STORY BY
JULIA WARD
Senior Director of Marketing , Cincinnati Children’s
What’s in a brand? Well … everything
Cincinnati Children’s refreshed brand embraces the past with arms outstretched to the future
E
ven though it was almost seven years ago, I remember my final job interview at Cincinnati Children’s as though it happened yesterday. I’m guessing that not many people can say they walked directly from their son’s hospital room into a job interview, but that was me on day seven of what turned out to be a 10-day stay for our 4-year-old son. My first experience was strictly professional. In 2008 I was working at an advertising agency charged with developing a campaign to open the new Liberty Campus. As a client, Cincinnati Children’s had me at hello. What’s not to love about creating advertising for a children’s hospital? My relationship with the brand got more personal when our son had an outpatient procedure at 11 months old. It wasn’t serious or life-threatening, but nothing is routine when it involves your child. When we were called into the recovery room, and I saw a nurse holding him as tenderly as I would myself, I fell in love with Cincinnati Children’s a little more. After 22 years of working in the ad agency world, I hoped to join the Marketing and Communications team. I had made it through the first two rounds of interviews and was a finalist when “it” happened. I had one of those moments in life that shakes you to your core. Smack dab in the middle of the interview process, our 4-year-old son became suddenly and seriously ill. He had a very severe form of pneumonia along with a lung infection.
It was a potentially life-threatening combination that landed him here for 10 days, in isolation. Everyone involved in the interview process was wonderfully understanding and supportive. On that seventh day, he was finally on the mend thanks to our wonderful care team, and there was no doubt in my mind that this was where I was supposed to be. I had a heart full of gratitude and an up-close-and-personal experience of what makes Cincinnati Children’s special. Our son is now a healthy and fast-growing 11-year old. You could say the same about Cincinnati Children’s – healthy and fast-growing! I didn’t fully appreciate until I worked here, just how much Cincinnati Children’s has grown over the last 10 years. So much so, that our leadership decided it was time to evolve our brand to more fully express who we are and who we aspire to be. There are many definitions of “brand.” Some think of it as a name or logo, but it goes deeper than that. A brand is everything you do and everything you say. So, we dug deep. It’s been nearly two years of thoughtful re-examination, including input and feedback from more than 500 employees, patient families, community members and other stakeholders. I’ll put my marketing hat on and tell you that we did lots of research to validate that this new mark is communicating our brand attributes
Harris, now 11, is much like Cincinnati Children’s itself: healthy and fast-growing.
of collaboration, innovation, compassion, family inclusion and patient centeredness. I’ll put my mom hat on and tell you that for me it feels like a warm and caring hug. In fact, it is symbolic of two figures moving toward each other in an embrace, with the larger half-circle – the adult figure – lifting up and supporting the smaller half circle – the child. Some people see caregiver and child, others see parent and child. Some even see mentor and mentee. There is no wrong answer here – our hope is that you embrace the new mark on your own terms. 1
JILLIA N K LE IN , MD
ASK THE
Pediatrician, General and Community
pediatrician advocate F OR Y OUR CHILD ’ S HE A LT H
Vitamin S
THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
Why Sleep Is So Important
The center helps families, community providers and agencies find health information, community resources and support. Call 513-636-7606 for assistance.
SPE CI A L NEEDS RES OUR CE DIR ECTORY Use this directory to find information, resources and advocacy strategies at www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ special-needs.
J OIN S P E CI A L CON NECTI ONS Our new online community connects with others parenting a child with special healthcare needs: www.cincinnatichildrens. inspire.com.
JOIN A
Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s
69%
of all children experience one or more sleep-related problems at least a few nights a week.
As kids return for a new school year, we revisit an important lesson: the better the Z’s they get at night, the more A’s they’ll get in the classroom. Healthy sleep habits are vital to the health, growth and development of children. That’s especially true this time of year, as kids make the transition from a summer sleep schedule to getting up early for school. Sleepy kids underperform at school for the same reason their parents need a good night’s rest before a busy day at work or at home. Sleep is essential. This is the first in a series of “Ask the Pediatrician” articles that examine how sleep, nutrition and good health are interwoven.
research
S T U DY EOSINOPHILIC ESOPHAGITIS (EOE) RESEARCH STUDY
6 Food vs. 1 Food Eosinophilic Esophagitis Elimination Diet (SOFEED) Research Study What: We will test and compare the effects (good and bad) of two elimination dietary therapies in people diagnosed with Eosinophilic Esophagitis, or EoE. The two therapies are the one food (milk) elimination diet, or 1FED, versus the six food (milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut/tree nuts, and fish/ shellfish) elimination diet, or 6FED.
