“We are dedicated to providing state-of-the-art medical care to children with cancer and other life-threatening blood disorders such as sickle cell anemia and hemophilia. Much of our care is provided within the context of cutting-edge clinical trials, with some revolutionary and major work done by our faculty. By using aggressive therapies within a system that provides for psychosocial support services for the children, teenagers and their families, we hope that all our patients will not only survive but become productive and healthy adults.”

Stuart Toledano, M.D.
Professor and Chief, Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Each year in the United States, approximately 12,000 children under the age of 21 will be diagnosed with cancer, about 1,000 babies will be born with sickle cell disease, and 1 in 4,000 males will be born with hemophilia.

Each will require the finest medical care provided in a compassionate, culturally sensitive setting, with full support for the child and their family.

SOUTH FLORIDA’S BEST-KEPT SECRET

The University of Miami’s Childhood Cancer and Related Blood Disorders Program is the largest program of its kind in South Florida. This program is dedicated to giving specialized treatment to all children – regardless of their ability to pay – from newborns to adolescents, stricken with any form of cancer and blood disorder. Through the UM Hematology/Oncology specialists, patients are assured of the latest and most advanced techniques. The program’s team approach and state-of-the-art care allows children with hematologic and oncologic disorders to reach their fullest potential. The University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center, the Mailman Center for Child Development and the Batchelor Children’s Research Institute provide services and research.

We offer a full range of psychosocial support services to help children and their families cope during their difficult moments. Extensive interaction occurs between physicians, nurses, psychologists, social workers, child life specialists and parents. Periodic one-on-one sessions are held to educate parents on their child’s condition. For the older children, who are aware of their medical condition, a teen support group meets regularly.

Children from all over the United States and around the world come to us for comprehensive treatment of childhood cancers, sickle cell disease, or hemophilia or to participate in exciting research that is being conducted here.

PHYSICIANS AND STAFF

The Hematology/Oncology team consists of a group of dedicated and caring professionals who have worked together to develop a program that provides a single standard of superior care to all children.

Dr. Stuart Toledano is the director of the division. Other faculty consists of Dr. Joanna Davis, who heads the Hemophilia Program; and Jacqueline Levy PhD, Clinical Psychologist, overseesthe pediatric psychology service, Dr. Paul Gordon who heads the Bone Marrow Transplant Program, Dr. Antonello Podda, who heads the Neuro Oncology program and Dr. Ofelia Alvarez oversees our Sickle Cell Program & Center. The program could not run without the major contributions of our outstanding nurse practitioners, RNs & physician assistant Ellen White, Tally Hustace, Noeline Lewis, Maria Rodriquez, Maria Santaella, & Dale Wright; social workers Alicia Luna and Mildred Brooks; Child Life Specialist Letitia Cason; and a dedicated team of clinic nurses headed by Kathy Harden.

AFFILIATIONS

The childhood cancer program is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group (COG), an international clinical trials group dedicated to improving treatment and outcomes for children with cancer. We participate in more than 70 current clinical trials. By working together with researchers from more than 200 children’s hospitals, we have seen dramatic improvements in the survival and cure of childhood cancer in the past 20 years, to the point that it is now estimated that 1 in every 1,000 adults in the US is a survivor of childhood cancer.

The University of Miami Sickle Cell Center program provides comprehensive care to one of the largest populations of children with sickle cell disease in the United States (more than 700 children). We have been a leading participant in the major studies in sickle cell disease over the past decade and continue this work in the study of hydroxyurea and bone marrow transplantation as treatment.

OUTPATIENT SERVICES

The outpatient clinic is staffed by a dedicated group of nurses and laboratory technicians who provide that extra personal touch, whether by listening, laughing, or sometimes crying with the children and their families. Visits to the outpatient clinic may be brief, involving a quick check-up and laboratory work, or may involve large parts of a day while chemotherapy or a blood transfusion is given. A comfortable waiting area offers parents an opportunity to get to know one another and provides children with play areas complete with toys and puzzles as well as video, board and computer games – essential items to help make the time enjoyable and pass more quickly. Trips to the clinic also provide opportunities for continued learning and access to supportive services. Our approach to care is comprehensive, and as many needs as possible are met through our “one-stop-shopping” approach to care.

