Champions THE MAGAZINE OF ARKANSAS CHILDREN’S FOUNDATION
JUNE 2018
ANGELS IN THE SKY Thanks to you, kids like Brynnleigh are less than 55 minutes away from the Angel One Transport team's emergency care
Your
Gifts
Matter!
Dear Champions for Children, As the volunteer vice chairman of the Arkansas Children’s Foundation Board of Directors, I know firsthand how important you are to the mission of this organization. Your support helps provide expert pediatric care for children in Arkansas and beyond. Thank you! As you know, Arkansas Children’s is more than one hospital. We’re the only pediatric health system in the state, with two hospitals, a research institute and a statewide network of clinics, outreach programs and educational initiatives. In this edition of Champions, you’ll learn how your gifts impact children and families across the state—patients like DJ, who’s successfully battling cancer with the help of the ACH pediatric cancer experts, and little Brynnleigh, who was flown to life-saving care on an Angel One helicopter. In order to reach more children where they live, learn and play, we’re developing innovative collaborations across the state and region. One such collaboration is the new Arkansas Children’s Hospital Nursery Alliance, which connects neonatology experts at ACH with pediatricians and other physicians at neonatal intensive care units in Conway, Hot Springs and Pine Bluff. You can read more about this unique program on pages 8–9. And lastly, you’ll meet the Dyer family from Fayetteville, who have an inspiring story about how a terrifying moment in an emergency room can lead to a life of volunteering and giving back to kids. Thank you for your support of Arkansas Children’s. Every gift you give—no matter the size—helps Arkansas Children’s provide a statewide network of emergency and critical care both on the ground and in the air. We are honored to call you our partner in improving the health of children in Arkansas and beyond! Sincerely,
Charles B. Whiteside Vice Chair Arkansas Children’s Foundation Board of Directors
CHAMPIONS STAFF: Editor Becky McCauley Contributing Writers Becky McCauley, Kyran Pittman Designer C. Waynette Traub Photographers Wesley Hitt, Daniel Moody, Courtney Reynolds, Jacob Slaton
Arkansas Children’s Foundation Board of Directors Chair Marcy Doderer, FACHE* Vice Chair Charles B. Whiteside III* Treasurer Jason LaFrance* President Fred Scarborough, CFRE* Pat Allen Ritter Arnold Sharon Bale Ginger Blackmon Frances Buchanan Stuart Cobb Steve Davison Kirk Dupps Harry C. Erwin III* Kim Fowler Sharilyn Gasaway* Robin George* Mike Gibson Sonja Yates Hubbard Brandi Joplin Sharon Lamb Jim McClelland Mandy Macke Barbara Moore* Beverly Morrow Cindy Murphy Jake Nabholz Marshall Ney Terry Quinn Sue Redfield Kate Schaffer Jennifer Schueck Belinda Shults* Claudia Strange Celia Swanson Emeritus Directors Robert G. Cress Don Edmondson Henry Rogers, MD
*Executive Committee Current as of May 15, 2018
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| JUNE 2018 • CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
Lives You’ve Touched
With your help, the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Angel One Transport program has become one of the premier transport programs among children’s hospitals nationwide. Because of you, Angel One helicopters are able to whisk the most critically ill and injured children in our state to Arkansas Children’s, where they receive the expert pediatric care they need to survive and thrive. Your support helps Arkansas Children’s reach more children in more ways where they live, learn and play—thank you!
