There is still time to say “thank you” for that special nurse in your life.  In honor of Nursing week we’re rolling out a new recognition program, “The Daisy Awards” for our nursing staff.    The Daisy Awards are a national recognition program that we are launching here locally at Nationwide Children’s.  The story behind the award is truly touching.

DAISY is an acronym for Diseases Attacking the Immune System. The national award program was formed in November, 1999, by the family of J. Patrick Barnes who died of complications from a rare immune condition. As Patrick’s family considered how to honor his memory, they kept coming back to the amazing nursing care he received.   They wanted to create a national program to celebrate nursing excellence and the Daisy Awards were born.

Anyone can nominate a Nationwide Children’s nurse for this honor via our website.  Winners are selected quarterly from all submissions and Daisy Award recipients will be recognized with a hand-carved sculpture, Daisy Award certificate, Daisy Award pin and Cinnabon rolls (a favorite of Patrick’s).   Every nurse who’s nominated receives a copy of the submission form so it’s a perfect way to extend your thanks.  Do you know an extraordinary Nationwide Children’s nurse? Nominate him or her today!

Kellie Woodgeard, RN at South High Primary Care Center receiving the DAISY Award

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Apps are everywhere – in fact, Apple is counting down to the 50 billionth app to be downloaded in their App Store. In celebration of this milestone, I wanted to highlight Nationwide Children’s updated mobile app, myChildren’s.  Thousands of parents have already downloaded our app and provided great feedback that we’ve incorporated into this updated version.  myChildren’s is free and includes frequently used resources including maps and directions, physician directories and urgent care locations/hours.

1. My Child: Customized section for your child(ren) – update and maintain your child’s immunization schedules*, developmental milestones, and more. *Source: Center for   Disease Control and Prevention Immunization schedules.
2. Health Library: Access an A-Z listing of critical childhood health topics, from stages of growth and development to disease and injury prevention, procedures and tests.
3. Locate: The nearest Urgent Care Center, Emergency Room at the hospital’s main campus, Close To Home Center, and more.
4. Find a Doctor or Service: Search for your child’s doctor by name, program or service. View their profile, contact them or find them on the map.
5. Need-to-Know Information: Get hours, service descriptions, information about what to bring and what not to bring and general main campus information.

So while you’re out downloading the latest versions of “Angry Birds” (The #1 downloaded paid app of all time) be sure to add myChildren’s to your smartphone or tablet.  We’d also love to hear from you with ideas and suggestions for our next update.

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Kangaroo Care: The magic of a good cuddle for premature babies or any newborn.

I was in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit yesterday and I’m always impacted by how tiny these fragile newborns can be – many weighing a pound or less (imagine the size of a soda can – that’s how small some of the babies we care for can be). 

As we traveled through the units I noticed many parents sitting in recliners cuddling with their newborns – the babies out of their incubators and laying skin-to-skin against their mommy or daddy’s chests.  Even some of our smallest babies; on ventilators and multiple medical devices; were carefully placed against their parents for skin-to-skin or what we refer to as kangaroo Care.

Kangaroo care is more than a bonding experience for parents and babies.  Research done here at Nationwide Children’s has shown there are significant medical benefits for both baby and mother. For the baby, kangaroo care can stabilize and improve vital signs such as breathing and heart rate, promote weight gain and brain development and can increase deep sleep. And, babies that kangaroo care often go home sooner than those that don’t. Parents benefit too; not only bonding but helping to decrease the stress that comes with having a baby in the NICU. For mothers, kangaroo care has proven to decrease the risk of postpartum depression and increase breast milk production.

Kangaroo care is just one of the protocols we’re testing and refining to improve outcomes for these tiniest of newborns.  We make our protocols available to NICUs across the country to help them improve their results too.

Any baby, not just those in the NICU, can benefit from kangaroo care.We encourage kangaroo care as early and as often as possible for every baby.  This video will give you an inside look at how it’s done.

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If only kids came with instruction manuals!  Unfortunately they don’t but the next best thing is PediaCast; our weekly podcast created just for parents who want to raise healthy, happy kids.

Thousands of parents across America check in weekly to download this free, award-winning audio program available from our website or on I-Tunes (and coming soon to iHeartRadio.com)  Each episode provides trustworthy, detailed and up-to-date answers to real-world questions.

The voice behind PediaCast is Dr. Mike Patrick a pediatrician in our Emergency Medicine Department here at Nationwide Children’s.  Dr. Mike has more than 15 years in practice and he’s seen just about everything when it comes to kids.  He’s also a dad – with two teenage children at home – so he understands first-hand challenges of parenting.  He also knows how to make complex medical topics easy for parents to understand.  He takes the mystery out of the medicine.

