Bradshaw Institute update

The Bradshaw Institute for Community Child Health & Advocacy, part of Prisma Health Children’s

Hospital–Upstate, works to create healthy and safe communities, increase access to care for those experiencing vulnerabilities, provide evidence-based strategies to improve health literacy, and ultimately become a best practice leader. Made possible by a legacy gift in 2016, the institute’s funding comes from various sources: grants, philanthropy and operational dollars.

Here are 12 highlights of the team’s activities or statistics in the Upstate for FY22 (October 2021–September 2022:

• Prisma Health Pediatric Support Services, which was established throughout our ambulatory pediatric practices, received 3,074 referrals.

• 246 students were seen during 414 total visits at our School-based Health Centers during the school year; 144 of those visits were for mental health screenings and psychosocial management.

• 783 Tdap, HPV and meningococcal vaccinations were administered to Greenville County students through these School-based Health Centers.

• 151 students received sports physicals through our School-based Health Centers.

• 2,272 students took part in the Wheels to Wellness comprehensive bike skills program.

• The team maintained 33 permanent Child Passenger Safety Inspection Stations in the community and completed 625 car seat inspections.

• 1,545 families were provided care coordination to help connect their children to mental health, behavioral and and parenting support services.

• Health educators supplied personalized pediatric injury prevention education to 2,048 families at our Greenville Memorial, Oconee Memorial and Patewood hospitals before their baby’s discharge from Newborn Services.

• 295 safe sleep referrals and education were provided via Cribs for Kids; 110 cribs were supplied to families.

• To keep children healthy and dry, 110,000 diapers were distributed via our Diaper Bank to 670 families in need.

• 183 families with food insecurity were connected to community resources.

• 40 of our medical residents were trained in community health and advocacy.

Tech of the Year

Congratulations to Bradshaw Institute’s Nydia Nieves, who received the CPS Technician of the Year award at the S.C. Child Passenger Safety Summit in September!

And more honors!

Bradshaw Institute won the 2022 S.C. Head Start Association Corporate Award for its Grow to Greatness program. This initiative supports early learning, health and family well-being.

The institute also received the Public Education Partners 2022 Partner of the Year Award in November. This award acknowledges Prisma Health’s financial support and the critical role the Bradshaw Institute plays in working with Greenville County Schools on Conscious Discipline and mental health programs.

To learn more, go to PrismaHealth.org/BradshawInstitute

Unity Park opens

Prisma Health is pleased to sponsor Unity Park, a 60acre transformational public-private project on the west side of Greenville that knits together historic downtown neighborhoods. The park includes protection and enhancement of the Reedy River and restoration of historic Mayberry Park, along with playgrounds, pedestrian bridges, walking trails and a visitor center. Its design is the result of more than a decade of community engagement, including meetings with surrounding neighborhoods.

The Prisma Health Welcome Center at the park features a first-aid station and lactation room. The center also houses community meeting space, where prenatal and pediatric health education classes will take place.

Making spirits bright

Prisma Health’s two Children’s Hospitals lit up the night and sparked holiday cheer in the hearts of young patients and their families during the annual Good Night Lights family-friendly drive-thru events in December. The simple gesture of shining a flashlight toward patients’ windows sends well wishes, positive thoughts and holiday cheer.

“Being in the hospital is hard for children and their families, especially so during the holidays,” said Caughman Taylor, MD, medical director of Children’s Hospital–Midlands. “Good Night Lights is a heartwarming way to send bright beams of well wishes in a way we know helps the children in their healing and families in their ability to get through difficult times.”

Robin LaCroix, MD, medical director at Children’s Hospital–Upstate, agreed: “It is wonderful when the community comes out and says to the children upstairs, ‘We know you’re there, we know that you and your families are going through an incredible health journey, and we want you to know we care and we’re thinking about you.’ ”

Greetings from Riverbanks Zoo

Prisma Health was proud to sponsor Riverbanks Zoo’s Santa’s Village in Columbia, where team member volunteers helped children and families create beautifully colored gift tags to add to presents distributed to patients at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands. More than 61,000 people visited Santa’s Village to spread holiday cheer to our inpatients.

Appearing in ‘World’s Greatest’

Greenville’s Center for Developmental Services (CDS) houses five nonprofit groups – including Prisma Health –that work together to assess and deliver therapies for 8,000 children and 1,000 adults annually with developmental delays or disabilities. CDC was featured in November’s “World’s Greatest” TV show for its innovative approach in streamlining services and referrals under one roof.

Welcome, Kenishia GoldenSmith, DHA, MS

Kenishia Golden-Smith is the Pediatric Trauma Injury Prevention coordinator at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital–Midlands.

Golden-Smith has worked for nearly a decade in public health with a focus on reducing health disparities in vulnerable populations. She holds a BSW from Savannah State University and MS in health education and promotion from Walden University. Her DHA is from Virginia University of Lynchburg.

A team member since February 2022, she has established several child safety initiatives, including:

• Weekly child passenger safety inspections Tuesdays and Thursdays at Children’s Hospital from 10 a.m.–noon. Appointments are available on Eventbrite.

• Caregiver classes every fourth Thursday monthly for child passenger safety. Participants receive a discount on car seats at Prisma Health’s Baby & Me Boutique.

• Safe sleep classes the fourth Tuesday monthly for caregivers. Participants receive a discount on portable cribs at Prisma Health’s Baby & Me Boutique.

• Trauma Survivor’s Network (TSN) comfort bags. Families and patients visiting Children’s Hospital due to physical traumatic injuries receive comfort items and TSN survivor resources. This program serves as a community for trauma survivors to connect and rebuild their lives after injury.

• Partnerships with internal departments and external community and state organizations to help with injury prevention efforts.