Here’s a snapshot of what your gifts help provide:
7,500
$
Average beginning cost of typical helicopter transport
55
minutes or less to reach a sick or injured child in any corner of Arkansas
1,750
Approximate number of Angel One transports within Arkansas annually
10
Average number of years team members have been with Angel One
140
Approximate number of Angel One transports around the country annually
2X
Angel One helicopters conduct twice as many missions as other major children’s hospitals
Your support of programs like Arkansas Children’s Angel One Transport champions the children of Arkansas and beyond. Your generosity makes kids better today and healthier tomorrow. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • J UN E 2 0 1 8
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On the Wings of Angels YOUR SUPPORT HELPS THE ANGEL ONE TRANSPORT TEAM PROVIDE EMERGENCY CARE FOR CHILDREN AROUND THE STATE BY BECKY MCCAULEY
M
att Whaley loves his job. He cares for some of Arkansas’ sickest, most vulnerable children. When a child is critically ill or injured, his team is called. They travel to hospitals around the state and fly children to life-saving care at Arkansas Children’s. Matt is a flight nurse with the Arkansas Children’s Hospital Angel One Transport team. Matt began working as a registered nurse in the Emergency Department at Arkansas Children’s 14 years ago. Then, in 2013, he landed his dream job—he would be a part of the nationally recognized team of champions known as “Angel One.” “One of the many things I love about my job is the appreciation my team and I receive from frantic moms and dads,” says Matt. “I can see the sheer relief on their faces when we walk through the doors.” When Angel One arrives, these frightened, anxious parents know their precious babies will soon be on their way to a hospital designed specifically for children...like 16-month-old Brynnleigh Morris. Brynnleigh was taken to the local hospital after suffering a seizure while visiting her grandparents. The doctor ran tests that showed abnormal results. He decided there was only one thing to do: He called the Angel One Transport team to rush Brynnleigh to Arkansas Children’s. Angel One was extremely busy that night. When the call came through, both helicopters were out on other missions. But as soon as Matt and his team arrived back, they took off into the darkness to pick up little Brynnleigh and her mom Olivia from the hospital near their hometown of Prattsville. Dad Dylan hurriedly drove to Little Rock to be there with his family. Matt’s job was to monitor Brynnleigh to ensure she arrived safely at Arkansas Children’s where she could receive the expert care she needed. 4
| JUNE 2018 • CHAMPIONS • BETTER TODAY. HEALTHIER TOMORROW.
The Arkansas Children’s Angel One Transport program is special for many reasons: Arkansas Children’s owns two helicopters and is responsible for maintenance, which helps ensure an excellent safety record. Everyone who flies on the Angel One helicopter—pilots, respiratory therapists and nurses—are employees of Arkansas Children’s. Angel One is one of the few pediatric transport programs in the country that provides mobile ECMO—a machine that supports the heart and lungs to allow them time to heal. Angel One has even been called to transport an ECMO patient from a hospital in Las Vegas to one in California. The helicopters contain right-size equipment for children. During a majority of flights, Angel One team members care for tiny, fragile premature babies. The Angel One fleet also contains four ambulances and access to a fixed-wing jet. Arkansas Children’s Northwest features a helipad and refueling station, so Angel One can quickly and easily transport children in Northwest Arkansas who need expert, life-saving care. Because of your generous support, Brynnleigh arrived safely the night she needed Arkansas Children's most. Thank you for helping the Angel One team deliver emergency pediatric care in Arkansas and beyond, making kids better today and healthier tomorrow.
