Cardiology

Children’s of Minnesota serves nearly 55% of patients requiring cardiac surgery in the metro area.

We know hearts like the back of our brachiocephalic artery.

• Last year, Children’s cardiac team cared for more than 730 patients needing heart surgery or specialized cardiac care. Children’s is proud to consistently report patient outcomes that equal or exceed national averages.
• Children’s is expanding our cardiac program, especially for young adults. As survival rates for congenital heart patients increase, Children’s is collaborating with pediatric and adult cardiologists to develop a formal Adult Congenital Heart Disease (ACHD) Program to serve adolescents and adults.
• Clinical cardiac researchers at Children’s are engaged in cross-disciplinary efforts to improve pain management for cardiac patients. These efforts and many others allow Children’s patients to experience better outcomes at Children’s and as they grow into adulthood. 

Finn's Story

At their 21-week ultrasound, Kelly Preimesberger and Eric Snyder could not have been more thrilled to learn they were having a boy, whom they lovingly named Finn. Their excitement soon turned to shock when they learned Finn had five life-threatening congenital heart defects. Kelly and Eric were faced with the weighty decision to place Finn into hospice care or proceed with a series of open-heart surgeries that could potentially compromise Finn’s quality of life. After many consultations with cardiac specialists, Kelly and Eric found encouragement and elected to proceed with Finn’s surgeries.

Kelly and Eric sought out a hospital with experienced surgeons, excellent cardiac outcomes, and quality long-term follow-up care. They also wanted a hospital that embraced a patient and family-centered care model. They found all of this at Children’s.

Kelly and Eric were impressed with the excellent overall care provided for Finn. During a particularly trying day, one of the nurses from a previous shift even called in from home to check on them. This gesture of kindness showed Kelly and Eric the special dedication of Children’s staff. In addition to Finn’s wonderful care, Kelly and Eric also appreciated being able to stay with Finn. Their private room offered them a place to sleep next to their son during the critical periods and Internet access to keep in touch with family and friends.

Today, Finn is 21 months old and is doing well. He has been through two open heart surgeries, one heart catheterization and is awaiting his third surgery, which he will have in one to two years. Finn is a typical 2 year old — happy, energetic and loves to play with his golden retriever, Kiera.

Every cent kid-spent.

In 2011, your cardiology donation helped provide:

• Healing artwork for patient rooms, family spaces and the corridors of the Cardiovascular Care Center.
• Child and family support services like social work, child life and chaplaincy to help provide the best care possible to our cardiac patients and their families.
• World-class medical equipment and technologies to ensure outstanding cardiac care.
• Additional research studies to help improve the outcomes of cardiac patients.

Child and family services

Last year, patients placed 4,287 calls to live Star Studio programs, allowing them to join in the fun from their hospital rooms!

Little things make a big difference.

• Last year, Children’s Star Studio shows featured guests from Children’s Community Arts Partners: MacPhail Center for Music, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, COMPAS and Children’s Theatre Company. These shows engaged patients by offering entertaining and educational artistic performances.
• To better support patient families, Children’s launched a food pantry program at our Minneapolis campus. In the first six months of operation, the program provided families with 505 ethnically diverse and healthy meals!
• Children’s interpreter services are available to patients and families 24/7. In 2011, more than 60,000 patient and family encounters required interpreter services.
• Children’s child life specialists made more than 15,000 visits to patients and families over the past year.

Nevaeh’s story

In October 2011, 4-year old Nevaeh Belker was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of brain cancer. The aggressive nature of her cancer required immediate treatment and a series of surgeries. Her parents, Mike and Tessa, brought her to Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota for care. Nevaeh underwent five surgeries in one month. In addition to needing a shunt and feeding tube, the physical stress caused by Nevaeh’s condition forced her to relearn basic motor skills such as walking, talking and even smiling.

To keep their daughter occupied during her long stays in the hospital, Tessa and Mike sought out a number of resources. When they learned about Children’s Star Studio, the whole family began watching Kids Clubhouse, Star Studio’s closed-circuit television show. Nevaeh met The Dude, or “Mrs. Dude” as she called him, and they forged a special bond. Although Nevaeh’s condition made it difficult for her to speak, when she saw The Dude, she was determined to talk to him. It was great therapy! Even if she was feeling poorly, Nevaeh always made an effort to watch Kids Clubhouse in person or call in to the show from her room. It seemed that nothing would stop Nevaeh from seeing The Dude in the morning. Without Star Studio and the fun prizes Nevaeh received each time they visited, the family’s experience would not have been the same at Children’s Hospital.

Nevaeh will continue to come to Children's Hospital for her scans and ongoing checkups, and Tessa and Mike are certain that going to Star Studio will be on the top of her list each time she visits. They reflect, “We are forever grateful for this service and couldn't imagine Nevaeh’s chemo experience without it. Thank you to all who make this service possible for the kids!”

Every cent kid-spent.

In 2011, your child and family services donation helped provide:

• Children’s food pantry program to provide nutritious meals and snacks to families.
• Resources, reference materials, refreshments and services of the family resource centers.
• Complimentary hotel stays for out-of-town families needing a helping hand.
• Chaplaincy services to provide patients and families with wrap-around support during their stay.
• Toys, book fairs and arts and crafts kits to help brighten patients’ days.

