Champions THE MAGAZINE OF ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
Because of you, kids like Levi will have a healthier tomorrow
MARCH/APRIL 2019
Your
Gifts
Matter!
Dear Champion for Children, I’m excited to share this issue of Champions! It’s filled with stories that are made possible only because of you. Please join us as we celebrate our nurses and the entire Arkansas Children’s team during the weeks of May 6, which is National Nurse’s Week, and May 13, National Hospitals Week. With your support, Arkansas Children’s continues to invest time and resources in people, places and programs that champion children. In this issue, you’ll meet a little boy from Fort Smith named Gabriel Carroll. Gabriel “just happens to have an extra chromosome.” His history with Arkansas Children’s Hospital began when he was less than a day old, and Gabriel is now able to receive services close to home at Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale. I hope this happy 7-year-old inspires you as much as he does me. Turn to pages 4–5 to find another sweet, inspiring story. Five-month-old Levi McNatt was born with a rare birth defect called bilateral cleft lip. He’s also been a patient at Arkansas Children’s since he was tiny and, thanks to donors like you, will soon have surgery to repair his cleft lip. Levi’s parents Ashley and Gabe are grateful for the wonderful care they are receiving—because of your support. On pages 8–10, you’ll learn more about the team of world-class professionals who are at the heart of the great work happening at Arkansas Children’s every single day—our nurses. And finally, the generosity of Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas is changing the lives of children through their support of school-based nurses and a program that helps educate them on how to care for asthma, one of childhood’s most common illnesses. I’m asking you to take just a minute to look around your community. Your support helps Arkansas Children’s deliver on the promise of a healthier tomorrow for children from all over Arkansas—including your very own neighborhood. Thank you for being a true champion for children.
Fred Scarborough, CFRE President, Arkansas Children’s Foundation Chief Development Officer, Arkansas Children’s
CHAMPIONS STAFF: Editor Becky McCauley Contributing Writers Ashley Leopoulos, Becky McCauley, Kyran Pittman Designer C. Waynette Traub Photographers Beth Hall, Mitchell Communications, Ben Moody, Dero Sanford 2
| M A R C H /A P R I L 2019
• CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
Arkansas Children’s Foundation Board of Directors Chair Charles B. Whiteside III* Vice Chair Jason LaFrance* Treasurer Jake Nabholz* President Fred Scarborough, CFRE* Ritter Arnold Sharon Bale Ginger Blackmon Frances Buchanan Stuart Cobb Steve Davison Marcy Doderer, FACHE* Kirk Dupps Harry C. Erwin III* Kim Fowler Sharilyn Gasaway* Robin George* Mike Gibson Sonja Yates Hubbard Brandi Joplin Jim McClelland Mandy Macke Barbara Moore Beverly Morrow Cindy Murphy Marshall Ney Lynn Parker Terry Quinn Sue Redfield Kate Schaffer Jennifer Schueck Michael Shelby Belinda Shults* Claudia Strange Celia Swanson Emeritus Directors Robert G. Cress Don Edmondson Henry Rogers, MD
*Executive Committee Current as of March 1, 2019
NURSING EXCELLENCE May 6 marks the beginning of National Nurse’s Week. Arkansas Children’s celebrates these compassionate professionals who put their hearts and souls into caring for our patients and families every day. Nurses are an integral part of every child’s care team and are at the core of Arkansas Children’s ability to provide safe, compassionate, research-informed clinical care. Our nurses also influence the health of children beyond the walls of the hospitals and clinics by teaching, training and advising caregivers in communities across the state. Your gifts help support our nurses through initiatives such as the Versant RN Residency Program, which helps build skills and confidence in new nurses through classes, mentoring and support groups. In March 2017, ACH achieved Magnet status—one of the most prestigious honors a hospital can earn. Magnet recognizes nursing excellence through the American Nurses Credentialing Center at just six percent of hospitals worldwide. Arkansas Children’s is committed to advancing nurse education and leadership which results in healthier outcomes for our patients.