Because of your generous support, programs like Angel One can provide life-saving care for kids in Arkansas. “I’m so proud to be part of this special team of people who often are the difference between life and death for children like Brynnleigh.” —Matt Whaley, RN, BSN, C-NPT, NREM Angel One Transport
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Like
Family Thanks to You, D.J. and His Family Received Critical Care When They Needed It Most BY KYRAN PITTMAN
“Pure devastation” is how Shandra Flowers describes her emotions when she and her husband Davbram learned their 3-year-old son Davbram Jr.—D.J.—had B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). But just as suddenly as their world seemed to be coming apart, Shandra says their team at Arkansas Children’s swept into action with a medical treatment plan as well as the emotional and practical support the family would need to face the journey ahead. “It laid the foundation for us to build upon,” Shandra says. “It was important for us to keep our family normal, and we took time at the beginning to process our emotions individually and together. It took a whole team to help us do that—doctors to answer medical questions, and Child Life specialists to teach D.J. about his treatment plan and to tell our daughter what to expect.” Treatment was started almost instantly. D.J.’s infusion port was surgically implanted and he began receiving chemotherapy. The fight had officially begun. Thanks to donors like you, D.J.’s family knows he’s not fighting cancer alone. D.J.’s team at Arkansas Children’s has since become “like family,” says Shandra. “I’m a nurse, but when you’re the parent and your child is in pain, you have a different perspective.” Being able to rely on others means Shandra can focus on being a mom. “My advice to other parents going through this is to allow yourself to feel. We always try to be strong for our kids, but you have to go through the emotions too, or you can’t help 6
your child cope. Make time for yourself. Take the help offered to you. Trust in the team.” The Flowers were especially grateful for Child Life specialists and how they paid attention to the needs and concerns of D.J.’s big sister, Kiria. “They have a lot of different teaching materials and they know how to talk to kids on the kids’ age level,” says Shandra. “They were a big help. It took a load off me not to have to try to answer her questions when I had thousands of questions myself. “ Shandra cites “awesome” nurses Lora Parker and Lindsey Miller as some of her “goto people.” Social worker Tara Dejohn has also been an important member of the team. “When we were first admitted, Tara assisted us with our financial concerns and helped connect us with resources related to D.J.’s diagnosis.” As for D.J., his mom calls him “a tough little guy.” “He is so energetic and always has a smile on his face,” says Shandra. “He’s been my inspiration. Seeing the way he deals with everything helps me get through it.” Your generous support of Arkansas Children’s helps provide expert, familycentered care to children suffering from cancer and other devastating illnesses. Thank you for being a true champion for the children of Arkansas and beyond.
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Pediatric Precision Medicine Program Getting it right the first time for kids The goal of the Pediatric Precision Medicine Program at Arkansas Children’s Research Institute is to use information from a patient’s DNA—along with knowledge about their age, race and condition—to customize treatments for that child. Children receive individualized treatments rather than a one-size-fitsall approach. Pediatric precision medicine is being used at Arkansas Children’s to treat childhood cancers, including some forms of leukemia— the most common pediatric cancer. To best serve kids like D.J., we must continue to invest in this field and pioneer innovative technologies, like precision medicine, to target and cure childhood cancers and improve the treatment of children with common pediatric conditions such as asthma, heart disease and behavioral disorders. Your investment in the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute can significantly advance research in the area of precision medicine, helping us treat the most medically complex children where they live, learn and play. For more information about the Pediatric Precision Medicine Program at Arkansas Children's Research Institute, please visit giving.archildrens.org. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • J UN E 2 0 1 8
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Spirit of Cooperation Because of You, the Nursery Alliance Provides Care Close to Home for Newborns BY KYRAN PITTMAN
L
