offices to schedule your next appointment.
• Check your child’s MyChart account for the AVS, and your standard mail for additional handouts.

Option 2. Using Zoom

• You will receive at least 2 meeting invitations from UtmbPediatricComplexCare@gmail.com (or a similar address) for Zoom meetings (one for the doctor or nurse practitioner visit, and one for the therapist(s) or other professional visit). Please do not delete this email, and be sure to check your junk folder or call us if you do not receive it.
  • Please note – this is not a monitored or secure email address. We love to hear from our families especially during this trying time. Call us at 409-772-2331 so we can help you personally.
• Setting Up Zoom before your visit:
  • When you receive the meeting emails, please click on the link for the first meeting in your email.
  • Go through the instructions your phone or device gives to download the Zoom app. You can watch a video of this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEQLjLYhuJQ
  • Try out the Zoom meeting before your appointment by clicking on the link below to join a test meeting here: https://zoom.us/test
• You will need to join a new meeting for each video call, which can last no more than 30 minutes.
• At your child’s appointment time, join the first Zoom meeting from either the email link or in the phone app. Your first meeting will be with your child’s physician or nurse practitioner.
• Once this meeting is finished, this meeting will be disconnected. You next need to join the second meeting with your child’s therapist(s), dietician, and/or special education navigator. You can access this meeting through the Zoom App or by clicking on the meeting link sent in the second email.
• If needed, your physician or nurse practitioner will call back on a voice call with any final recommendations. Note: this may be from a blocked or unknown number.
• Finally, you will receive a phone call from our Complex Care offices to schedule your next appointment.
• Check your child’s MyChart account for the AVS, and your standard mail for additional handouts.

How to Prepare for Developmental Appointments

Our therapists are excited to offer families developmental screenings by TeleHealth. We understand not every family will have every item on this list, but if you do, please have them handy as they can help us evaluate your child’s development.  

• A container and items to put into and take out
  • Containers might be small boxes or cups
  • Items might be small balls or anything else that fits into the container.
• Puzzle
• Something to stack like blocks, cups, or small boxes (up to 10).
• Book
• 1-2 crayons and a piece of scrap paper
• Small items for your child to pick up with their fingers. Examples are Cheerios, baby Puffs, candy, or raisins.
• Ball to kick and throw
• Cup or empty baby bottle without a nipple/lid
• Rattle

How to Prepare for Feeding and Nutrition Appointments

• Our team is excited to offer families help with eating and nutrition by TeleHealth.
• Be sure your child his hungry for this appointment. Please avoid giving them food or formula for 2 hours before the appointment. No water or juice for 30 minutes before the appointment.
• We understand not every family will have every item on these lists, but if you do, please have them handy as they can help us evaluate your child’s development.
• Foods
  • Foods your child eats well, and foods they are having trouble with.
  • Gerber puffs (or any other brand)
  • Baby foods (Stage 1 and 2)
  • Pudding
  • Applesauce
  • Graham Crackers
  • Fruit gummies
  • Fruit cup/diced canned fruit (for children who are at least 2 years old).
• Other items to have ready
  •  Spoon and cup or bottle that they already use
  • Formula or preferred liquids
  • High chair or booster seat to use during the appointment.

Our Service Mission is:

• To partner with primary care providers to deliver the highest standard of diagnostic and treatment options for CYMC while keeping these children in their local community. Please note – we will not replace your child’s primary care provider
• To facilitate continuity of care across inpatient, outpatient, and community settings for CYMC
• To reduce complications of chronic medical conditions using all available resources and
• To educate and advocate for families and caregivers of CYMC

 
Our Team

We are a multi-disciplinary team specializing in the needs of CYMC, helping children and their families since 1992.

• Medical Evaluation Services
  • Christine Murphy, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician
  • Sally Robinson, MD, FAAP, Pediatrician
  • Joe Toruno, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner
• Therapy Services – including Developmental, Feeding, and Equipment evaluations
  • Physical Therapists
    • Amy Osburn-Torres, PT
    • Margarita Mallari-Brumlow, PT
  • Occupational Therapists
    • Pamela Christensen, OT
    • Sherrill Gonzalez, OT
  • Speech Therapists
    • Lori Jarrett-Arguello, SLP
    • Kathryn Curley, SLP
• Nutrition Services (Dietician)
  • Stephanie Baron, RD, LD
• Educational Support Coordinator
  • Jane Lozano, MEd
• Social Work
  • Tia Jaynes, LMSW - Pediatric Primary and Specialty Care Clinic, League City (Bay Colony)
  • Crystal Williams, LMSW - Pediatric Primary and Specialty Care Clinic, Galveston Island East

• Nursing Staff
  • Amy Jensen, LVN
• Administrative Support
  • Amanda Honeywell-Gentry
  • Elizabeth Cano

Referral

You will need a referral from your primary or specialty care provider to schedule with our clinic.