Because of you, Arkansas Children‘s continues to pursue programs and initiatives that champion the health of children in Arkansas:
1,585
registered nurses (RNs) on staff throughout the entire Arkansas Children’s health system
313
Versant nurse graduates since the program began in July 2014
68%
of Arkansas Children’s nurses hold a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or higher
93%
of new nurses retained annually since beginning Versant, up from 80 before Versant
45%
of Arkansas Children’s nurses hold specialty certifications such as neonatal intensive care
To make a gift in honor of your favorite nurse, please use the enclosed envelope, visit giving.archildrens.org or call (800) 880-7491. Thank you for championing nurses at Arkansas Children’s. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 019
|3
Levi’sSweet
Smile
BY BECKY MCCAULEY
A
shley McNatt’s first reaction was, ‘what did I do wrong?’” It was during Ashley’s 20-week ultrasound that she and her husband Gabe first heard the devastating news…their unborn baby had a birth defect. Ashley and Gabe should have been over the moon with excitement. The new parents should have felt only joy and hope at seeing the image of their baby’s tiny face, hands and feet for the first time. Instead, they were heartbroken to learn their precious boy would face months, perhaps years, of hospital visits and surgeries. Ashley immediately blamed herself. She says, “I was scared and upset about what I did to cause this, or what I could have done to prevent it. It was so hard.” Baby Levi was suffering from a relatively rare birth defect—a bilateral cleft lip. This means he has two splits in his lip instead of the more common single split. A cleft lip happens when the tissue that makes up the top lip does not join completely before birth. The frightened parents were immediately referred to the cleft lip and palate team at ACH. It was then they learned Levi’s birth defect wasn’t Ashley’s fault at all—it sometimes just happens. “The cleft team talked to us about all the possibilities that could be going on with Levi,” says Ashley. “We didn’t 4
| M A R C H /A P R I L 2019
• CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
Because of you, new parents find comfort, reassurance and expert pediatric care at Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
know if the palate was affected, and wouldn’t know until he was born.” A cleft palate often occurs with a cleft lip. It happens when the tissue that makes up the roof of the mouth doesn’t fuse together completely before birth, leaving an opening. A child’s cleft lip and palate often leads to problems with feeding, speaking clearly and ear infections. Their hearing and teeth can be affected as well. Unsure of what the future held for their sweet baby, the couple waited anxiously for his arrival. In August 2018, Levi was born a healthy, bouncing baby boy—in spite of his birth defect. Thankfully, his palate was not affected. A week later, he visited ACH with his parents for the first time.
Ashley and Gabe met with Levi’s care team to figure out exactly what they were going to do to correct his cleft lip and come up with a plan for surgery.
Your generosity gives children like Levi a better today and a healthier tomorrow. Thank you for your support! “The team is amazing,” says Ashley. “They’re very reassuring and make you feel as comfortable as you can about what’s going on with your child…especially when it requires surgery.” Turns out, Levi was a perfect candidate for ACH’s NAM program. NAM, or nasoalveolar molding, is
a pre-surgical treatment that uses an “appliance” to mold the patient’s mouth and nose tissue, preparing them for surgery. Levi is a beautiful, blue-eyed, happy little guy. His bulky, uncomfortable appliance has covered up his sweet smile since he was 2 weeks old. Recently, Levi had his big surgery at ACH. His doctors reshaped his nose and repaired the splits in his lip. Levi’s mouth is still a little swollen, but happily, he’s recovering very well at home with his mom and dad. Eventually, a small scar will be all that remains. Because of you, Levi and children like him receive the expert, compassionate care they need for a healthier, happier tomorrow.
The Cleft Lip and Palate Program at Arkansas Children’s
Cleft lip and cleft palate are common birth defects, occurring once in about every 600 births. A cleft is an opening that results when the two sides of the upper lip or palate don’t grow together during the early weeks of pregnancy. Without proper medical care, infants with this type of birth defect will have lifelong challenges. Since 1978, almost all children born in Arkansas with cleft lip and/or palate have been treated at Arkansas Children’s. Because of you, the cleft lip and palate team at Arkansas Children’s provides comprehensive, coordinated care to children with clefts from the time of birth into the teen years and sometimes even into adulthood.
