Furry Friends Help Kids Feel Better Once a week, the Pediatric Unit of Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children receives a special visitor. He goes from room to room, lighting up faces and lifting spirits. Jazz is a 33-pound wheaten terrier who knows exactly how to brighten a young patient’s day. He and his owner, Cherie Orcutt, are part of the Therapy Partners, Inc. program. Millie, an all-white blue heeler mix, and her owner, Deanna Bayliss, also enjoy visits with the children. “It’s amazing,” says Beth Daniel, Child Life Coordinator, M.Ed., C.C.L.S. “It normalizes the hospital environment for many patients who have pets at home and miss them.” Ms. Daniel says other benefits include reduced stress levels that help lower blood pressure and a decrease in the use of pain medication for patients who are visited by the dogs. Ms. Daniel tells the story of a 3-year-old boy who was afraid of the Video EEG room and was crying because of the electrodes being placed on his head. Abbey, a 14-pound cavalier King Charles spaniel who likes to snuggle into bed with patients, and her owner, Mimi Bynum, overheard the commotion and came to help. Within
a few minutes of visiting with Abbey, the boy was quiet and calm, sailing through the procedure. Therapy Partners even visit the pediatric ICU. One child who had not moved an arm in weeks was so happy to see his furry visitor that he reached out to pet the dog. Child Life, the department that plans all of the patient/dog visits, obtains prior permission from the patients and their families to make sure the child isn’t allergic to or afraid of animals. And patients must be at least 3 years old. “Nobody would believe it if you said you saw a dog in the hospital,” Ms. Daniel says. To verify the stories, a staff member takes a Polaroid picture of each patient with the special visitor. While some hospitals and health care facilities plan group visits with patients and animals, Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children Pediatrics prefers to give patients one-on-one time with the dogs. These extensively and specially trained animals are certified by the Delta Society, an international, non-profit organization that unites people who have mental and physical disabilities and patients in health care facilities with the animals to help improve their health.
Pictured with Jazz, left to right, are: Michelle Cooper, M.S., C.C.L.S.; his owner Cherie Orcutt and Melissa Lawson, C.C.L.S.
Make Safety Your Holiday Guest Simple precautions can head off problems Don’t let preventable injuries put a damper on the holidays. “It’s a time when people are busy and supervision of children is more difficult,” says Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children pediatrician Pippa Abston, M.D., Ph.D. To give the gift of safety: If you have a Christmas tree, buy a fresh one. It should have sticky resin at the bottom and needles that bend instead of breaking. Keep trees away from fireplaces. Keep stands filled with water so needles don’t become
brittle and fire-prone. When buying an artificial tree, look for the label “fire resistant.” Decorate with care. “Take time to reassess the ornaments that are on your tree or that are put throughout the home,” says Dr. Abston. If you have small children, avoid glass ornaments, decorations with small removable parts that kids could swallow, or ornaments that look like candy. Use caution with candles. “Realistically, with young children it may be better not to use candles at all,” Dr. Abston says. If you do, put them where they can’t be knocked over or ignite trees, decorations, wrapping paper, clothing or curtains. “And never, ever leave a child alone with lit candles or go to bed with them still lit.”
