Archive for the ‘About Children’s’ Category

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Five Question Friday: Dr. Robert Segal

Thursday, February 7th, 2013

We’re kicking off a new series, Five Question Friday, a feature every other Friday about the staff at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. Today, we introduce you to Dr. Robert Segal, chief of staff and medical director of the medical/surgical inpatient units on the Minneapolis campus. He has worked at Children’s for 22 years.

Why did you go into pediatric healthcare? I went into pediatrics because it seemed like a great way to blend my fascination with child development, my love of science, and my interest in toy cars and Crayola crayons.

What have you learned from the kids you’ve worked with? I’ve learned many things — to watch and listen mindfully and to understand the remarkable resilience of children and families.

What is your favorite memory from working at Children’s? I don’t have a favorite memory; there as so many.  Every day here at Children’s the children make me smile, and sometimes cry.

What do you love most about working at Children’s? The remarkable community of people I work with.  The ever present focus on combining the experience of children and families in our hospital, with a singular focus on safe and quality care.

What do you hope to accomplish as chief of staff? To share with hospital administration the professional staff’s perspective on the issues that affect our ability to provide the highest quality clinical care and to help oversee the professional staff’s responsibility to provide that care.

 

Posted in About Children's, Five Question Friday | No Comments »

Ally’s journey: How pet therapy helped me heal

Thursday, January 17th, 2013

By Ally Gillen

I’ve had a very eventful 14 years. My life has been full of happy, exciting and life-changing events that have made me who I am today. One event stands out that has changed my life the most.

When I was 10, I was sent to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota with mysterious symptoms that my pediatrician could not figure out.  At Children’s I saw many doctors including an infectious disease specialist and a rheumatologist. After many tests and procedures, the rheumatologist determined I had juvenile dermatomyositis. It’s a rare auto immune disease that affects the muscles and tissues of your body. My case was one of the worst my doctor had ever seen and from that point on, I started my 49-day stay at Children’s in St. Paul.

Karlos, the pet therapy dog, visits Ally.

It was no fun lying there in the hospital bed 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  I could not move (my muscles were so inflamed) and that made it even less fun because all I could do was watch TV. By the second day, I felt like I had pretty much watched everything.  Luckily, many people came to visit me including therapy dog teams, volunteers, and my family. Just seeing their faces made my days easier.

I loved visits from pet therapy dogs the most. I looked forward to their visits every day.  I missed my own dog from home so much and their visits helped me to miss her a little less. A special occupational therapist (OT) at Children’s learned how much I loved seeing the dogs and started to use them in her therapy sessions with me. At first all I could do was pet the dogs, but as my muscles got stronger, I would brush them, dress them, paint their toe nails and play tic-tac-toe on their backs. It was so much fun; I hardly knew I was working on just the things the OT wanted me to learn. The dogs helped me to get better, and I loved working with them.

We were so inspired by how much the therapy dogs aided my recovery that my family began training our family dog, and we now have a therapy dog of our very own!  In March 2011, our dog Angel passed her Pet Partners certification and now visits Children’s each week with my mom. This summer I got a new puppy of my own that I’m training to hopefully be our next therapy dog. After I finally left the hospital, I still got to work with a therapy dog in my OT sessions as an outpatient. I had fun doing obstacle courses and many other activities with the dogs.  It was so much fun that I looked forward to my OT sessions, and never once told my mom that I did not want to go.

Ally, Angel and Mickey

Throughout my life, there have been joys and challenges. During the rough times, I have always found a way to make the best of them.  I know that with the support of my family and friends I can get through anything.  As I get older I will carry the lessons I have learned throughout my life with me and share them with all the people I meet along the way.  I am hopeful that I can become an OT myself someday and work with therapy dogs and their owners to help other kids just like me!

Ally, 14, is a Youth Advisory Council member at Children’s. You can hear her talk more about pet therapy here. Learn about our Pets Assisting with Healing (PAWH) Volunteer Program here.

Posted in About Children's, Patient Stories, Youth Advisory Council | 2 Comments »

Giving on Give to the Max Day

Thursday, November 15th, 2012

Today, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota is participating in Give to the Max Day – Minnesota’s day of philanthropy. Over the next 24 hours, we hope to raise more than $100,000 for our patients and families.

We’re a national leader in advancing the health of children, innovating and delivering family-centered care of exceptional quality. But we can’t do it without you.

