About the Helen Bernardy Center
The Helen Bernardy Center for Medically Fragile Children, located in San Diego, California, is a distinguished skilled nursing and subacute facility dedicated to caring for children and adolescents with complex medical, physical, and developmental challenges. As part of Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego, the center offers 24-hour comprehensive nursing care provided by a team of registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, respiratory therapists, and certified nursing assistants. The interdisciplinary team also includes physicians, therapists, dietitians, and social workers, collaborating to create individualized treatment plans that address each resident’s unique needs.
Coordinated Care
Registered nurses, licensed vocational nurses, licensed respiratory therapists and certified nursing assistants provide 24-hour nursing care to all residents. Attending physicians monitor all residents regularly, at which time the resident’s treatment plan and any specialist recommendations are reviewed. Bernardy Center staff members coordinate appointments at Rady Children’s specialty clinics, and residents are accompanied to appointments by their parents and/or staff.
Interdisciplinary Team
Our interdisciplinary team includes the program director, physicians, licensed nurses, occupational, physical and recreational therapists, a dietitian, a social worker, and certified nursing assistants. The resident’s parents/guardians, the San Diego Regional Center service coordinator and a San Diego Unified School District teacher are part of our team as well.
This interdisciplinary team meets quarterly for each resident to monitor the appropriateness and effectiveness of each resident’s individualized program.
Outdoor Recreational Activities
Recreational activities are both on and off campus. On-site activities include canine therapy, music time, arts and crafts, and birthday parties. Off-campus events include trips to the San Diego Zoo, the Wild Animal Park, SeaWorld, Mission Bay, Padres Games, the Del Mar Fairgrounds and the SkateWorld Roller Rink. Click here for our Activities Calendar.
Family Participation
We recognize the importance of your child’s psychosocial needs. For this reason, we welcome all family members and family-approved visitors to visit as often as they’d like during our normal visitor hours. Our normal visiting hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day of the week. We also provide caregiver training and education for each family member so they can participate in their child’s daily care needs and take their child off campus for outings in the community or overnight stays at home on special occasions.
Admission Criteria
To be admitted to our center, children must meet the following criteria:
- Have a medical condition that warrants 24-hour nursing care
- Be non-ambulatory
- Be 20 years old or younger at the time of admission
- May have a tracheostomy and may be ventilator dependent (For our tracheostomy brochure, click here: English/En español.)
Contact Us
Contact us for more information and to tour our facility. Please call our admissions coordinator at 858-966-5833.
Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego (Map it)
8060 Frost St
San Diego, CA 92123
Phone: 858-966-5833
Fax: 858-966-8558
Support Our Program
One hundred percent of your tax-deductible gift benefits Rady Children’s.
To donate, click the link below:
Volunteer
Volunteers make such a great impact on these children’s lives. To apply and learn more about volunteer opportunities, click below.
In the News
- Otay Ranch Girl Reunited with Dog After Being in Children’s Hospital for Nearly Two Years, cbs8.com, features Rady Children’s patient
- Ambulance Company Helps Hospital Patient, 12, Get Home for the Holiday, nbcsandiego.com, features Bernardy Center Patient
- Rady Children’s Patient Returns Home for Holiday Visit, fox5sandiego.com, features Bernardy Center patient
- Remembering Bernardy Center Employee Bob Davis, The San Diego Union-Tribune
- 86-year-old man sets Rady Children’s volunteer record, fox5sandiego.com
- Holiday Party Brings Cheer to Patients, Family Members, The San Diego Union-Tribune