Inspect holiday lights. “Check to make sure the wires are not frayed or broken and make sure not to overload the cords by plugging too many into one outlet, which can cause an electrical fire,” says Dr. Abston. If the cord is hot when in use, it isn’t safe. If you have a fireplace, add a sturdy screen. That helps prevent sparks from igniting newspapers, carpeting, curtains or upholstery. Keep fresh batteries in smoke detectors. You should have one on every level of the home, especially outside bedrooms. Develop an evacuation plan and make sure everyone knows it, including guests. continued on page 2
INSIDE: Holiday Safety ♦ Girls and Body Image ♦ Kids Making a Difference
Safe Holidays – continued from page 1
Don’t Get Burned Prevention and first aid for burns It can happen in an instant: Your child grabs the handle of a pot jutting from the stove, and suddenly you’re dealing with a serious burn. Burns and fires are the second-leading cause of accidental death in childhood. In 2002, hospital emergency rooms treated about 124,000 children ages 14 and under for burn-related injuries. You can often prevent these tragedies — and even if you can’t, fast action and proper first aid can quickly put a burned child on the mend. The most common burn injury to children is a scald burn, which happens when a youngster comes in contact with hot liquid. Scald burns can be prevented by “supervising your child, setting your hot water heater to 120 degrees or below and installing anti-scald devices,” says Chris McCalman, C.P.N.P. (Certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner) at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children’s Pediatric ER. Burns are categorized as first, second and third degree depending on their severity, with third degree being the worst. But with children, the American Red Cross recommends all burns be treated the same. Call your doctor if the burned area includes the face, hands, feet or genital area. Ms. McCalman offers these tips for dealing with a burned child: ♦ Stay calm and speak quietly, explaining what you’re going to do. ♦ Stop the burning by staying away from the heat source, but do not remove pieces of clothing stuck to the burn. ♦ Cool the burn with large amounts of cool water, not with ice or icy water. For hands or feet, immerse the body part or apply soaked towels. ♦ Cooling should continue until the burning sensation stops. ♦ Cover the burn with a dry, sterile dressing and seek medical care. ♦ Don’t break the blisters. ♦ Never put butter or ointments on a blistered burn. ♦ Second and third degree burns need evaluation by a physician. 2 kidbits
Ensure kitchen safety. Adults can lose track of children as they cook big holiday meals. Dr. Abston suggests assigning an adult to supervise children. Move knives, other utensils and hot drinks away from counter edges, turn pot handles toward the back of the stove and keep children away from hot ovens. Watch kids open their gifts. Even if you buy age-appropriate toys, small children can get into things meant for older siblings. “When there are lots of children frantically opening gifts at one time, it creates excitement, and smaller children can be enticed by toys that are not appropriate for them,” says Dr. Abston. And most importantly, during your holiday travel, remember child passenger safety! Make sure all children and adults are appropriately restrained in car seats, booster seats and seat belts at all times.
For example: 1. Infants should be rear-facing for as long as possible, at least until they are over age 1 and weigh more than 20 pounds. 2. Children should be in a forward-facing car seat with harness straps until they are 40 pounds (newer seats may have higher weight limits). 3. After outgrowing a car seat, children should be in a booster seat until they are about 4-feet-9-inches in height and can pass the five-point seat belt test: a) Buttocks against the seat back b) Knees bent at 90 degrees over edge of seat c) Feet flat on floor d) Lap belt over tops of thighs, not stomach e) Shoulder belt over mid collarbone (and can stay that way for entire trip)
Burn Prevention: Kitchen Safety Tips ♦ Never carry your baby and hot liquids or foods at the same time. ♦ Keep pot handles turned to the back of the stove. ♦ Temperature-test all foods before serving. Do not use microwaves to warm bottles. ♦ Buy stove guards, automatic coffee makers and fullglove potholders. ♦ Keep hot foods and liquids away from table and counter edges.
General Household Safety Tips: 1. Reduce the temperature of your water heater to below 120 degrees or install anti-scald devices in all faucets (prices start at $12). 2. Install smoke detectors and electrical outlet covers. 3. Keep all chemicals and caustic agents up high and locked (including batteries, which can cause burns if ingested). 4. Keep irons, curling irons and hair dryers out of a child’s reach. 5. Never allow children to handle fireworks. 6. Keep matches, gasoline, lighters and all other flammable materials locked away from children. 7. Use sunscreen on all children when they are outside. Sunburns are as dangerous as other types of burns. Blistered sunburns need to be evaluated by a physician. 8. Keep a fire extinguisher in an easily accessible place and check its expiration date. Make certain family members know how to operate the extinguisher.
Employees Community Fund of Boeing Alabama Continues a Long Tradition of Giving As the largest employee-owned charitable organization in the world, the Employees Community Fund of Boeing (ECF) sets the standard for charitable giving. For 20 years, Boeing employees have supported many programs at Huntsville Hospital, such as the air ambulance. Most recently, the ECF provided funding for Huntsville Hospital Women Center’s Medicaid Waiver Car Seat Safety Program. Thanks to their generosity, 250 low-income families will have safe car seats for their newborn babies. Employees manage the fund and choose the community organizations that receive grants each year. In north Alabama, a 10-member board, elected by their peers, administers Boeing employee contributions — to date more than $500,000. Worldwide, ECF contributions exceed $200 million. “We have all been personally touched by the agencies we assist. Thank goodness they were there,” says ECF Board member Miranda James-Mayfield. That statement rings true with at least two Boeing employees. Linda Tisdale and Sharon Nave each had critically ill children who were cared for at Huntsville Hospital. The Boeing Company is a valued corporate partner, as demonstrated by the generosity of its ECF members. Thanks to the support of Boeing employees, Huntsville Hospital has maintained its commitment to provide the very best possible health care to countless patients in north Alabama.