  • During the first half of 2012 alone, there’s been $7.4 million in generosity at work.
  • 100 percent of your donations help kids. Every cent is kid spent.

When you give big today, we hope you don’t forget the little guys. To donate, please visit childrensMN.org/max.

Throughout the day starting at 7 a.m., we’ll aim to keep you updated on our fundraising progress. We hope you follow along here. You can also follow us on Twitter or Facebook.

 

 

Posted in About Children's, Foundation | No Comments »

Infographic: Where your donations go on Give to the Max Day

Wednesday, November 14th, 2012

Click on this interactive infographic to learn more about how your donation impacts Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and children on Give to the Max Day.

Posted in About Children's, Foundation | No Comments »

31-day photo challenge: What makes kids and Children’s great?

Friday, October 12th, 2012

Editor’s note: We’ll announce the winner of the glow sticks every day of the challenge here on the blog. We’ll also reach out directly to the winner. Thanks for participating! *For those days in which there was no winner, we did not receive entries from new participants.

To view the photos that have been shared on Instagram, click here.

Nobody knows kids better than we do, and nobody treats kids better than we do, either. But we can’t do it without your help. That’s why we’ll participate again in Give to the Max Day on Nov. 15. On this day, thousands of Minnesota nonprofits come together to raise money for their important missions.

Starting on Oct. 15, we want to celebrate what makes Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota and kids GREAT in the 31 days leading up to Give to the Max Day. You can help. We challenge you to take a photo a day that captures some of that greatness. It’s really pretty simple.

  1. Follow the word list below in order and snap a picture that matches the theme of the day.
  2. That day, upload the photo into Instagram or share it on Twitter or both. Just make sure you include the hashtag #ChildrensMN and the theme of the day.
  3. We know your pictures will be awesome! Each day, we’ll pick one participant to receive a pack of Children’s glow sticks. Pretty rad, right?
  4. We’ll also highlight some of your snaps every Friday on Facebook during the challenge.

Need inspiration? Then you should meet Alannah. She’s a 7-year-old Children’s patient who was diagnosed in August with Stage IV neuroblastoma. Alannah is sweet, courageous and generous. For so many reasons, we think she’s pretty great!

What do YOU think makes kids great? Show us over the next 31 days!

Photo themes:

Oct. 15 Star

Winner: @jenboss

Oct. 16 Happy

Winner: @ElinMarieH

Oct. 17 Playful

Winner: @1girl2boys

Oct. 18 Excitement

Winner: @puddingpop77

Oct. 19 Determination

Winner: @ashlybacon

Oct. 20 Red wagon

Oct. 21 Wonder

Winner: @jaboss

Oct. 22 Heart

Oct. 23 Fearlessness

Oct. 24 Fighter

Winner: @Jorn_K

Oct. 25 Imagination

Winner: @southsidecreepn

Oct. 26 Energy

Oct. 27 Hope

Oct. 28 Smile

Winner: Jenny Traun-Severson

Oct. 29 Perspective

Oct. 30 Sweet

Oct. 31 Trick

Winner: @steveasp7117

Nov. 1 Soul

Nov. 2 Toys

Winner: Joe Roelofs

Nov. 3 Pet therapy

Winner: @creller19

Nov. 4 Freedom

Winner: @jennifermackey6

Nov. 5 Courage

Winner: @BeckyBoudreau

Nov. 6 Love

Winner: @GinaJay1

Nov. 7 Curiosity

Winner: @ingridarnold

Nov. 8 Humor

Winner: @carsolina99

Nov. 9 Chapstick flavors

Nov. 10 Strong

Nov. 11 Balloon

Winner: Tanya Juarez-Sweeney

Nov. 12 Passion

Nov. 13 Inspiration

Nov. 14 Generosity

Winner: @danjmiller

Posted in About Children's, Foundation | 6 Comments »

Childhood cancer Twitter chat with Children’s

Sunday, September 30th, 2012

Join Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota for a Twitter chat on childhood cancer on Monday, Oct. 1, at 3 p.m. CST.

We’ll talk about:

  • Childhood cancers: How does cancer impact kids differently? What is the latest in research?
  • Children’s has a unique care philosophy for treating its pediatric cancer patients. What is it and how does it impact the patient and family experience?
  • What is Children’s doing to advance cancer research?

There are a few ways you can participate:

  • On Twitter, follow the hashtag #childrenschat
  • You can also follow the chat via the live stream below, which will activate at 3 p.m. Monday.