I sat down with Dr. Mike to get the “behind the scenes” story of PediaCast.

Mike has been interested in broadcasting since age 10 – when he was hired to DJ at his local skating rink.  Even while studying for his pre-med degree he continued to work for his college radio station.  The idea for PediaCast was born in 2006 when podcasting first began and Mike was seeking a helpful parenting resource for patients in his practice and no relevant webcasts were available at the time.  He realized he could marry his love of broadcasting and education and PediaCast was born.

Now – downloaded more than 12,000 times per month, PediaCast has grown to one of the top health-related downloads from I-Tunes popular Kids and Family Section.  Listeners report that they enjoy PediaCast for the “edutainment” factor – great practical information they enjoy listening to.

Each week Mike presents news parents can use, he answers listener questions and frequently interviews  pediatric experts on key topics.  Some of Mike’s favorite and most-popular episodes?

The Foodies – Not experts but interested in food (pediatric allergies) – Tackled all those tough questions about foods (additives, artificial flavors) – Learned a lot

Parenting 101: Baby Basics -  Everything a brand new parent needs to know about infant care – A great resource for new parents

All About ADHD – An in-depth look at the causes, treatments and parenting a child with ADHD

Finally, I asked Mike what are the 3 best pieces of healthcare advice for parents? As always, he delivered practical pointers:

1)      Make good nutrition and exercise part of your family routine right from the very beginning.

2)      Kids get sick a lot in their infant and toddler years and expect that – That’s part of building immunity and perfectly normal – it makes for a stronger immune system later

3)      Make quality time for your children but also quality time for yourself as parents – Date nights are important and will make you a better parent for your kids.

Click here to join the PediaCast Community – Don’t miss an episode! You can also ask Dr. Mike a question on our Facebook page and he will answer with a video!

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Amazing Wallscape to come down after 2-year display

If you’ve been along High Street in downtown Columbus you can’t miss it.  Dedicated on Valentine’s Day, 2011, our “Miracles at Play” Wallscape weighs 15,000 pounds was the most complex outdoor display ever created here in Columbus. The project was an amazing gift, completely donated to the hospital by Nationwide Insurance. If you haven’t seen it – make a point to swing by soon as the wallscape will be coming down next week after two years of traffic-stopping display.

The Wallscape and it’s “Miracles at Play” message have been transformational for the hospital . It featured seven children, all with special connections to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Highlights included Lucas (budding philanthropist), hanging from monkey bars suspended between wings of the building, Savanna (cancer survivor) and Anna (asthma patient) who sat on a seesaw weighing approximately 4,000 pounds. They were all amazing ambassadors for the hospital and helped raise more than $100,000.  Thanks to Wolfe Associates Inc. $1 was donated for each person who joined the Miracles at Play movement, up to $100,000.  We reached this goal during the first year and our community on Facebook has now grown to nearly 140,000-strong.   

Even as Miracles at Play comes down we are planning for our next Wallscape.  Thanks to continued generosity from Nationwide Insurance we have a new display donated. Here’s a sneak preview.  We’re looking forward to stopping more traffic in the years ahead.  

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Two weeks ago we shared the story of Bobby Johnson, Transportation Orderly and Employee of the Year on our Facebook page.  In response to this story, your posts and comments were overwhelming!

More than a thousand of you “liked” the post and more than 130 posted comments about what Bobby means to them. What moved me most were the posts from families who had met Bobby during their hospital stays and commented about the positive, lasting impression he created.  Think about it…a brief encounter to transport their child…and Bobby made a long-lasting impact.  That is a living testament to the importantance of Everything Matters (little things can really make a big difference).

We pasted a few below but check out all the wonderful comments on our Facebook page,  it was a pleasure to share them with Bobby and we love to hear from you.  Congratulations again to Bobby!

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It was an amazing first year – with inspiration provided at every mile by our 25 patient champions and the very special angel mile, honoring the memory of children who have finished their race.

So what’s up for 2013?  Exciting plans are underway.  We received an overwhelming number of nominations for this year’s patient champions.  We will be announcing our 2013 patient champions for each mile in the next several weeks.  We will once again host the Angel Mile with funds benefitting our pediatric hospice program.   New this year will be the Alumni Mile – one mile reuniting all our patient champions from 2012.  Many of the children from last year’s event wanted to cheer on runners and help raise funds again so we made this mile just for them.