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We will also try to find out how people with EoE do when using swallowed glucocorticoids. A glucocorticoid is a steroid-like medicine that works to decrease inflammation. Who: Adults, 18 to 60 years old, who have been diagnosed with EoE, may be eligible for participation.
Pay: Participants will not receive pay for their time, effort or travel. Contact: Jonathan Kuhl at 513-803-3078 or jonathan.kuhl@cchmc.org. For more information, visit www. cincinnatichildrens.org/SOFEED.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
If you have a question for the pediatrician, email youngandhealthy@cchmc.org.
@cincychildrens
facebook.com/cincinnatichildrensfans
Q: What does the research say about how sleep time
impacts schoolwork?
A. For school-age kids, research has shown that adding as
little as 27 minutes of extra sleep per night makes it easier for them to manage their moods and impulses. That helps them focus on schoolwork. Kids with ADHD also seem to be more vulnerable to the effects of too little sleep. Children with late and non-regular bedtimes were more likely to have other unfavorable routines, such as skipping breakfast, not being read to daily, having a TV in their bedroom, and spending more time watching TV compared with children with earlier bedtimes.
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One study showed that about one in 10 parents or caregivers thinks their child has a sleep problem. That’s characterized by symptoms like not getting enough sleep, taking too long to fall asleep, waking up during the night, appearing sleepy or overtired during the day, and snoring. But when we look at the actual numbers, 69% of all children experience one or more sleep-related problems at least a few nights a week. Q: What is your best advice for parents about their
children’s sleep health?
A. Here’s five things that could make a positive difference:
Create a sleep-friendly environment. Too much light and a hot or cold room make it difficult to sleep. Light-blocking curtains can help, too. n
Q: Do consistent rules about bedtime affect
children’s behavior?
A. Not having a regular bedtime might affect children’s
behavior in two ways:
Disruptions to circadian rhythms, the natural body clock that works in roughly 24-hour cycles. These rhythms are slow to adapt to changes in daily schedules. n
Keep it regular. Encourage your child to go to bed and get up at roughly the same time every day — even on Saturdays and Sundays. n
Don’t rely on naps for older kids – this will only make it harder for school-aged kids to get to bed at a reasonable time. n
Sleep deprivation and associated effects on body maturation and homeostasis, which is the body’s tendency to maintain a condition of balance, or equilibrium. n
Turn off the electronics. Research is mounting about the light generated by computers and tablets. Just two hours of screen time right before bed is enough to lower levels of melatonin – a chemical that occurs naturally at night and signals sleep to the body – by 22 percent. Ditch devices after dinner. n
Q: Do kids today get enough sleep? A. Good sleep habits are hard for families to maintain –
especially over the summer, when the kids are pushing for later bedtimes themselves.
ABO U T TH I S I S S U E DOWN SYNDROME RESEARCH STUDY
For children and teens 6 to 17 years old What: A study to learn more about what outcome measures are best to use when evaluating treatments for children and teens with Down syndrome Who: Children and teens 6 to 17 years old with Down syndrome Pay: Families may receive up to $120 for time and effort. Contact: Emily Hoffman at emily.hoffman1@cchmc. org or 513-803-3641. Study Lead: Anna Esbensen, PhD, Thomas Center for Down Syndrome
S U M M E R 2016
YOUNG AND HEALTHY is a quarterly publication from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. For more health news and patient stories, subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter online at www.cincinnatichildrens.org/subscribe © 2016 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center PRODUCED BY
The Department of Marketing & Communications Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 9012, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3026 Phone: 513-636-4420 Advisers: Chris Peltier, MD, and Zeina Samaan, MD Editorial Consultant: Jillian Klein, MD Editorial Staff: Tom O’Neill, managing editor Design: Christina Ullman & Alix Northrup, Ullman Design 3
ONLINE
our digital newsletter
resource YOUNG AND HEALTHY
online edition IS THRIVING
TOP 20 online stories I N T H E PA S T T W O Y E A R S
1 Reader Survey Posted: July 2014 The story: We value your input. It helps shape our ambition to bring you the topics you want to read, and how to best fit them into your busy lives. Among the key topics of reader interest: Children’s emotional health, nutrition, our “Ask the Doctor” feature, school-related health issues, and parenting in today’s world. All participants were eligible for a random drawing to win a free Kindle Fire tablet. The winner was a mom from Fort Thomas, Ky.