You can submit questions in advance by:

  • Using  the hashtag #childrenschat on Twitter
  • Email your questions/comments to brady.gervais@childrensmn.org
  • Entering your questions/comments in the box below when the chat starts at 3 p.m. Monday

Chat leaders include:

Dr. Kris Ann Schultz

Dr. Joanna Perkins

Posted in About Children's, Cancer and Blood Disorders | No Comments »

Teen patients welcome new space in Minneapolis

Wednesday, August 29th, 2012

The teen lounge is open for fun.

Until last week, teen patients visiting our Minneapolis campus didn’t have a special space where they could escape the beeps of machines and stuffiness of a hospital room.

The Youth Advisory Council spoke, and we listened thanks to help from Magnolia/Best Buy. Now, patients and their siblings and friends are able to enjoy a space that feels more like a state-of-the-art basement and less like a hospital.

“Being out of my room just makes me feel better,” said Olivia, a YAC member who spends most of her time in St. Paul, which has had a space for teens called the Minnesota Wild Teen Room.

The new space features a 65-inch flat panel TV, several gaming systems, leather theater chairs, a computer desk, gaming table, and many DVDs and games.

“We’re excited to be able to offer a space specifically designed for teens. The teen room will be a fun and unique space for our adolescent patients to gather with family and friends beyond the hospital patient room,” said Christi Dady, a Children’s Child Life Specialist who works with the YAC. “The interesting design and the electronic equipment create a more home-like and comfortable environment where our teen patients can relax.”

The YAC collaborated with the Magnolia team at Best Buy to plan the lounge. Mason, a YAC member, said helping design the space has been his favorite projects at Children’s.

“I would always come here (to the lounge),” Mason said.

Daniela, also a YAC member, said being confined to her hospital room gets depressing. She hopes she can spend time in the lounge, where she hopes to make new friends.

 

 

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Making a safety list and checking it twice

Monday, August 13th, 2012

This is a post by Dr. Rod Tarrago, a pediatric intensive care physician at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.  He is also the Chief Medical Information Officer and is proud to admit he’s a computer geek.  He’s been helping improve the care at Children’s through the use of technology and spends most of his time helping other clinicians improve their understanding of the computer system. He’s the proud father of two young boys and future computer geeks. 

For nearly three years, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) at Children’s has been using a time-tested technique to improve care of patients: a safety checklist. It’s well known that it’s very difficult — if not impossible – for the human brain to truly multitask.

Unfortunately, in an ICU environment, where patients are sick and their illnesses complex, clinicians have to integrate a lot of information and make many decisions on a daily basis. There are also many “typical” tasks that need to be accomplished for every patient, every day.

In order to help the team remember to address all of these items, we’ve been using a safety checklist as part of our work since 2010.  In St. Paul, we go through this checklist during patient rounds.  In Minneapolis, since the unit is larger and busier, we do special “Safety Rounds” later in the workday.

On both campuses, the entire care team, including physicians, nurses, pharmacists, respiratory therapists, and nutritionists, comes together every day to go through the “standard list” of 23 safety items. These include reminders to check the need for IV and bladder catheters, make sure that antibiotics are needed, and order new labs each day. Each clinician specialty “owns” individual items and then brings them to the group for daily discussion, making sure that everyone is on the same page. Initially, we started this project by using a laminated paper checklist that was placed at each bedside. After losing too many checklists, we moved to an electronic checklist that is embedded in each child’s electronic medical record or EMR.

We recently examined 21 months’ worth of data after using the checklists and found some exciting results:

  • By asking whether we really needed catheters, we reduced the use of these catheters by anywhere from 25 to 45 percent. We also found that we used those catheters less.
  • By asking ourselves whether any medications can be given either orally or through a feeding tube instead of through an IV, we cut costs to families. We examined one medication, a diuretic, and found that by using the checklist, we used an IV 46 percent of the time instead of 77 percent of the time.  By using IV catheters less often, we reduce the risk of catheter infections. It’s also less expensive to give a medication orally compared to through the IV.  We saved patients’ families more than $64,000 over the study period by making these changes.
  • By simply discussing the need for antibiotics each day making sure that we identified ahead of time how long the antibiotics should last, we lowered our use of antibiotics.  In fact, by entering this information into the patient’s EMR, we found that we gave one less dose per patient each day.
  • Prior to the checklist, we ordered labs several days in advance. Now, the checklist reminds us to order them each day and discuss the need for each lab.  By doing this,  we reduced the number of labs we ordered by almost six labs per patient per day. This saves a family $500 a day in lab charges.