For more of Levi’s story, visit the Arkansas Children’s Facebook page at: Facebook.com/ArkansasChildrens. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 019
|5
Journey
Gabriel’s
Your support helps 7-year-old Fort Smith boy receive care close to home at Arkansas Children’s Northwest. BY KYRAN PITTMAN
W
hen Heather Carroll describes her youngest son, he sounds like a typical 7-year-old boy—funny, outgoing, energetic. Okay, maybe more than typically energetic. “He’s a hoot,” she says of Gabriel. “He goes non-stop all day—his switch is either on or off. He wakes up happy, goes to bed happy. He’s very bubbly and very expressive. You know exactly what he wants out of life.” Gabriel also keeps a high profile. Heather jokes that everyone in their hometown of Fort Smith knows who Gabriel is. “We get out and do a lot with him,” she says. And with three older siblings spanning a 21-year-spread, there are always plenty of opportunities for a little brother to tag along. “Gabe is a normal part of the family. He just happens to have an extra chromosome.” Heather, who adopted three of her children from foster care, didn’t meet Gabriel until he was 2 years old. “I got a call from Scott County Department of Human Services because they had heard I would take children with disabilities. They told me they had a 2-year-old with Down syndrome and wanted to know if I would be willing to foster him. I said, ‘absolutely.’ He came home on New Year’s Eve 2013 and never left.” In adopting a special needs child with an established medical history, Heather says she found she had a ready-made support team in place at Arkansas Children’s. “Gabriel’s journey
with Arkansas Children’s started the day he was born,” she says. “When I took him in for the first time, they already knew him. They told me things about him I didn’t know.” Heather appreciates the quality of communication she experiences at Arkansas Children’s. Heather says his doctor is not only concerned with how his patient is doing, but that she, as a parent, understands what course of treatment he recommends and why. Since the opening of Arkansas Children’s Northwest, Heather says hospital visits are far less disruptive to the family’s schedule. “It’s fabulous. Instead of a day-long trip where I have to take an entire day off work and make sure my other son is covered for after-school care, it’s a half-day trip. Having ACNW close by has been life changing for us.” Heather says Arkansas Children’s is “a fantastic place to be” for kids with Down syndrome and their families. “Put your faith in them, because they know what they’re doing.” she says. “They are there for the children. It’s what they know, it’s what they do, and it’s what they love.” She feels good knowing the Arkansas Children’s team is constantly learning and improving the future for kids like Gabriel. “Hopefully, his being able to go to Arkansas Children’s is teaching them something that can help someone else down the road.”
You help kids get better today and have a healthier tomorrow. Thank you for being a champion for children like Gabriel. 6
| M A R C H /A P R I L 2019
• CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
“Having Arkansas Children’s Northwest close by has been life changing for us.” - Heather Carroll, Gabriel’s mom
Arkansas Children’s Northwest offers a variety of pediatric services including: • The Northwest Arkansas region’s only pediatric emergency department • Primary and specialty care pediatric clinic services • Full range of ancillary and diagnostic services, child life, social work and pastoral care programs • Helicopter landing pad and refueling station for Angel One, one of the nation’s leading pediatric intensive care transport services
Because of you, 7-year-old Gabriel Carroll receives expert pediatric care at Arkansas Children’s Northwest.
• A state-of-the-art pediatric surgery unit with five operating rooms
GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 019
|7
THE
Heart OF
Arkansas Children’s Team of world-class nurses provides expert, compassionate care to patients at Arkansas Children’s.
N
urses are at the heart of every child’s care team at Arkansas Children’s. They are essential to our ability to provide safe, compassionate clinical care to children in Arkansas and beyond. When a healthcare organization invests in its nurses, patient outcomes, patient safety and family satisfaction improve. Arkansas Children’s has an unyielding commitment to pursue the programs and initiatives that champion the health of children in our state. Which is why one of Arkansas Children’s top priorities is the investment in and empowerment of our nurses.
8
| M A R C H /A P R I L 2019
• CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
In 2017, because of your support, Arkansas Children’s Hospital joined the elite six percent of hospitals worldwide that have earned Magnet status. The American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Magnet Recognition Program is the most prestigious distinction a healthcare organization can receive for nursing excellence and quality patient outcomes.
