Genetic counselors work with families and individual patients at risk for genetic disorders to help them understand and adapt to diagnosed or potential genetic disorders, including interpretation of existing genetic test results and helping to coordinate and obtain informed consent for diagnostic genetic testing.
A genetic counselor provides education and information, and helps a patient or family navigate the medical, psychological, and hereditary impacts of genetic disease.
This includes analysis of inheritance patters, recurrence risks, review of available management options and resources, supportive counseling, and patient advocacy.
Genetic counselors also provide education and resource support for other health care professionals, students, and the general public, and adapt this education to be appropriate for the audience or patient and family to understand.
Genetic counselors at Dayton Children’s Hospital are not exclusively focused on pediatrics, and serve patients and families throughout the lifetime, including adults, preconception and carrier screening, prenatal genetics, general pediatric genetics, neurogenetics, cardiogenetics, pharmacogenetics, oncology genetics, multi-disciplinary team clinics, and other indications.
A Dayton Children’s genetic counselor also provides support to other healthcare professionals for assistance in coordinating desired genetic testing, inpatient consults, and fielding general genetic testing questions from both internal and community partners.
Dayton Children’s Hospital covers costs for state licensure, certification maintenance and initial attempt at board exams, up to one professional society membership, and travel and registration for up to one conference per year.