INPATIENT SERVICES

Treatment of childhood cancer, sickle cell disease, and other blood disorders often involves visits to the hospital to receive chemotherapy, treatment for pain, or management of serious infections. A dedicated floor, with trained nurses, has been established to provide the kind of care needed. Resident physicians are available 24 hours a day, with a senior attending physician from pediatric hematology/oncology available within a few minutes.

In addition to daily contact with one of the pediatric hematologists/oncologists, children and families in the hospital benefit from a very strong child life program, filled with activities to make the hospital stay less difficult. Support services from social work, psychology, physical therapy, education and nutrition are available as well. For those very difficult situations, one of the best pediatric intensive care units in the world is very close by, and our pediatric bone marrow transplantation unit is just around the corner.

A visit to the hospital is never fun, for children or parents, but we make every effort to lessen the difficulty and make the stay as pleasant as possible.

SPECIAL PROGRAMS

Recognizing that not all diseases or children are alike, we have developed a number of special programs for our patients.

Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT)
The Childhood Cancer and Related Blood Disorders program was recently augmented with the UM/Pediatric Bone Marrow Transplantation Program. Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been very successful in treating children with immune deficiency disorders, aplastic anemia and acute and chronic leukemias and it is being used more often for treatment of solid tumors.

With the advantage of having a pediatric bone marrow transplant unit, the Childhood Cancer and Related Blood Disorders conducted the first “blood-cell transplant from an umbilical cord” in South Florida.

Neuro-Oncology Program
Children with brain tumors are followed by a multi-disciplinary team, coordinated by one of our oncologists that include neurosurgery, neuropatholgy, neurology, neuropsychology, radiation oncology, endocrinology, neuroradiology and other services as need.

Sickle Cell Center
The Sickle Cell Center’s mission is to see that high-quality medical care is provided to those individuals with sickle cell disease, who choose to receive their care at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. The center offers screening, genetic counseling advice and complete medical care. The center also serves as a resource to the community through its research and educational activities directed toward professional and lay audiences. In addition, it functions as the institutional liaison for the Miami-Dade County branch of the Sickle Cell Disease Society of America.

Child Life Services
Child Life Services are provided in both the inpatient and outpatient clinics. Supported by grants and funds raised by the Children’s Cancer Fund, children are provided with a range of therapeutic play activities, including community art projects with local professional artists through our Arts in Medicine Program, regular visits from the Therapy Dogs and outings with the Teen Group. All activities are geared to the age of the child, and all are designed to lessen the burden of treatment and to put the smiles back on the faces of the children.

Comprehensive Hemophilia Program

Children with hemophilia are seen in a comprehensive clinic by a multidisciplinary team that includes a pediatric hematologist, pediatric orthopedist, pediatric psychologist, and specialty nurses.

Pediatric Psychology Program

Pediatric Psychology services are available for all children and families seen in our facilities. Psychology services begin with diagnosis, and include crisis support, parent training, pain management, assistance with side effects of treatment, school re-entry programs, and family support. Careful neuropsychological evaluations are conducted for all children at risk for learning problems, and state-of-the-art interventions are administered for learning, memory, attention, reading, and writing problems. Children and families are able to access these services in conjunction with both outpatient and inpatient medical care, during treatment after treatment and even into young adulthood.

Research and Teaching

Because this is a university-based program, research and teaching are major parts of our mission. While we try to provide the expert clinical care that the community expects, we have an obligation to enhance our understanding through research and interventions in order to provide the best care. Expanding our knowledge is essential to providing the best treatment possible.

Much of our current information and expertise can be attributed to research studies and clinical trials. The Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology is a full member of the Pediatric Oncology Group of the National Cancer Institute. Current research projects include examining quality of life issues, pain management, neurocognitive development in children treated for brain tumors, leukemia, stroke (in sickle cell disease cases), cytokines and infections (in oncology patients).

Philanthropic Support

Because we provide care to children who often have limited means, and because it is expensive to conduct research and train other professionals, our program is dependent upon generous support from the community. Individuals interested in contributing to our research, education, care efforts should contact the University of Miami Department of Pediatrics’ Development Office at (305) 243-3956.