7 Welage Family’s Special Reds Opening Day
2 Our Liberty Campus Expansion Posted: May 2015 The story: We updated readers on the progress of our $120 million expansion of our Liberty Campus in Butler County, which three months later opened as a full-service hospital with major improvements in the kinds of care offered.
3 ADHD Treatment Summer Camp 2016 Posted: March 2016 The story: When it debuted at Cincinnati Children’s in 2015, the camp became one of only 13 evidencebased award-winning programs like it in the U.S. Treatment focused on improving kids’ problemsolving, social skills and academic performance. The camp also offered sports and swimming, arts and crafts, and access to academic learning centers and computers. Interest in the second camp was significant.
4 ADHD Treatment Summer Camp 2015 Posted: March 2015 The story: Interest in our inaugural camp was equally high, proving that ADHD impacts a lot of families. The camp is for kids ages 8 to 12.
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5 Emotional Health & Suicide Prevention Posted: April 2016 The story: Suicide prevention expert Cathy Strunk, RN, of our Child and Adolescent Psychiatry division, provides parents an extensive guide to knowing the warning signs – and knowing what to do about them.
6 Car-Seat Safety Posted: August 2014
The story: Our folks at the Comprehensive Children’s Injury Center tell you: how to properly install a car seat and the crucial importance of using it every time. Think about it this way: our children are the most precious cargo we have. You want that harness to be snug, but not too tight.
Posted: April 2015 The story: The Welages had a family tradition of attending the Reds Opening Day parade, a joy postponed because their 4-month-old son, Bodi, was diagnosed with cancer. So, the family brought their home-made “Reds Heads” to Cincinnati Children’s, where they brought a lot of joy to the families, patients and staff at Cincinnati Children’s.
8 Solution to Spring Allergies Posted: April 2016 The story: Pollen and mold can really be tough on kids with seasonal allergies. We provide tips to keep your child well, some that might surprise you. For instance, avoid outdoor exposure in morning and evening, wash clothes (including pillow case) consistently, and make sure your child’s hair is washed every day. They’ll love that last one!
9 Ask the Pediatrician: When the Doctor Becomes The Mommy Posted: October 2015
The story: Pediatrician Denise Warrick, MD, shares her insights (some inspiring, some humbling) into becomes a first-time mom. It’s a heartwarmer, and her baby, Madeline, is a total cutie. Oh yeah, Denise’s husband, Stephen, is also a pediatrician at Cincinnati Children’s.
O
ur free online version of Young and Healthy comes out every month, with insights that help parents keep their children, well, young and healthy. Going to an electronic version helps us keep printing and mailing costs down, and as a nonprofit, that’s important to us and our patient families. It’s also environmentally friendly. Trees love the online edition! We have 16,280 electronic subscribers and more are joining every day. It’s designed to be easily read on mobile devices, which is the preferred platform of 46% of our online readers.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY FOR FREE! To sign up visit us online at www.cincinnatichildren’s.org/yh-subscribe. Or check out our Young and Healthy archives. Just go to www.cincinnatichildrens.org and search the words Young and Healthy.
17 HALLOWEEN CANDY LEFTOVERS Posted: November 2014 The story: OK, Halloween candy might not be the most nutritious food for kids. But we explore some creative options for parents, including how to turn their children’s candy – and the wrappers – into a fun art project (it’s better on the teeth).
10 Cincinnati Children’s Ranked Top 3 in US Posted: June 2016 The story: U.S. News & World Report’s annual ranking of the best pediatric hospitals explains why we are among the best in the nation: 3rd overall and top 5 in 7 of the 10 specialties analyzed.
11 Sunburn Solutions Posted: June 2014 The story: Sunburns are avoidable, but if your child gets one, there are some pretty effective solutions. One unlikely rub-on remedy: oatmeal paste! Yup. Oats are rich in antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties.
18 HOLIDAY HEALTHY BROWNIE RECIPE 13 Gymnast Recovers from Injury Posted: May 2015 The story: The inspiring patient story of 12-yearold Zoe Bruce, a competitive gymnast who fell during practice on the high bars and dislocated both elbows. She returned to gymnastics. Her heartwarming story is on YouTube, at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZ3XXcMTAuU.