Patient Champion Updates:

Many of you have asked for updates on our 2012 patient mile champions and here are some highlights:

Brett Kingsley –  Mile 25

Many of you were moved by Brett, who inspired thousands as he was pushed across the finish line by “Team Brett”.  Brett is a 7 year old boy who has beaten the odds.  His terminal diagnosis of Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 1 meant he was not supposed to see his 3rd birthday.  Brett continues to live his dreams – finishing his school year and looking forward to the summer months with his family.  The Kingsley’s continue to champion for SMA research at Nationwide Children’s – one of America’s leading centers seeking cures for this devastating disease.

Logan Kile – Mile 6

At 34 weeks pregnant, Kile’s parents discovered that little Logan had an esophageal malformation, and would require immediate surgery after birth. After only months of life, Logan was diagnosed with Charge Syndrome. Charge Syndrome often leads to deafness, blindness, and a multitude of other diagnoses.   Today, Logan’s parents are happy to report that their 4-year old is now walking, using sign language and even beginning to form a couple words.  He amazes his teachers every day in preschool and keeps his family laughing at home.  His parents feel they are the luckiest people in the world to experience parenthood with Logan, their little miracle, as their guide!

Kole Noble – Mile 26

Immediately after birth Kole developed serious complications and was taken to the operating room. Over the course of several weeks, he had all but 10 cm of his small bowel removed leaving him with short bowel syndrome and dependent on IV nutrition (TPN). Now age 4, Kole has unfortunately had several hospitalizations over the last months.  He is struggling right now but he does not let that get him down. He has a smile for everyone. Kole continues to be dependent on his TPN (IV nutrition) and tube feeds. His short bowel syndrome and other diagnoses do not keep him from living life to the fullest. He is taking a gymnastic class and plans on playing Miracle League Baseball again this year.

Nicholas Sawchuk – Mile 18

Nicholas was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor in December 2011 and underwent surgery in January 2012.  He was diagnosed with a recurrent brain tumor the week after the Nationwide Columbus Children’s Hospital Marathon and underwent another very long surgery to remove the recurrent tumor on November 7, 2012.  He is currently receiving Radiation Therapy . Nicholas’ parents report that he was honored to be a patient champion last year, and his smile never wavered nor did his high fives for every runner that came to greet him.  Many runners brought personal messages of hope and inspiration to Nicholas as he sat there that day.  Many told Nicholas, that he was why they were running.  Nicholas’ team raised more than $4000 and the are gearing up for the 2013 race.

Hunter Miller – Mile 24

Hunter was among our tiniest mile champions.  He spent more than 400 days in our neonatal intensive care unit after being born more than three months premature in September, 2011.  Hunter battled nearly every complication of severe prematurity but he’s been home since last October.  He currently receives oxygen therapy and has a feeding tube to help speed his growth.  Given less than a 50 percent chance of survival, Hunter is a fighter, now weighing almost 19 pounds.

Hunter Miller

Nicholas Sawchuk

Kole Noble

Brett Kingsley

Logan Kile

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In an organization of nearly 10,000 staff, it’s quite an accomplishment to be named Employee of the Year.  Staff vote to select the winner and among all our doctors, nurses, researchers and outstanding staff. So who received this prestigious honor?  Meet Bobby Johnson, Transportation Orderly and Employee of the Year.

I had the joy to be at the award ceremony when Bobby was honored - his excitement and enthusiasm  were contagious – hundreds of staff were up on their feet cheering for Bobby.  He is a living example of how everything matters.

In his 10 years with Children’s, Bobby has logged thousands of miles transporting patients – whether by gurney or by wagon (one of our favorite modes of transportation)

Transport orderlies are so important at Children’s.  Think about their role – bringing patients to procedures and surgery that can be scary and stressful.  It can be a long ride – staring at the ceiling – but not when Bobby is pushing you.  He seems to know just what to say.   A bright smile, a funny story, a kind word – whatever a patient or parent needs at that time - Bobby is there.  Maybe it’s because he’s a dad himself – with two children of his own at home.  Bobby is also attentive to all the safety concerns of transporting medically fragile and critically ill children – where wrong moves can inflict pain or dislodge crucial medical equipment.

Our transport staff are among the most visible in the hospital – they travel everywhere and you can always tell when Bobby is around.  The room just seems a bit sunnier – the mood a bit lighter. Bobby has a special gift and we are so happy that he found his way to our patients. Congratulations to Bobby and a thank you to all our amazing transport orderlies.  They are among the unsung heroes that make everything matter – everyday.

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In honor of National Nutrition Month, I decided to once again challenge our talented Nationwide Children’s Hospital chefs.

My question:  How can we adapt kid’s favorite foods to add more nutritional punch? 

As always the chefs were up for the challenge with some great ideas and suggestions.  I made the avocado grilled cheese and tomato soup recipe last night – delicious!