ike most eager, expectant parents, Courtney and Aaron Reynolds spent months planning their baby’s birth. They had confidence in their birth facility, Conway Regional Health System, and they had a birth plan. Courtney describes her pregnancy as “perfect.” But when their daughter Olivia was born, Courtney and Aaron realized that even the most well thought-out plans can’t insure against surprises. “I had everything planned out, because I’m a planner” says Courtney, “but nobody plans for a sick baby.” “Baby Olivia was born with respiratory distress,” says Adam Harrell, MD, pediatrician with Central Arkansas Pediatric Clinic who practices and cares for patients at Conway Regional. “As we examined her, we determined she had pneumonia that was present at birth.” As Olivia was taken to the nursery, the doctor explained to Courtney and Aaron what was happening. Courtney remembers it being an extremely emotional and frightening time, but she had faith in her daughter’s medical team to make the best choices. “Everyone here was wonderful and they told me exactly what was going on,” she recalls. That confidence was well-placed, as Conway Regional was the first hospital to join the newly-formed Arkansas Children’s Hospital Nursery Alliance. “Conway Regional is an excellent partner in the alliance,” says Ashley Ross, MD, chief of Neonatology, Arkansas Children’s, and associate professor of Pediatrics, section chief of Neonatology, UAMS College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics. “They were already providing incredible quality and scope of care, and it’s amazing what we’ve accomplished with them in the first year as a partner.” 8
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Initially, the Reynolds were concerned Olivia would need to be transported to Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock, uprooting the family and disrupting Courtney’s recovery. “In the past, families such as Olivia’s would have had to go to another facility for care,” says Mary Salazar, MNSc, APRN, director of Women’s and Infants’ Services at Conway Regional. “But now we have the capability, equipment, resources and confidence to keep that child in our own facility, to keep the care close to home and to keep the family intact.” For Aaron, whose job is in Conway, being close to home made a tremendous difference. Instead of driving to Little Rock after work to spend the night with Courtney and Olivia, he could go about his day knowing he was never more than 15 minutes away. “I was able to go home and take care of our dogs and other responsibilities. Being able to stay here made it a lot easier.” While Arkansas Children’s has a strong tradition of working with nurseries around the state, the alliance aims to take that spirit of cooperation to a new level of coordinated care. “We’ve had those relationships in the past, but we felt like we could elevate that to truly do something transformational,” says Rob Steele, MD, MBA, senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Arkansas Children’s.
Under this new partnership, Conway Regional physicians work closely with Dr. Ross and Arkansas Children’s Hospital to retrain in neonatal resuscitation and enhance respiratory care skills that helped keep baby Olivia close to home. Dr. Ross is excited by the potential of future partnerships within the nursery alliance to improve outcomes for neonatal care across the state. Continuing to expand the alliance, he says, will establish “a statewide network of care for newborns.” “It’s not just Arkansas Children’s working with other hospitals,” says Dr. Ross, “but other hospitals within the network working with each other to move the needle on infant mortality in the state of Arkansas.” As for little Olivia, “She is absolutely perfect, the best baby,” says Courtney. “We came out of Conway Regional with a perfectly healthy baby.”
A RKA N S A S CHIL D R E N’S HOSPITAL NUR SE RY AL L IANC E Arkansas Children’s is proud to partner with the following hospitals:
Be on the lookout for additional partnerships with hospitals around the state! Marcy Doderer, FACHE, president and CEO of Arkansas Children’s and Dr. Rob Steele, MD, MBA, senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Arkansas Children’s, visit babies at a member hospital. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • J UN E 2 0 1 8
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WHY WE GIVE
Northwest Arkansas Family Gives Back in Generous Ways BY BECKY MCCAULEY
J
oanie and Jon Dyer of Fayetteville know firsthand what it means to need expert pediatric emergency care close to home. Five years ago, their grandson Dyer Bailey, who was just days away from his 3rd birthday, was rushed to their local hospital with what they thought was a stiff neck. Little did they know, his life hung in the balance. The Dyer’s daughter Jenessa, her husband Mark and their two children, Dyer and Maye, were spending the week with Joanie and Jon at their then-home in Rogers. The Dyer family also includes daughter Jonna, her husband Ryan and their two children, Kate and Isaac. Earlier in the week, Dyer had battled a virus. Then, a few nights later, he fell out of a low cot while sleeping in his grandparents’ room. Dyer began to cry and complained