Your generosity helps champion children by providing better care resulting in healthier kids and higher patient and employee satisfaction that are hallmarks of Magnet status. Thank you for your investment in nursing excellence at Arkansas Children’s. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 019
|9
Excellence
in Nursing With your help, Arkansas Children’s continues to make children better today and healthier tomorrow through enhancing nursing excellence: Elevating Nurse Education
One of Arkansas Children’s nursing initiatives is to increase the number of nurses on staff with advanced nursing degrees. Many hospitals see improvement in quality, safety and clinical outcomes when a greater percentage of their nurses have a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree or higher.
Recruiting and Retaining Top Talent
Arkansas Children’s is building and sustaining a strong nursing culture through the Versant RN Residency Program. The pressure to perform in complex and intense pediatric patient-care situations leads to high turnover rates in new nurses. Through classes, mentoring and support groups, the Versant program, required for all new graduate hires, is helping Arkansas Children’s retain up to 93 percent of our new nurses.
Achieving Magnet Recognition Arkansas Children’s Hospital is Magnet recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Magnet hospitals have lower death rates, shorter lengths of stay, higher patient satisfaction and better patient outcomes. Nurses at Magnet hospitals also report greater job satisfaction.
Nurses are crucial to providing child- and family-centered care. Because of you, Arkansas Children’s continues to invest in nursing excellence to create better, healthier outcomes for children. 10
| M A R C H /A P R I L 2019
• CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
WHY I GIVE Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas supports asthma-care kits and life-saving training for Arkansas school nurses. BY ASHLEY LEOPOULOS
A
rkansas Children’s Hospital receives more than 8,500 asthma-related visits each year. In 2015–2016, $3 million was spent on 700 emergency visits for asthma attacks alone. For children, an asthma diagnosis often means missed school days and higher healthcare costs. The Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas, established and funded by Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield, recently granted funds to the Arkansas Children’s School Nurse Academy to support the Tackling Asthma and its Social Determinants through School Nurses initiative. The grant provides asthma clinical pathway training and 200 asthma-care kits, which include key supplies for day-to-day treatment and management of asthma, to school nurses. The Blue & You Foundation More than has championed children for a number of years by generously 70,000 children supporting many Arkansas in Arkansas have Children’s initiatives, providing asthma—almost more than $1 million dollars 1 in 10. in support of making children better today and healthier tomorrow. “Thousands of children and families throughout the state have benefited from these health-improvement programs, and we’re proud to have partnered with Arkansas Children’s Hospital to make a difference in the lives of so many of our fellow Arkansans,” says Patrick O’Sullivan, executive director of Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas. “The Blue & You Foundation’s support of Tackling Asthma and its Social Determinants initiative empowers school nurses to address one of the most common chronic diseases for children in Arkansas,” says Anna Strong, executive director of Child Advocacy and Public Health at Arkansas Children’s. “The Foundation’s investments overall help build bridges between health and education to ensure children succeed.”
GOALS OF THE GRANT • Train up to 200 school nurses attending School Nurse Academies in 2019 • Provide 200 asthma-care kits to school districts in conjunction with training • Require School Nurse Academy graduates to train three additional school nurses on asthma-care training Thanks to the Blue & You Foundation for a Healthier Arkansas and donors like you, children with asthma can breathe easier knowing their school nurse is equipped to handle any asthma-related emergency.
GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • M A R C H /A P R I L 2 019
| 11
Your Gift Gives Kids a Healthier Tomorrow “Matthew is the only one in the world with his chromosomal disorder. His caregivers at Arkansas Children’s don’t put limitations on him. They understand how to care for kids.” ~ Regan Sheets, Matthew’s mom
BE A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN You can help children like Matthew have a healthier tomorrow. A gift of $25, $50, $100 or more to Arkansas Children’s makes a huge difference in the life of a child.
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY!
To give a one-time gift or become a monthly Miracle Maker, use the enclosed envelope, visit giving.archildrens.org or call (800) 880-7491.