Pictured at the Car Seat Fitting Station are ECF Board members Angel Baytop, Eric Lumpkin, Frank Craig and Cher Piette.
Our Civic Partners “The Civitan Club is doing things — big things — for the community, state and nation, and I certainly consider it an honor to be numbered in its ranks.” —Thomas Edison, Civitan member Mr. Edison’s words still ring true for the Civitan Clubs of Huntsville. Now in more than 24 countries, Civitans work to improve the lives of those with developmental disabilities. Civitan Cares, Inc., the philanthropic governing board of the Lakewood, Huntsville and South Huntsville Civitan clubs, recently approved a $45,000 gift to Huntsville Hospital Foundation benefiting Huntsville Hospital’s Pediatric Therapy program. Huntsville Hospital Pediatric Therapy has an extensive program that serves children with developmental disorders including autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. The Civitan grant will help to provide testing materials, equipment and new programs that will make learning more fun and effective for Pediatric Therapy patients. Music therapy is now available to patients on a regular basis, thanks to the Civitan funding. Coined from the Latin word “civitas,” meaning citizenship, Civitans believe in building a better community. Huntsville Hospital Foundation is thankful for its relationship with the Civitans of Huntsville and appreciates their commitment to provide better health care for the children of north Alabama.
Pictured, back row, left to right are: Lakewood Civitan members Manuel Garcia and Roy Heifner; Stephanie Gyorok, Huntsville Hospital Pediatric Therapy; and Huntsville Civitan and Chairman of Civitan Cares, Inc., Tommy Johnson. Front row, left to right are: Pediatric Therapy patients Ann Marie Schlafke and Cheyenne Prince.
Homemakers Support NICU The Progressive Homemakers Club, established in 1957, recently made a generous contribution to the Huntsville Hospital Foundation. The members, most of whom are retired educators, designated their gift in support of Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children’s new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Pictured (seated) are: Maureen Davis-Cathey, Sylvia Flakes, Lady Shivers Tucker and Cathryn Payne; (standing) Revis Hill, Elnora Lanier, Nancy Rooks, Lou Clark, Eunice Clay and Helen Jamar. Not pictured: Neva Bright and Madge Jamar. Winter 2004 3
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Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Special conveniences and a state-of-the-art design make the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children a unique place for critically ill newborns and their families: ★
The region’s most soothing, healing and developmentally friendly atmosphere
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Spaciously designed for the comfort and privacy of the babies, families and staff
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Rocking chairs for mom and dad
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Storage space for toys and clothes
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Bulletin boards for family pictures and mementos
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An Internet-wired family lounge
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Dense floor and ceiling tiles soften sounds for baby-friendly acoustics
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Additional walls for privacy
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Visitors greeted at a central reception area for security
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No traffic passing through to other service areas
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Wireless laptops for patient charting
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Help Your Daughter Love Her Body Many girls worry too much about their weight Your teen or preteen daughter seems to worry too much about her appearance — especially her weight. She’s not alone. An obsession with thinness has become an unhealthy trend among growing girls. Our culture helps fuel the trend. Thin body images dominate TV, movies and advertising — yet most fashion models are thinner than 98 percent of American women. Many girls who compare their bodies to media images think they’re overweight, unattractive and unlovable. Weight-conscious friends or relatives can reinforce those feelings, setting some girls up for eating disorders. Parents can help a daughter value and appreciate her own size and shape, especially as she enters adolescence. “Open a dialogue about the pressures kids feel to look a certain way,” says Linda Dinerman, M.D., who specializes in adolescent medicine at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. “The earlier you address these issues, the more successful you’ll be.”