his head hurt, so his dad Mark carried him upstairs and put him in their bed. “The next morning when he couldn’t turn his head, we knew something was wrong,” says Joanie. “We thought he had a stiff neck, but we decided to take him to the local emergency room to be sure that’s all it was.” The ER doctors recognized it wasn’t just a stiff neck. After a CT scan revealed a dislocation between his C1 and C2 vertebrae—a very dangerous situation—they immediately called Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Most emergency rooms provide excellent care for adults, but are not always equipped to handle pediatric emergencies. This was the case with Dyer. “The ER didn’t have a neck brace small enough to fit Dyer. The first time he was actually stable was when the Angel One helicopter arrived from Arkansas Children’s Hospital and the flight crew came in and took charge,” says Jon. “At that point, we felt he was finally getting the care he needed.” Mark joined Dyer on the Angel One helicopter. Jon, Joanie, Jenessa and baby Maye made the 3-hour trip to 10
Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock in record time. At ACH, Dyer was given muscle relaxers and a collar to stabilize his neck in hopes the vertebrae would slide back into place on their own. After several days in the hospital, Dyer woke up one morning and was able to turn his head. It worked! He wore a brace at home for several weeks and underwent a few months of physical therapy. Today, Dyer is a happy, healthy 8-year-old. When the Dyers learned of plans to build Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale, they realized this was their opportunity to ensure kids like their grandson had quick, easy access to expert pediatric care. In 2016, Joanie and Jon made a generous $1 million gift in honor of their grandchildren to support the construction of the new children’s hospital in Springdale. In recognition of their generosity, the Emergency Department at ACNW bears the family name. “It’s so comforting to know Arkansas Children’s Northwest is here for our grandchildren and all the children in Northwest Arkansas any time they need help,” says Joanie. Another way the Dyer family is giving back is through the 2018 Color of Hope Gala, held each year in August to benefit ACNW. This year’s event will be held Friday, August 3, at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers. Joanie and Jon are chairing the event, and their daughters and sonsin-law are serving on the planning committee. “It’s a family thing— we’re all very excited to support the hospital in this way,” says Joanie. As a grandfather of an Arkansas Children’s patient and a member of the ACNW Board of Directors, Jon has a unique perspective and an undying appreciation for the care Dyer received. “We hope no one ever has to experience what we went through,” says Jon. “But when it happens, the staff at Arkansas Children’s Northwest are the right people in the right place.”
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Don’t Miss the 2018 Will Golf 4 Kids Tournament and Color of Hope Gala! This year’s Will Golf 4 Kids Tournament and Color of Hope Gala, August 2–3, will support Arkansas Children’s Northwest, the new children’s hospital in Springdale. The two-day tournament features shotgun starts at 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. both days, and registration includes breakfast, lunch and a goody bag. The gala includes a gourmet dinner; silent and live auctions; keynote speaker Mike Duke,
Joanie and Jon Dyer, 2018 Color of Hope Gala Chairs
retired president and CEO of Walmart Stores, Inc.; and entertainment by Lost Wax. Tables are selling fast! Register your golf team or reserve your table by visiting golfandgala.com today.
COLOR OF HOPE GALA
WILL GOLF 4 KIDS TOURNAMENT
PRESENTING SPONSORS:
PRESENTING SPONSOR:
PREMIER SPONSORS:
PREMIER SPONSORS:
Founding Sponsor:
No matter how small, every childhood emergency is a BIG DEAL! Arkansas Children’s Northwest in Springdale has the only pediatric emergency department in the region. The Emergency Department is open 24/7, with fast access to pediatric experts who provide kid-sized care and peace of mind for parents. The ER is located directly across from Arvest Ballpark. Take Don Tyson Parkway off I49. For more information, visit archildrens.org/emergency or call 479-725-6977. GIVING.ARCHILDRENS.ORG • CHAMPIONS • J U NE 2 0 1 8
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“The entire Arkansas Children's staff was always friendly and welcoming. They took care of us, and always made us feel at home.” ~ ANNE MARIE SANDS GRATEFUL PARENT OF KAYLYNN
YOUR GIFT MATTERS
BE A CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN You can help children like Kaylynn get better today and be healthier tomorrow. A gift of $25, $50, $100 or more to Arkansas Children’s makes a huge difference in the life of a sick child.
PLEASE GIVE GENEROUSLY!
Use the enclosed envelope, visit giving.archildrens.org or call 800-880-7491.