Around here, children come first

Whether you’re visiting one of our clinics, having a virtual care visit at home or your child is receiving care at our hospital, everything we do, every decision we make, is for the most amazing people on earth.

Because kids (and their families) feel more comfortable if they know what to expect, we’ve put together the following information to help you and your child prepare for every step of your visit to Children’s Minnesota — from getting here to going home.

Preparing for a virtual care visit

Some types of appointments are available online. The virtual care page explains how to get ready for a virtual care visit.

Getting to Children’s Minnesota

Understanding which location you need and how to get there are important steps in preparing for your visit.

Preparing for your visit

Going to the doctor can be scary, whether it’s for a routine immunization or a complex procedure. To make your experience with us as stress-free as possible, we’ve outlined a few tips to get you and your child ready for a visit, including:

Talking to your child about what to expect: Age-appropriate tips to help you prepare your child for any kind of visit at Children’s Minnesota.
“What to bring” checklist: A quick checklist to help you remember what to bring to your appointment.
Pre-registering for an appointment: How to register for rehabilitation services, surgeries, x-rays and special diagnostics.
Scheduling a pre-surgery tour: Surgery center tours and orientations that prepare the whole family for a child’s surgery.

You can also learn more about Children’s Minnesota Comfort Promise, our initiative to improve patient comfort by finding ways to prevent and treat pain.

While you are here

When you’re at any Children’s Minnesota location, we want you to be as comfortable as possible. As a result, we’ve developed a wide range of services to make visits easier for families and patients. Learn about:

Interpreter services for all languages to assist patients and families.
Campus amenities at our hospitals:
- Children’s Minnesota – Minneapolis
- Children’s Minnesota – St. Paul
Lodging options for families staying overnight, including information on Ronald McDonald facilities within our hospitals
Tips for families and patients:
- Supporting your child during a hospital stay
- Going-home checklists
Patient rights / addressing concerns
- Patient’s rights and privacy
- Resources for addressing concerns with Children’s Minnesota

Hospital visitor guidelines

For the protection of all patients, do not visit the hospital if you are ill. Everyone will be screened for illness (including fever and cough) at the Welcome Desk before they can visit a patient. Parents or their designated substitute may visit at any time. See our complete list of hospital visiting guidelines.