Linda Dinerman, M.D. To improve your daughter’s self esteem and body image:
New Gift Shop Is Big Help for Little Patients Flowers, candy, a variety of picture frames and stuffed animals from the gift shop are sure to brighten any patient’s day at Huntsville Hospital. But to the volunteers of the Huntsville Hospital Auxiliary, those gifts have an extra-special meaning. The Auxiliary uses the profits from the gift shops to fund its activities supporting patients, staff and families and to purchase much-needed supplies ranging from toys to medical equipment. The new, expanded gift shop at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children is sure to keep volunteer workers busy, making many more of their generous gifts possible. The gift shop features popular brands, including Donnie Allen Sleepwear, Mudpie, Collegiate Collection and Fifth Avenue Crystal. The gift shop also offers items by Ty Plush, Mary Meyer Plush, Hello Kitty, Camille Beckman Lotion and Petit Ami Baby Line. Lift a patient’s spirits while contributing to a worthwhile cause by visiting the gift shop at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. 6 kidbits
♦ Be a healthy role model. “If you are constantly dieting or worrying about your own weight, your children will view this behavior as normal,” Dr. Dinerman says. Let your kids see you eat a range of healthy foods in moderation. Make time to exercise, especially as a family. It is important to encourage healthy eating habits and behaviors while discouraging “dieting.” ♦ Tune in to body signals. Children often eat because of boredom, loneliness or stress. Encourage your daughter to recognize what it feels like to be hungry and then full. Never force a child to eat everything on her plate. ♦ Avoid labeling foods good or bad. That leads to feelings of deprivation, which makes “forbidden” foods more desirable. Instead, guide choices by offering a range of healthy foods to choose from. ♦ Recognize beauty in all forms. Compliment your daughter on her intelligence, skills, capabilities and goals. Reassure her that you love her no matter what her size or shape. Avoid commenting on other people’s bodies. ♦ Teach your daughter the realities of body size. In our culture, girls “tend to form one narrow definition of beauty, which is thinness,” Dr. Dinerman says. Body size, like height or eye color, is influenced by genetics. ♦ Help her with growing pains, “Gaining 20 to 50 pounds as she goes through puberty is not unusual,” says Dr. Dinerman. Explain to your daughter that it is normal to experience this weight gain, which coincides with an increase in height and a change in body shape. If your daughter is anxious about her size, help her feel good about herself in other ways: a new hairstyle, clothes that other kids are wearing, a new sport or activity.
Children’s Hospital Research Saves and Improves Children’s Lives Did you know that a physician at a children’s hospital was the first to identify AIDS in children and that the polio vaccine was first tested at a children’s hospital? Pediatric research is an essential part of a children’s hospital’s mission. The National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) supports research conducted by children’s hospitals across the country by increasing public awareness of the benefits that pediatric research offers to all children. One-third of children’s hospitals operate child health research centers that have advanced lifesaving discoveries such as vaccines, gene therapies and specialized surgical techniques. Virtually all children’s hospitals
NACHRI National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions
participate in lifesaving clinical trials, and 70 percent perform basic science and health services research. Children’s hospitals have also made important advances in fetal surgery, bone marrow transplants and the treatment of birth defects and heart conditions. That’s why NACHRI encourages continued federal funding for pediatric research in children’s hospitals. But research into pediatric illnesses and conditions doesn’t just help children. Children’s hospital research has resulted in prevention and treatment discoveries for high-cost adult diseases that begin in childhood, such as osteoporosis, diabetes and obesity. Children’s hospitals are also working together to test, study and increase the number and variety of drugs that are approved for use in children. Without these studies, children are vulnerable to improper drug dosages and may miss out on new and more effective cuttingedge therapies that are being developed.
Two Friends Team Up to Make a Difference Remember these names — Sam Robinson and Farrell Robinson. They’re not related, but they have been best friends since the first grade. They are now seventh-graders at Holy Spirit School in Huntsville. They are active in sports, dance, math team and a whole lot of other things that 12-year-olds enjoy. What makes these young people so memorable is not how they are similar to their peers, but how they are different. This pair not only believes that they can make a difference in their community, they are doing it. Sam and Farrell are the president and vice president of a project called Pocket Change For Peds, a student-led effort to raise $75,000 to build a rooftop garden and play area at Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. “My parents and my school teachers have always taught me to give back to my community,” says Sam. “I’ve tried to do what I could.” According to Sam’s parents, Mark and Kim Robinson, their son learned the lesson early in life by donating many of his toys to the pediatric unit at the hospital. In 2003, Sam enlisted his friend Farrell, daughter of Carter and Peggy Robinson, to help him establish Pocket Change
Farrell Robinson, left, and Sam Robinson for Peds in partnership with Huntsville Hospital Foundation. The program started at Holy Spirit School to help raise money to buy new toys for the pediatric patients at the hospital. What began with piggy banks in 18 classrooms at Holy Spirit School is now reaching more than a dozen schools across Huntsville and Madison County. Their goal is to raise $75,000 by the spring of 2006 in order to build the rooftop play area at the women and children’s hospital. Neither of the two dynamos seems fazed by the task. Earlier this summer, Sam and Farrell raised $1,200 in one day as part of “national lemonade day” for cancer patient Alex Scott.
