Fall 2011 - Kosair Children's Hospital

In this issu ...
3 Combating bullying with
conflict resolution
4 Pediatric epilepsy surgery
gives family hope
6 Top-notch pediatric
pulmonology program
7 Foundation raffles house
and car to help kids
8 Cancer patient’s positive
attitude sees her through
10 Caregiver Spotlight
12 News and Notes
14
15
Jamie Rhodes Photo
Planned Giving
Upcoming Events
On the cover:
Sean Caruso of Crestwood, Ky.
See page 4
Setting the bar for excellence
each and every day, children – and parents – are waiting at Kosair Children’s Hospital.
Waiting to finish cancer treatment. Waiting for a diagnosis. Waiting for a new heart.
Waiting for surgery. Waiting to grow big and strong enough to go home.
Our caregivers are with them every step of the way: Holding hands, talking about
care, providing education, rejoicing over the ups and
worrying about the downs. Each child is special. And through
each child we think about our mission for the future of this
community and for our hospital.
Moving forward, we are striving for continued excellence
in caring for children. And our excellence is being recognized
nationwide. Kosair Children’s Hospital was honored as one
of America’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” in cancer, cardiology
and heart surgery, gastroenterology, neonatology, neurology
and neurosurgery, orthopaedics, pulmonology and urology in
U.S. News Media Group’s Best Children’s Hospitals 2011-12 rankings. This is the third
consecutive year that Kosair Children’s has been a top-performing children’s hospital in
pulmonology.
That excellence also extends beyond hospital walls. Thomas D. Kmetz, president
of Kosair Children’s Hospital, was appointed one of 12 board members for a new
organization created by the merger of the three national children’s hospital organizations:
the Child Health Corporation of America, the National Association of Children’s
Hospitals and Related Institutions and the National Association of Children’s Hospitals.
This board represents 223 children’s hospitals and related organizations nationwide,
serving as a voice for the 70 million children in America and their families.
These honors represent our desire to continually improve children’s health care.
But they pale in comparison to that moment when a child celebrates completion of
chemotherapy treatment; a teenager leaves the emergency department after learning
he has no major injuries from a skateboarding mishap; a little girl receives the heart
transplant she’s been waiting for; a young boy’s life is transformed after complex
neurosurgery; and an infant finally goes home after spending several months in our
neonatal intensive care unit.
Thank you for continuing to be a part of the waiting and celebrating.
Lynnie Meyer, MSN, R.N.
Executive Director
Children’s Hospital Foundation
Greathouse Shryock is tops!
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer cheers for the students
at Greathouse Shryock Traditional Elementary School
while Karla Davis, principal, and Susan Moore
(far right), second-grade teacher and “Just for Kids”
project coordinator, look on. The school’s 610 students
raised more than $40,000 in their second fundraising
campaign for the hospital.
Reading, writing,
arithmetic ... and
Back-to-school means homework, fun with friends and
extracurricular activities. But with the return of the school
year comes something else – the risk for bullying.
Whether it’s “cyber,” physical, verbal or emotional, bullying
is a serious and growing problem all over the country, even in
our own backyard.
The stress of dealing with bullies can make a child feel sick
and not want to play outside, socialize with friends or go to
school. The Children’s Hospital Foundation Office of Child
Advocacy of Kosair Children’s Hospital is stepping in to
educate students on better ways to resolve conflicts.
Therese Sirles, R.N., director, Office of Child Advocacy, and
her staff will teach a 10-week course on the topic of bullying
at select schools in the Jefferson County Public Schools district
this fall.
This educational curriculum was developed by Timir
Banerjee, M.D., executive director of the Society for the
Prevention of Aggressiveness and Violence Among Adolescents
(SPAVA). Dr. Banerjee also is a retired neurosurgeon who now
practices as a Norton Immediate Care Center physician.
“The students learn about character building, self-esteem
and, of course, ways to deal with bullies in a more effective
and peaceful manner,” Sirles said. “They are given ‘real life’
situations and asked to role-play as a part of the class.”
As an instructor, Sirles
teaches techniques that
can help both victims and
bullies.
“Students practice using
the STAR (Stop, Think,
Act, Review) method to
control anger,” she said.
“We teach the students that
stepping back and having
‘self-talk’ before reacting can
prevent bad situations from
happening.”
Sirles has seen many
examples of children who
have changed their behavior as a result of the SPAVA course.
“I’ve read letters from students about how the course has
helped them,” she said. “Many of them wrote that they show
more respect as well as control their anger and stand up for
others who are bullied.”
BULLYING
These skills have
the potential to affect
children for the rest of
their lives.
“If students develop
these skills at a young
age, they can become
good role models and
leaders in the future,”
Sirles said.
For more information
on helping your child
cope with bullying, call the Office of Child Advocacy at
(502) 629-7358.
–Kama Korvela
Signs of bullying
Unless your child tells you he or she is being bullied, it can
be difficult to detect. Warning signs to watch for include:
• Changes in eating and/or
sleeping patterns
• Not participating in
normal activities like
riding the bus or sports
• Crying easily, moodiness
• Frequently says he/she
doesn’t feel well and asks
to stay home from school
• Loss of interest in
schoolwork, noticeable
decline in grades
How you can help
Hwang’s Martial Arts also is helping children deal with
bullies. Through a partnership with the Children’s Hospital
Foundation, Hwang’s is teaching children
a variety of self-defense skills that build
self-esteem and confidence. With a $59
donation to Kosair Children’s Hospital, children
can enjoy one month of tae kwon do or martial
arts classes (four classes) at one of Hwang’s four
Louisville locations. Parents can join too!
To take advantage of this special offer, call
(502) 629-8060 or visit HelpKosairChildrensHospital.com.
Annette Cable Illustrations
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