14 Cincinnati Children’s Fundraiser Posted: December 2015 The story: Thanks to the generosity of our friends at the Western and Southern Open, we had a terrific fundraising campaign to support the many programs that make us a special place. Western and Southern Open matched every donation up to $100,000!
Posted: December 2015 The story: Our team of dieticians in our HealthWorks! program say that, with a few tweaks to the ingredients, brownies can be a healthy treat – just in time for the holidays.
19 Tips for Flu Season Posted: December 2014 The story: Vaccinations are the best way to avoid exposure to the flu, but there are important everday tips, too. The director of our Infection Control Program gives advice on how kids can minimize their exposure to germs at school and home.
15 When Your Child Is the Bully
12 Our Liberty Campus Expansion Posted: April 2015 The story: The expansion of our Liberty Campus was coming along (on-time, on-budget) when this update ran, bringing important news for families for whom Liberty is their best option for worldclass care at a convenient location.
Posted: October 2014 The story: All parents are concerned about their children being bullied. What happens when the shoe is on the other parent’s foot? A clinical research coordinator in psychology helps parents see the warning signs that their child is the aggressor – and ask important questions of their children and themselves.
16 Our Liberty Campus Expansion Posted: November 2014 The story: This was the first of three Liberty updates to make our Top 20.
20 Giving Thanks to Nurses Posted: April 2015 The story: National Nurses Week provides the perfect chance to make a donation to our medical and educational programs, and we’ll relay your personalized electronic message to your favorite nurse. A lot of folks did. 5
EXPANDING
creating environments that advance care
OUR LIB ERTY CAMPUS B Y THE NUM B E R S
horizons
40 30
Inpatient beds
General medical and surgical beds
10
Designated for Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute n
FO R MO RE IN FO RMATION
about our Liberty Campus, including directions from your home, visit us at: www.cincinnatichildrens.org/patients/ visit/directions/liberty
Liberty Campus going strong one year after major expansion O U R N E W E S T F U L L - S E R V I C E H O S P I TA L I S N O W P O I S E D TO WE LCOM E A P R O T O N T H E R A P Y C E N T E R FO R C A N C ER PATIEN TS
“A significant number of our patients and clients prefer that location, particularly for laboratory services, imaging, referrals and surgical care services.” BRADLEY JACKSON, MD
Pediatrician Premier Pediatric Group Inc. Mason, Ohio
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Our expanded Liberty Campus has been an invaluable asset to Cincinnati’s northern suburbs, combining all the world-class care of Cincinnati Children’s with a convenient location in one of the region’s fastest-growing areas. In August, Cincinnati Children’s celebrates the first anniversary of the Liberty Campus becoming a full-service hospital, with 40 inpatient beds and greatly expanded services, including specialty clinics. Families now have 24/7 access to surgical, as well as urgent care, X-rays and imaging, plus laboratory and testing services. The improvements have been welcomed by the network of community doctors affiliated with Cincinnati Children’s. “The location is very valuable to our practice,” says Bradley Jackson, MD, a pediatrician with Premier Pediatric Group in Mason. “A significant number of our patients and clients prefer that location, particularly for laboratory services, imaging, referrals and surgical care services.” He says his practice doesn’t admit many patients to the Liberty Campus, but for illnesses and injuries that haven’t required inpatient care, the proximity has greatly benefitted families.
“Access to the emergency department has probably been the most impactful,” he says. “I think the outpatient services and specialists there have been very helpful.” Richard Ruddy, MD, medical director at the Liberty Campus, notes that since the expansion, the overall case load has grown 15%, with increases in surgeries, including appendectomies, urological and some orthopaedic procedures. “Our goal is to make sure kids in the northern area have a place to come for both inpatient and outpatient care,” says Ruddy. “The staff here have done an excellent job of making Liberty Campus a place where families want to bring their children.” And that‘s about to get even better. In August, the Proton Therapy Center will open at the Liberty Campus, attracting patients and families from around the country and the world, who require this highly specialized treatment for their cancer. The center will be operated in conjunction with University of Cincinnati Medical Center and University of Cincinnati Physicians.
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Equipped for sleep-study patients
LIB ERTY CAM PUS UR GE NT CAR E FACTS Our urgent care center is designed to complement your doctor's office by taking care of health issues that are often seen in your doctor's office, but cannot wait until the office is open. It is open from 6 p.m. to midnight Monday through Friday, and noon to midnight on weekend days and holidays. No appointment is necessary.