Pediatric research enables children’s hospitals to better serve all children with the latest discoveries and treatments taken out of the laboratory and provided directly to the young patients they serve. For more information on what research the children’s hospital community is working on now, visit the NACHRI Web site at www.childrenshospitals.net.
For their Huntsville project, they have personally written and designed a brochure, a logo and a mascot (Penny the Pig), and have developed a network of friends at other schools who will assist them. They are convinced that local stores, restaurants and companies will also want their piggy banks in their establishments. Special events are planned as well by these enterprising young people. Sam and Farrell have regular office hours at the Foundation each week to work on the project. “If you have ever been a child in the hospital, you know why this is important,” says Farrell. “Our program is about kids helping kids,” she says. And Sam quickly adds, “but we will take adults’ money, too.” Sam and Farrell are confident that their dream of a rooftop garden and play area will come true for the children who are hospitalized at Huntsville Hospital. In fact, it almost seems like a foregone conclusion to them ... so much so that they are already helping design the play area. With their track record, enthusiasm and community spirit, it would not be wise to bet against these remarkable young people. Schools, companies, stores or individuals interested in joining Pocket Change for Peds should call 256-265-8077 for more information. All donations to Huntsville Hospital Foundation are tax deductible. Winter 2004 7
Thank You, Pediatric Partners! Thanks to the following local merchants who have generously agreed to place Pocket Change for Peds boxes in their businesses to support Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children. We encourage you to patronize our Pediatric Partners!
Al Christopher Alabama Uniforms Artistic Images Callie Allie’s Governors Drive Chevron The Funky Monkey Garden Cove Glenn’s Golden Griffin Hill Lawnmower Huffman’s Babies to Teens Little Farm Grill The Market Place
Med Express Gas Station Medical Arts Pharmacy Meridian Arts Piedmont Clothing Purple Peanut Railroad Station Antiques Roper’s Flowers Shaver’s Bookstore The Soap Dish Star Market Tummi Talk The Wine Cellar
Memorial Tribute Gifts Huntsville Hospital welcomes Memorial and Tribute Gifts, which may be given in honor of a beloved relative or friend, to celebrate a special occasion or to thank a business associate. A charitable contribution to Huntsville Hospital Foundation provides a meaningful and lasting tribute, which not only honors a loved one, but also gives the gift of life to countless patients treated at Huntsville Hospital. Contributions of any amount are gratefully accepted and may be designated for a specific purpose or area at Huntsville Hospital. Huntsville Hospital Foundation is a 501(c) (3) organization and all contributions are tax-deductible. Please contact the Foundation office at 256-265-8077 if you would like more information about Memorial and Tribute gifts.
Articles in this newsletter are written by professional journalists or physicians who strive to present reliable, up-to-date information. But no publication can replace the care and advice of medical professionals, and readers are cautioned to seek such help for personal problems. ©2004 Health Ink & Vitality Communications, 780 Township Line Road, Yardley, PA 19067, 267-685-2800. Some images in this publication may be provided by ©2004 PhotoDisc, Inc. Some illustrations in this publication may be provided by ©2004 The Staywell Company; all rights reserved.
Quick Phone Reference Administration ..............256-265-7061 Angels for Women & Children ......256-265-8077 Class registration ..........256-265-7440 Main number ................256-265-1000 RN4U ................................256-265-7648 Tour information ..........256-265-7969 Wellness & Sports Center ..............................256-265-WELL
Huntsville Hospital for Women & Children 101 Sivley Rd. Huntsville, AL 35801
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