More Than Medicine: How Cook Children’s Social Work Transformed One Family’s Journey

March is Social Work Month, a time to celebrate the team who works with medical teams and other hospital staff to make sure that patient needs and concerns are addressed and ongoing needs are met.

For Sarah Pitman, a Pulmonology, Sleep Clinic and Transitional Care Unit (TCU) social worker, the role is defined by a commitment to long-term relationship building, acting as a steady presence for families navigating the often-overwhelming intersections of healthcare and systemic barriers.

While doctors treat the symptoms, Pitman and the Cook Children’s Social Services team treat the environment, ensuring that when a child like 6-year-old Sir Mack leaves the clinic, he has a safe, stable place to recover.

Cook Children’s Social Services

Cook Children’s social workers have specialized training to assist families in times of physical, emotional and financial stress and are well informed about available resources. There are social workers assigned to each inpatient floor, emergency department and the on-campus Specialty Clinics.

Examples of things social workers can help families with include:

• Meeting with a family and determine if there are resources available for them.
• Offering emotional support, counseling, and problem-solving strategies.
• Assisting with discharge planning, which includes coordinating the necessary support services for a child to safely return home.
• Helping the medical center, clinic and other community agencies work as a team with patient families.

More Than a Resource: A Partnership

The impact of this work is best seen through the lens of families like Chasity Nowlin’s.

When Nowlin brought Sir Mack in for a pulmonology appointment, the medical team recognized that his asthma triggers weren't just medical - they were environmental. A failing air conditioner in their apartment was compromising his health, and the paperwork to fix it was stalled in a bureaucratic loop.

That was the moment Pitman stepped in. By providing the support and professional advocacy Nowlin needed, Pitman helped move the needle on a housing situation that was rapidly spiraling toward homelessness.

“I didn’t know I needed a social worker and I’m so glad I decided to reach out,” Nowlin said. “Sarah always understands the seriousness of my situations and provides help however I need.”

The Impact of Everyday Support

In Social Services, success isn't always measured in grand gestures; often, it’s found in the timely resolution of a crisis that would otherwise derail a family's progress. For Nowlin, it’s a gas card and a the retail voucher that allowed her to replace a dead car battery just days before Christmas.

For Nowlin - who manages her own health challenges while caring for Sir Mack without a traditional family safety net – this everyday support is the difference between stability and chaos.

“I’m so thankful for Sarah,” Nowlin said. “Because of my health challenges, I haven’t been able to work since Sir Mack was born, and she has made such a difference in our lives. I don’t have parents or other family who are there for me and have been homeless before. To have Sarah at my side means the world to me.”

By empowering parents to advocate for their children, Pitman and her colleagues embody Cook Children’s commitment to every child in its care. They aren't just helpers; they are professional advocates who ensure that no family has to face the complexities of a medical journey alone.

Reaching Out for Help

If you or someone you know needs help stabilizing a family’s life during times of physical, emotional or financial stress, contact the clinic where you are currently receiving care or call Cook Children’s operator: 682-885-4000.