Oven baked “Fried Chicken”

• 1 chicken breast (or leg or thigh)
• 1 bag of 100 calorie pretzels – crushed
• 2 pieces of whole grain bread – ground into crumbs
• 2 Egg whites
• Flax flour
• Pinch or black pepper
• Cooking Spray

Mix bread crumbs and pretzel together.  Sprinkle a scant amount of pepper on the chicken breast, dredge in flax flour and then dip in egg white, roll in the crumb pretzel mixture to coat.

Place on cookie baking sheet or a glass dish lightly coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 375 until 165 degrees internal temp (approximately 25 minutes). It is crunchy, healthier than fried, juicy and golden brown.

Chicken Soup

• 1 can (48 oz) chicken broth
• ¼ cup celery diced
• ¼ cup onion diced
• 1/2 cup carrot diced
• Chicken breast (pan seared or baked) diced
• 1 tbs. Olive oil
• Rice noodles
• ¼ cup cooked white beans, or lentils, or cooked brown rice
• Salt and black pepper to taste. (one tsp. kosher salt and a pinch of black pepper.

Place chicken breast in the soup pot and brown, add the veggies cook until translucent, remove about ½ cup of the veggies and the chicken breast from the pan and hold to the side. Pour the broth into the pot.

Take the veggies you removed along with the beans, lentils or brown rice and puree until smooth. Slowly add this back the broth. Dice the chicken small and add back to the soup. This will give you a wonderful hearty soup that will be filling and delicious.

Last but not least…..quickly cook the rice noodles in boiling water for about 1-2 minutes and add to soup.

Other Pointers from the Chefs

“One of the ways I get my daughters involved is at the grocery store.  They get to pick new fruits and vegetables for us to try and to use when we cook. It allows them ownership and makes them feel like they have a say in what they eat.”

“When we are cooking at home they love to chop , cut and do anything to help which they are very proud of and want to eat just to show everybody they cooked it and how yummy it is.”

“If you introduce new recipes early on you don’t have to hide the nutrition because they think the recipe is always supposed to be this way.”

“One rule for us is that if it doesn’t offer flavor or color then don’t add it.”

We’d love to hear from you:  Comment with your favorite healthy “kid-friendly recipes” so we can pass them along.

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Our Pastoral Care Team describes this as a “Ministry of Presence” – supporting people however they might need it, regardless of their faith or denomination In fact, the hospital’s chaplains resemble a United Nations of faith. They represent many nationalities and religious backgrounds but they all share extensive training in hospital ministry and a special passion for helping children and families.

I had the chance to sit down with Susan Kyser, our Director for Pastoral Care and her Coordinator, Sarah Reed, . Susan has been at Children’s for 26 years and Sarah for 13 years. Their combined experience is incredible and it was a special opportunity to learn more about their work. These women know how to make you comfortable and there’s something calming about just being in their presence.

Nationwide Children’s Hospital has offered pastoral care support since the hospital opened more than 121 years ago and we have had a fully staffed internal department since 1976. After seeing the most challenging moments that life has to offer both Susan and Sarah still describe their work as a gift. As Susan noted, “to see the resilience of the human spirit.”

Each day for the team begins with a report-out from the night chaplain and a moment for team prayer before heading out to their day’s work on the units. No two days are alike and Susan and her team find it rewarding to not know what may be ahead for them. She emphasizes that in times of crisis someone’s religious beliefs are often not as important as supporting their spirit – understanding what they might need at that moment. Chaplains are assigned to every unit of the hospital and they also train aspiring chaplains from seminaries throughout the area. The hospital welcomes visiting faith leaders from any patient’s home church but with so many patients coming regionally and nationally, this often isn’t possible.

Support from Pastoral Care also extends to our nearly 10,000 staff especially those dealing with the grief following the loss of a patient.  The Chaplains host workshops on various topics and also hold services and memorials in our interfaith chapel.  Their work extends out into the community including visits to schools that are grieving the loss of a fellow student. It’s all in a day’s work and Susan emphasizes how much the patients and families teach them every day.

So what does it take to be a hospital chaplain?  More than 1600 hours of training in a clinical setting are required and that’s after the candidate has finished their Master’s degree and is Ordained in their chosen faith. Working with children and supporting families, often in crisis, requires a special skill set. Susan and Sarah specifically look for the energy, kindness and the ability to be present in even the most stressful situations, often just as a listening ear.

Thanks To Susan and Sarah for sharing a bit of their world with me – I always feel uplifted when I spend time with them.  Would love to hear about your stories about our Chaplains and what they’re meant to you as staff or a patient family.

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Behind the scenes with our Pastoral Care Team appeared first on It's The Little Things.