Child Life Specialist

Leading the Way in Helping Kids Feel Whole

Kids mean the world to us. As a national leader in minimally invasive surgery, AdventHealth for Children uses the latest pediatric surgical procedures that are proven to help your child recover quickly with fewer complications.

Find the right pediatric surgeon or location that’s convenient for you.

Leading the Way in Pediatric Surgery

  • What to Expect

    Regardless of the reason for your visit, we try to make your stay with us as stress-free and pleasant as possible, for both you and your child.

    Learn More

  • Surgical Procedures

    Thanks to ongoing advances in medicine, many pediatric surgeries can be performed on children through an opening no bigger than a dime, and in many cases even smaller.

    Learn More

Meet Your Pediatric Surgery Team

Christopher Anderson, MD

Christopher Anderson, MD

Medical Director

Lindsey Armstrong, MD, MPH

Lindsey Armstrong, MD, MPH

Aleksander Bernshteyn, MD

Aleksander Bernshteyn, MD

Joseph Esparaz, MD

Joseph Esparaz, MD

W. Raleigh Thompson, MD

W. Raleigh Thompson, MD

Conditions We Treat

  • Atresia (gastrointestinal)
  • Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation (CCAM)/Sequestration
  • Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia
  • Gastroesophageal Reflux
  • Hirschsprung’s Disease
  • Pectus Carinatum (pigeon chest)
  • Pectus Excavatum (funnel chest)
  • Polyhydramnios
  • Undescended Testicles
American College of Surgeons Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program

Surgical Care with National Recognition

AdventHealth for Children is proud to be verified as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center by the American College of Surgeons Children’s Surgery Verification Quality Improvement Program, which was developed to improve the quality of children’s surgical care. You can feel confident knowing that our team has passed specific quality and safety requirements to ensure the best care and outcomes for your child.

Pre-surgery Resources

Pre-surgery Tour

The team at AdventHealth for Children strives to make your child’s hospital visit to the Pediatric Rapid In and Out as stress-free as possible. That’s why our team created the Pre-surgery Tour Program.

This program provides you and your child with a fun, hands-on opportunity to see the hospital, learn about what to expect on the day of surgery and ask your questions. The tour is guided by one of our Child Life Specialists, a health professional who is trained to ensure that each child’s developmental, emotional and psychosocial needs are met during his/her hospital stay.

About the Pre-surgery Tours

Pre-surgery tours are designed to familiarize your child with his/her hospital surroundings and procedure. Each tour includes an opportunity for you and your child to view areas of our hospital you will be visiting the day of your child’s surgery. One of the primary benefits of our pre-surgery tours is to help make you and your child as comfortable as possible.

At AdventHealth for Children we have certified child life specialists who work in our surgical areas providing age and developmentally appropriate education for your child as well as play opportunities to assist with his/her coping and understanding. A child life specialist will lead your pre-op tour. Our younger patients will be given the opportunity to participate in medical play, which allows kids to touch and play with some of the medical equipment and clothes that they will see on their surgery day. You and your child will also be provided tips to reduce hospital-related stress, and be encouraged to bring your questions to help you both feel better prepared.

Schedule a Pre-op Tour

Pre-surgery tours are a FREE service provided by AdventHealth for Children.

To schedule a pre-surgery tour at the Orlando campus, please call 407-303-9630.

For the Tampa campus, please call 813-396-6096.

We look forward to seeing you!

Download Our Free Guidebooks

These brochures will help you prepare for your surgery and recovery.

Video Visit

Video Visits In the Comfort of Your Home

In this time of uncertainty, you can count on us for all your health care needs.

Our services are still available to you during the coronavirus pandemic. You can speak with one of our expert surgeons in a video visit or phone call and may be advised to make an in-person visit, if it’s deemed necessary.

We are currently doing the following appointments virtually:

  • Prenatal consults
  • Post-operative follow-up
  • Long distance appointments, when appropriate
  • Chronic patient follow-up appointments, when appropriate
  • New patient appointments, when appropriate
Make an Appointment

Child-Centered Care

We understand that dealing with the need for a pediatric surgical procedure can be overwhelming, both physically and mentally. This is not only true for your child, but for the entire family as well. That’s why at AdventHealth for Children we are committed to providing comprehensive child-friendly care with heartfelt compassion. This commitment is evident in our unique healing environment and the integrated, interdisciplinary teams who perform specialized and often highly complex surgical procedures.

To learn more about AdventHealth for Children's nationally recognized pediatric surgery program, call 866-434-5437.

Request an Appointment