Primary Care

Caring for a child with complex medical needs takes a team. The Rainbow/KASA team works with families to manage symptoms, coordinate with home and school nurses, ensure access to medications and supplies, and support care at home. We also connect families to community resources and help with the transition to adult care.

The team includes your child’s primary care provider, nurse practitioner, nurses and a social worker. To reach us, call 617-355-8007 and ask for the Rainbow/KASA team.

The Asthma Action Team — made up of doctors, nurses, nurse practitioners, and social workers — supports families in managing their child’s asthma. This program complements, but does not replace, regular checkups.

Our main goal is to work with patient families to develop a plan to monitor and control their child’s asthma symptoms and prevent asthma attacks before they occur.  We help families to identify environmental asthma triggers and refer them for assistance to community and city services. We also refer families to the Boston Children's Hospital Community Asthma Initiative for in-home asthma education and environmental support.

Services include asthma education, medication adjustments, trigger identification, social work support, flu vaccines, and coordination with your child’s primary care and specialty providers. Your child must be a patient at Boston Children’s Primary Care to participate.

Please bring all medications your child receives to appointments with the Asthma Team.

The Advocating Success for Kids (ASK) Program works with children under age 14 who have learning, developmental, emotional, or behavioral problems at school or at home.

Children in the ASK Program typically have a diagnosis of autism, learning disabilities, ADHD, language delays, and/or intellectual disabilities. Our multidisciplinary team offers evaluations of developmental, learning, and/or behavioral difficulties, referral for services, and advocacy.

The Rapid Assessment of Skin Health (RASH) Clinic is designed to provide an enhanced level of care for patients with dermatologic conditions. Staffed by two pediatricians with training in dermatology, we see patients with a variety of skin conditions, including eczema, acne, and skin infections.

The Headache Clinic helps patients manage their headaches more effectively.

They offer extended visits to discuss medication strategies as well as lifestyle factors, including sleep, hydration, and stress management. They also track progress over time and adjust treatment as needed.

The HealthySteps program is supported by three developmental specialists who provide guidance and support to families with children under the age of 4. They assist with specific challenges such as tantrums, toilet training, sleep issues, and picky eating, and also offer general developmental support by participating in well-child visits.

All young children need car safety seats — but not all families can easily afford them or know how to use them. That’s why we offer car safety seats and trainings for families. Talk to one of our staff if you are interested.

Our financial services staff is available to help you through the health insurance application process. Let us know if you need assistance.

Boston Children’s Primary Care offers video and in-person interpreters for patient families. Please reach out for additional information on this service.

We support babies and their families in the first year of life by ensuring that all babies are scheduled for their recommended well-child visits and receive the appropriate vaccinations and developmental screenings. We also offer lactation services.

Child Life Services and volunteers are ready to help when a child is having a hard time adjusting during their doctor’s appointment. Our Child Life staff has special training in helping children through difficult experiences, and our activities and volunteers can make waiting fun.

Boston Children’s Primary Care partners with Reach Out and Read to make early literacy promotion an important part of the primary care we offer our families. Using this program, we give parents and caregivers the tools and encouragement they need to read with their children and engage in other language-rich activities every day. Together, we set young children on the path to bright, healthy futures.

• More about Reach Out and Read at Boston Children's

The nutrition team is available to help children and families improve their nutrition and overall health. Areas of focus include picky eating, slow growth, and strategies for healthy eating. Our registered dietitians provide individualized nutrition assessments, recommendations and counseling based on identified needs. Our comprehensive care is provided through individual and family-centered solutions that will fit each patient family’s personal preferences and lifestyle.

Healthy in the City (formerly Fitness in the City) Program at Martha Eliot Health Center (MEHC) provides Boston families with the tools and resources needed to live healthy and active lives as part of the hospital’s community mission. It is also designed to help motivate families to set goals and participate in fitness and nutrition activities.

Becoming a parent is challenging, especially for teens. The Young Parents Program (YPP) at Children’s Hospital Primary Care Center (CHPCC) supports teen mothers and fathers from low-income or at-risk backgrounds.

YPP offers primary medical care, counseling, parenting education, and support for healthy child development. We also help young parents with housing, school, and social activities.