LOC AT ION
7777 Yankee Road, Liberty Township, Butler County (at Interstate 75 and State Route 129) P H ON E 513-803-9600
FOCUS ON
your infant’s health
nutrition CARINA VENTER, PhD, RD
Infants and solid food
Research associate and dietician at Cincinnati Children's, Center for
AN INTRODUCTORY COUR SE
Eosinophilic Disorders
Shifting babies from all-liquid diet is important; so is navigating potential food allergies
I
t not only provides nutrition, but also gives infants a valuable opportunity to learn about different tastes, odors and textures. These are important milestone for babies. “Exposing babies to a variety of foods and textures early on in life can help establish healthy eating habits going forward,” says Carina Venter, PhD, RD, a research associate and dietician at Cincinnati Children's. She works at our Cincinnati Center for Eosinophilic Disorders, which treats children with serious and often rare allergic reactions to foods. Infants are susceptible to food allergies, too. Parents should avoid foods they know their babies are allergic to, but it’s also important to get your infant’s body accustomed to food and not avoid foods that are commonly allergenic but to which your child has not had a reaction. Interestingly, the most common allergy-causing foods of childhood are milk, egg and peanuts. “The majority of children outgrow their milk and egg allergy by around 2-3 years of age,” Venter says. “Children are less likely to outgrown peanut allergy, but some do.” According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, children should not be given chunks of peanut butter up to 4 years of age – we therefore recommend that peanut butter should be mixed with water into a smooth paste. We’ll have more about early introduction of peanut, milk, egg and other
allergenic foods in our next blog post on our website, cincinnatichildrens.org. In her research, Venter collaborates with Cincinnati Children’s colleague Kate Maslin, PhD, RD, and other dietetic researchers in the United Kingdom. Among the findings: A child’s taste can be influenced by what the mother ate during pregnancy and breastfeeding. n
The type of milk and food infants are fed early in life can affect food preferences later on. n
One aspect of her research surprised Venter. “The first year of life is a critical period for food introduction. Food avoidance in the first year has a long-lasting effect,” she says. “Even 10 years later, children who were on a milk-restricted diet during that first year were less likely to vary their own diet even in the absence of medical restrictions.” For babies who need special diets because of a known food allergy, it can be challenging to provide them with a wide array of foods. But it’s still important to encourage different textures and a broad palate. It will ensure a well-balanced diet and food acceptance in general — and especially if they should outgrow their allergies. Many babies do. The key lesson for parents? “Parents want their children to grow well,” Venter says. “We reassure them by measuring height and weight at regular intervals and monitoring their nutritional intake.”
SCHEDULE: INTRODUCING SOLID FOOD TO BABIES
Important texture milestones
Portion size and frequency
4-6 months
6-7 months
8-10 months
10+ months
Introduce smoothe pureed foods.
Thicker consistency of lumps. Introduce soft finger foods.
Mashed foods with bigger lumps. Introduce more soft finger foods.
Mashed, chopped and minced family foods. Introduce hard finger foods and increase variety.
Have 3 meals per day plus snacks. Encourage infants to feed themselves, which can be messy but is an important stage.
Have 3 meals per day plus snacks. Ignore negative behaviors (throwing food) and reinforce the positive.
Start with small amounts of each new food 1-2 tsp. Offer pureed foods twice a day, gradually increase quantity.
Have 2-3 meals per day, with a few different foods at each meal. Offer drinks in a sippy cup.
DI D Y OU KN O W ?
The latest research indicates that in order to prevent food allergies, it is better to introduce the food early in life rather than to avoid it.
Common allergic reactions to food n
Vomiting
n
Hives on the skin
Anaphylaxis, a severe reaction that can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure. It causes a narrowing of the airway, which blocks normal breathing, a rapid pulse, skin rash and vomiting. If this occurs, take your baby immediately to the emergency department. An injection of epinephrine will alleviate these symptoms. n
Let ’em eat cake? A child with an egg allergy who has never tried cake may never accept the texture of cakes and muffins, even after outgrowing an egg food allergy. To avoid this situation, try an egg-free cake or other baked good. Dieticians are a great source for advice on alternate foods. And if you suspect a food allergy but aren’t sure, call your child’s doctor.
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TOP 20 ONLINE FAVORITES Check out the most-viewed articles of the past two years from our Young and Healthy online edition.
sign up LIBERTY ANNIVERSARY Last summer, our Liberty Campus became a full-service hospital following a major expansion. We look back at its success.
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