Introducing the Diagnostic Referral Center for Children

The University of Chicago’s Department of Pediatrics has launched an exciting new initiative: The Diagnostic Referral Center for Children (DRC).  The DRC is a new clinic designed to ease the process of referring difficult-to-diagnose or medically complex children to The University of Chicago for multi-specialty evaluations, to facilitate communication between you and us, and to make parents’ lives easier by coordinating care for their medically complex children.

How does it work?  Referring physicians can call us toll-free, any time day or night at

866-434-7363

Your inquiries will be answered by either the DRC coordinator or a nurse practitioner.  They will take some basic information from you about the child whom you wish to refer.  They will contact one of the DRC pediatricians – Dr. John Lantos or Dr. Joel Schwab -- who will call you back that day.  Together, you and one of our DRC pediatricians will determine which specialists or clinics ought to evaluate the child whom you are referring.  We will then work with the parents to set up the appointments with those specialists on a single convenient day.

On the evaluation day, the child will be seen by Dr. Lantos or Dr. Schwab and the appropriate subspecialists.  At the end of the day, one of our DRC pediatricians will contact you with the results of our evaluation and our recommendations for possible future tests and/or treatment.  We will then work with you to develop follow-up plans. 

Another goal of the Diagnostic Referral Center is to provide continuing medical education programs for community physicians.  To that end, we are pleased to announce Digital Grand Rounds, beginning this fall.  Please join us on your desktop for CME credit via web-based participation in the Department of Pediatrics grand rounds.  Submit real-time comments and questions to the presenter, or view archived material at your convenience.  Coming soon to http://pediatrics.uchicago.edu.

If you have questions, please call Sharon Dunn, the DRC Coordinator, toll free at 866-434-7363 or write to the drc@peds.bsd.uchicago.edu.