Pediatric Otolaryngology (ENT)

Our entire staff is dedicated to treating infants, children and teens. The team includes:

• Pediatric otolaryngologists​
• Pediatric audiologists
• Pediatric advanced practice providers
• Pediatric anesthesiologists
• Pediatric nurses
• Speech and Language Pathology
• Social workers​
• Education coordinator (Cochlear Implant Program)
• Translators and interpreters (including a full-time Spanish translator dedication to division) 

To provide coordinated care for our patients, our team members work closely with other pediatric specialists at Lurie Children’s, especially in the following areas:

• Allergy and Immunology
• Cancer (Oncology)
• Cardiology & CV Surgery
• Dentistry
• Endocrinology
• Infectious Disease
• Gastroenterology
• General Pediatric Surgery
• Genetics, Genomics and Metabolism
• Neonatology
• Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Pulmonary Medicine
• Sleep Medicine
• The Chicago Institute for Fetal Health

The head of the division, Dana M. Thompson, MD, MS, is a board-certified otolaryngologist who completed advanced training in pediatric otolaryngology. She has more than 20 years of experience as a children’s ENT physician. She is an internationally recognized leader in treating children’s swallowing disorders and in reconstructing the trachea, such as in children with life-threatening narrowing of the windpipe. A renowned researcher and mentor, she has published more than 85 scientific articles and 20 book chapters and delivered more than 300 presentations related to clinical and scientific research, practice development, physician wellness and bias and equity in healthcare. 

Meet our Team

A multidisciplinary team of experienced healthcare providers will care for your child and help create a care plan. This team approach makes it easier for you to see every specialist your child needs under one roof and often in the same visit. 

Our expertise is broad. The Division of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Lurie Children’s houses one of the largest pediatric cochlear implant programs in the country; in fact, our pediatric cochlear implant surgeons have performed more than 2,300 implantations since 1991. We have an experienced complex airway program, cutting-edge sleep surgery options and one of the only pediatric 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome Programs led by an otolaryngologist in the country. We also house one of the only skull base programs at a freestanding children’s hospital, and our head and neck surgeons are involved in writing and reviewing national clinical care guidelines for pediatric thyroid tumors. 

As a whole, Lurie Children’s is a kid-friendly environment that’s committed to family-centered care. We believe in family-centered care, which means we involve the whole family in a patient’s treatment plan.  

Our many family services include ParentWISE® (Parent Wisdom In Shared Experience®) to match parents of children who already had a treatment, such as cochlear implants, with those who are considering that therapy. 

Lurie Children’s is also a research center​, which lets us provide access to innovative treatments that are available only at a limited number of centers, through studies in patients (clinical trials).