Golden-Smith also writes grants to secure funding for program initiatives; serves as interim Safe Kids coordinator for the Midlands, ThinkFirst co-director for Prisma Health–Midlands and pediatric TSN coordinator; and is active in community events promoting injury prevention and awareness of childhood injuries.

Favorite pastimes are spending time with her spouse, playing with her dog, jogging and visiting her hometown of Savannah.

Both of our Prisma Health Children’s Hospitals have many reasons to celebrate!

Prisma Health Midlands Foundation

$100,000 gift honors Jason Hawn, MD

We’ve often heard that “heroes work at Prisma Health,” and that’s certainly how Cyndi and Mikee Johnson felt after their son, Causey, required emergency surgery at our Children’s Hospital in 2020. The Johnsons made the gift announcement in summer 2022 at a Champions Society gathering at the home of Drs. Leigh and Jason Hawn, to the surprise of Dr. Jason Hawn, who is their brother-inlaw and a pediatric hospitalist here. That summer evening at age 10, Causey spoke about how Bhairav Shah, MD, the Child Life team and Uncle Jason took care of him; Causey went on to explain how his hospital stay wasn’t scary because of them.

Dr. Hawn is beloved by children and parents for his bedside manner and for being a great communicator. We are fortunate to have him as part of the Children’s Hospital team along with his spouse, a Prisma Health adult hospitalist.

Donors + Festival of Trees Auction = $245,000

The Midlands Foundation celebrated generous donors Dec. 3 at the Pastides Alumni Center in Columbia. The event marked the return of the Festival of Trees Auction, presented by Aflac, and included a Fund-the-Need drive to send children to camps run by our Children’s Hospital. Special thanks to the individuals and companies whose sponsorship gifts, auction bids and Fund-the-Need monies contributed to the grand total!

More fundraising efforts

The University of South Carolina (USC) Dance Marathon kicked off its 25th year of fundraising on Child Health Day (Oct. 2), raising more than $75,094. Another $4,000 was gifted to the marathon as a winner of the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals fundraising challenge – two of the top fundraisers are USC students! The second fundraising and recruitment push, Day of Miracles, resulted in more than $115,822 in November.

Save the date: March 25 is the next USC Dance Marathon.

Check this out!

Let’s hear it for Lexington 2’s Airport High School students who presented a $29,700 check for CAMP KEMO Programs in October! Thanks to all in the Airport High School community who donated to the 2022 Charity Drive; this school has made many donations to Prisma Health over the years. Shown with the students are Tommy Barrs, alumnus of Airport High School and a CAMP KEMO volunteer, and Cassy Shea, program coordinator for CAMP KEMO Programs at Children’s Hospital.

Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals campaigns

Check out these partner campaigns that will benefit both of our Children’s Hospitals:

• Costco: May

• Publix: May 24–June 4

• Dairy Queen: June–July

• Year-round Round Up at the Register: Panda Express, DQ, Love’s Travel Stops, Speedway, Ace Hardware

Upstate’s Office of Philanthropy The We Care Campaign

The We Care Campaign, in partnership with Ingles Markets and iHeart Media, raised $101,765 for the hospital! Items provided thanks to this campaign include:

Paws-itive news

The Michael J. Mungo Foundation donated $50,000 to our Child Life fund to help launch the Canine F.E.T.C.H. Unit in the Midlands, making it possible for Children’s Hospital to adopt its first two facility dogs. We look forward to welcoming these four-legged members this spring and know they will bring comfort and joy to those we serve (and the healthcare team). Donor support will be vital in growing and sustaining this program.

“We are thrilled to help establish this program for Children’s Hospital,” said Stewart Mungo, chairman of the Michael J. Mungo Foundation. “Our relationship with pets has untold benefits that cannot be measured. We know facility dogs can provide important medical benefits. We also know they can provide a child with confidence, security and general well-being – not to mention the simple joy and healing touch they bring to young patients.”

• Bookbags to support children in foster care by providing them with essential personal hygiene and school supplies inside the bag for when they leave Children’s Hospital.

• Distraction items such as sensory toys, video game systems and interactive wall murals.

• Support for our specialty camps, 100% funded through donations, which make camps free for our families by covering the cost of facility operations/rental fees, meals, activities, crafts, T-shirts and scholarships. (See also Page 30.)

Visit PrismaHealth.org/wecare for 2023 updates.

Stepping up

Clemson University Dance Marathon kicked off the year of fundraising on Child Health Day (Oct. 2), raising more than $10,000. The largest philanthropic student-led organization at Clemson University is raising funds for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The second fundraising and recruitment push, All In Day, is in January and typically raises $50,000.

Save the date for the main event: Feb. 25. Visit clemsonmiracle.com for more information.

Becky embarks on new calling

Becky is a golden retriever that joined the Prisma Health team in August. The eighth facility dog to serve the Upstate, Becky works alongside her handler, Child Life Specialist Erin Shaffer, in Preop. According to Shaffer, the 6-year-old enjoys bringing smiles and laughs to hospitalized children, their families and team members.

And a fond farewell to Vivi

Vivi, our first and much-beloved facility dog, passed away Dec. 4 of cancer at age 8. A celebration of Vivi’s life and work took place at Greenville Memorial Hospital on Dec. 8.

For anyone looking for a way to honor her memory, the Canine F.E.T.C.H. Unit is accepting donations on her behalf: Text “LoveVivi” to 41444.

Fetch your calendar here

The 2023 Canine F.E.T.C.H. Unit calendar featuring our fabulous furry, fourlegged team members – including Vivi and Becky – has nearly sold out. To purchase a copy and support this grrreat unit of facility dogs, text GOFETCH to 41444