You may use a checklist at home or to run errands. In medicine, it’s a relatively new concept that’s only beginning to grow in popularity. But in our PICU, it’s the standard.

 

 

Posted in About Children's, Safety, Technology | No Comments »

Children’s performs well in 2011 report on pediatric surgical outcomes

Tuesday, July 31st, 2012

This is a post by Dr. Rob Payne, a pediatrician and neonatologist with over 30 years of experience here at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. He previously worked as a neonatologist at our Minneapolis hospital and now is Medical Director of Quality.

Children’s has always believed that providing high-quality surgical services was central to our mission. We thought that our services met this goal, but now we have proof.

Children’s is one of 43 hospitals from around the country that submits data to the American College of Surgeons‘ database on pediatric surgical outcomes (NSQIP). Our Health Information Management staff selects cases and verifies the data according to stringent criteria and subject to periodic audits. These are the most accurate and comprehensive data available on pediatric surgical outcomes. We recently received our report for 2011, which showed:

1.  Outcomes do not vary in most areas of measurement among the 43 participating hospitals. Since these hospitals all volunteered to be measured and compared, one could assume that only organizations with a high level of commitment to excellence would participate in the program. These are probably the best hospitals for pediatric surgery in the country.

2.  Children’s was among the 10 hospitals in the database with the (6th) lowest rate of complications from all types of surgery after adjusting for risk factors. This is a tremendous compliment to everyone in our organization who works with surgical patients. It is a particularly high accolade for the surgeons, anesthesiologists and perioperative staff. Children are less likely to suffer a complication from their surgery here at Children’s compared to other excellent hospitals in the database.

3.  Children’s had the lowest rate of complications in newborn infants with abdominal surgery of any hospital in the database. This did not quite achieve statistical significance but was so close as to indicate that Childrens’ is almost certainly better in this area. Congratulations to the surgery and neonatal staff for their superb work on these very ill patients.

When you see any of the perioperative staff, anesthesiologists or surgeons, please compliment them for their excellent work.

Posted in About Children's | No Comments »

Using technology to keep kids safe

Wednesday, July 11th, 2012

This is a post by Dr. Rod Tarrago, a pediatric intensive care physician at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.  He is also the Chief Medical Information Officer and is proud to admit he’s a computer geek.  He’s been helping improve the care at Children’s through the use of technology and spends most of his time helping other clinicians improve their understanding of the computer system. He’s the proud father of two young boys and future computer geeks. 

Dr. Rod Tarrago

We’ve been using computers to help take care of kids at Children’s for several years. We order medicines, track kids’ vital signs, and look at X-rays on computers. Now, we’re starting to use more advanced technology to make sure we keep kids as safe as possible. Many of the children we treat have complex cases and require various medicines. That can be very confusing and potentially dangerous for those taking care of the patient. Can you imagine trying to keep perfect track of a patient who has more than 30 medicines, especially when doses and times are changing?

Recently, we’ve started using familiar technology – medication scanners – in our Minneapolis Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU). The scanners are similar to those used in other industries where a scanner checks a bar code to make sure it’s the right product. In our case, patients and families may have seen our nurses and respiratory therapists “scanning” the kids’ medicines prior to giving them.  Just as we previously were checking our patients’ ID bands to make sure the right medicine was being given to the right child, we’re now using the computers to make sure that it’s the right medicine at the right time with the right dose via the right route to the right patient. Children’s is the first pediatric hospital in the nation to use this technology.

Our nurses, respiratory therapists and information technology departments worked hard to make sure that the rooms were set up correctly and that the scanners worked for all medicines. They even changed the labels to make sure wrinkles were less likely to interfere with the scanning. They also came up with some creative solutions to lower the volume so that the beeping of the scanners wouldn’t wake up the kids at night.

In the busy Minneapolis PICU, nurses scan more than 2000 medications every week, and this has helped us detect several instances in which medications might have been given early or late.

At Children’s our No. 1 priority is to keep our patients safe and help them get better.  By using our new scanner technology to more safely deliver medicine to the kids, we are staying at the forefront of medicine. Over the next few months, we’ll extend this important technology to other units at Children’s.

 

Posted in About Children's, PICU, Safety, Technology | No Comments »

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