Pain medicine and palliative care

Thanks to the generosity of donors like you, in 2011, more than $1.2 million of philanthropic support was dedicated to Children’s pain medicine, palliative care and integrative medicine program.

No needless pain. That’s why we’re called Children’s.

• As one of the largest programs of its kind in North America, Children’s pain physicians and nurse practitioners had nearly 5,000 in-patient visits (up from 100 in 2005) and nearly 1,000 visits (up from 225 in 2005) to Children’s pain and palliative clinic in 2011.
• Children’s pain medicine, palliative care and integrative medicine program consists of a 29-member multidisciplinary team of nurses, psychologists, social workers, massage therapists, physical therapists and pediatricians who are specially trained to manage pain and life-limiting illnesses.
• Children’s is committed to improving the lives of kids around the world by sharing our knowledge in this field with other pediatric care providers. In June 2012, Children’s will host the International Institute of Pediatric Pain Management for pediatric clinicians from around the world.

Molly’s story

When she was 13, Molly broke her right foot and ankle while playing soccer. After recovering from her injury, she began experiencing pain sensations, but in the opposite foot. After three months of searching for answers, Molly and her family were referred to the Pain Clinic at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota.

By the time she came to Children’s, Molly was experiencing severe pain in her foot and could not bear any weight on her left leg. Children’s Pain Clinic doctors diagnosed Molly with chronic regional pain syndrome (CRPS), a condition that causes the nervous system to overreact to pain and continue to send pain messages to the brain even after an injury is healed.

Molly and her family were put at ease as clinic doctors and staff guided them through the process of recovery. The staff’s factual answers, educational tools and humor made Molly’s condition and recovery plan easier for everyone to understand. Throughout the next several months, Molly participated in intense physical therapy and met with a psychologist who taught her techniques to deal with her pain. The Pain Clinic team members were available to answer questions and offer encouragement every step of the way.

The clinical excellence and speedy diagnostics provided by Children’s staff greatly eased Molly’s and her family’s worries. After months of hard work and with the support from the staff at Children’s, Molly has recovered and resumed her normal lifestyle. Today, Molly is a healthy, active eighth-grader who enjoys participating in traveling volleyball and traveling soccer. Though she is no longer a patient at Children’s, she often uses the coping and relaxation techniques she learned from her time at Children’s.

Every cent kid-spent.

In 2011, your pain medicine, palliative care and integrative medicine donation helped provide:

• Provider services for one pain physician.
• Three new Comfort Carts stocked with special resources and amenities to serve patients and families in Children’s hospice care program.
• Increased training for Children’s nursing staff in the area of pain management.
• Tools, such as bubbles and videos, to assist care providers and child life specialists in providing positive distractions for patients undergoing procedures.
• Research studies to help pediatric care providers find new and effective ways to treat and manage patients’ pain while hospitalized.

Urgent needs

Last year we provided more than $50 million of medical care that wasn’t covered by insurance, primarily to kids from the Upper Midwest. Because of your generosity, we can treat all kids, regardless of their ability to pay.

Thank you for helping us shine brightly!

• Children’s cares for more kids than any other hospital in Minnesota. In 2011, as a Children’s donor, you helped provide 129,434 kids with some of the best medical care in the world. Thank you!
• Last year, Children’s was again recognized as one of the top pediatric hospitals in the nation in U.S. News Media Group’s Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. Children’s ranked in four categories: cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, neonatology and pulmonology.
• Children’s interpreter services are available to patients and families 24/7. In 2011, more than 60,000 patient and family encounters required interpreter services.
• Children’s – Minneapolis and Children’s – St. Paul were recognized by the Leapfrog Group as two of the top pediatric hospitals in the country for quality and efficiency for the third consecutive year in 2011.

Mike’s story

At 13 years of age, Mike’s worsening headaches were concerning, but when he complained of a stomachache and a numb tongue, the Johnstons knew something was seriously wrong. They took Mike to the emergency department at Children’s where a CT scan revealed he had a brain tumor. The next day, Mike had surgery to drain spinal fluid that was causing pressure on his brain. Soon after, Mike underwent biopsy surgery to examine the tumor, and tests revealed that he had a germinona brain tumor, a type of cancer.

Mike began receiving chemotherapy at Children’s. The Johnstons witnessed the positive impact of patient- and family-centered care many times during Mike’s hospitalization. Children’s child life and supersibs programming offered support for each family member and provided an outpouring of compassion and encouragement. Children’s music therapy program greatly helped distract Mike from the fatigue of chemotherapy. Typically, he would decline food for a few days while receiving chemo. However, on two different occasions, following music therapy, Mike asked to have something to eat!

Mike finished chemotherapy and radiation treatments in September, and today he is cancer-free! As he did throughout his entire journey, Mike continues to remain courageous and wears a smile wherever he goes. The Johnstons reflect, “Cancer doesn’t happen to just the patient, it happens to the family, and Children’s Hospital understands that. We are forever grateful to Children’s for not only treating our son, but treating all of our family.”

Every cent kid-spent.

In 2011, your urgent needs donation helped provide:

• Financial assistance for families worried about how they will pay their bill.
• Support for Children’s Arts & Healing initiatives, which are helping to create a more healing environment at our hospital campuses by integrating art programming into our patients’ journeys.
• Funding to advance research efforts in the areas of cancer, blood disorders and integrative medicine to help improve patient outcomes.
• Complimentary hotel stays for out-of-town families needing a helping hand.