FACT SHEET: - Blythedale Children's Hospital

FACT SHEET:High Tech Nutritional Support and Feeding TherapyWhy Choose Blythedale?At Blythedale Children’s Hospital, evaluation and treatment of acquired andcongenital feeding disorders in infants, children and adolescents are addressed by a teamof pediatric specialists. This team, comprised of a pediatrician, speech and occupationaltherapist, registered dietitian, psychologist, nurses, neurologists, and other clinicalspecialists, works collaboratively with each child and family. Blythedale is the only specialtychildren’s hospital in New York State with the capability of combining these areas ofexpertise in a multidisciplinary team.Children admitted to Blythedale for nutritional support and feeding therapy havewide-ranging medical problems, including genetic and/or developmental disorders,complications due to premature birth, short-gut syndrome, brain injury, cerebral palsy,oral-motor dysfunction, post-surgical, and seizure disorders. Blythedale’s multidisciplinaryapproach not only incorporates each child’s complex medical and developmental needs,but also addresses behavioral and oral-motor feeding issues, in order to customize anutritional plan to maximize growth and development.Well-known for its superior outcomes and the ability to help patients achieve their maximum potential and meet theirtreatment objectives, Blythedale’s approach to treating children with complex medical problems is widely recognized as a nationalmodel of excellence.• Board Certified Pediatricians 24/7and experienced nursing staff(70-80% R.N.).• Largest hospital-based pediatric therapydepartment in New York State, with75 full-time pediatric therapists.• Therapeutic feeders (49 specially trainedspeech and occupational therapists)are assigned to each patient, basedon the child’s individual needs and thetherapist’s unique area of expertise.• Registered dietitian provides casespecific,individualized nutritional planfor every patient upon admission.• TPN (Total Parenteral Nutrition)management, weaning andtraining expertise.• Extensive experience in enteral feeding,weaning infants and children fromsupplemental tube feeding (nasogastric,gastrostomy, and jejunostomy),and decreasing dependence ontube feedings.• 24/7 pulmonary and respiratory supportfor ventilator dependent children withimmature feeding mechanisms.• Specialized services for children whohave behavioral issues which interferewith diet advancement.• Six full-time registered pharmacists,including a Board Certified ClinicalPharmacist.• Frequent and comprehensivecommunication with referringinstitutions and physicians.• Excellence in caregiver educationand comprehensive dischargeplanning services.• On-site public school district(the only one of its kind in New York).(over)www.blythedale.org

FACT SHEET:High Tech Nutritional Support and Feeding TherapyThe Blythedale High Tech Nutritional Supportand Feeding Therapy TeamLaura J. Mirkinson, M.D., F.A.A.P.,Chief of PediatricsDr. Mirkinson has been the Chief ofPediatrics at Blythedale since 2007. Shepreviously served at Children’s NationalMedical Center in Washington, D.C. andas a Pediatric Hospitalist at Holy CrossHospital in Silver Spring, Maryland. She isBoard Certified in Pediatrics. Dr. Mirkinsonsupervises a team of 10 Board Certifiedpediatricians with many years of experiencetreating pediatric GI disorders.Rita Erlbaum Kotorac, CCC/SLP,Director of Speech Pathologyand AudiologyMs. Erlbaum Kotorac’s career spansmore than 30 years in Speech-LanguagePathology. She earned her bachelor’sdegree from the State University ofNew York at Albany, and master’s degreefrom New York University. She has extensiveexperience in the field of pediatrics, withongoing specialized training in feedingtherapy.Julie Knitter, OTR,Director of Occupational TherapyMs. Knitter’s occupational therapy careerspans more than 25 years, exclusively inpediatrics with extensive clinical expertisein progression of feeding skills forchildren with complex medical and/ordevelopmental conditions. She holds adegree in occupational therapy from theUniversity of Wisconsin.Lauren Brandel, R.D.,Clinical Nutrition ManagerMs. Brandel is a registered dietitian. Sheearned her bachelor’s of science from theUniversity of Rhode Island and completedher dietetic nutrition internship at StateUniversity of New York at Stony Brook.She also received specialized training inpediatric nutrition at Maria Fareri Children’sHospital. She has been a specializedpediatric dietitian for her entire12-year career.On-Site Services and SupportAreas Serving Patients withFeeding Therapy Needs:• Pediatric Medicine• Pediatric Nursing• Pediatric Nutrition• Pediatric Pulmonology• Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine• Child Neurology• Child Psychiatry and Psychology• Pediatric Speech Pathology providingtherapeutic feeding, evaluations andinterventions• Pediatric Occupational Therapy• PharmacyAdditional Specialty SupportAreas Available:• Pediatric Otolaryngology• Pediatric Gastroenterology• Additional consultative specialistsas neededClinical Support Services• Audiology• Radiology• Lab Services• Social Work/Case Management• Child Life Services• Patient AdvocacyOutcomes Data forHigh Tech Nutritional Support andFeeding Therapy Patients:In the last year, the departments of Speech Pathology and OccupationalTherapy utilized the Infant Feeding Outcome Measure as a meansof measuring the feeding outcome for infants transitioning from tube tooral feedings.Analysis of the results revealed that 92% of the patients in the study madegains in transitioning from enteral (tube) feedings to oral intake.Contacts:For Referrals or Feedback on ReferredHigh Tech Nutritional Support andFeeding Therapy Patients:Theresa King, R.N.,Director of Clinical Outreachtheresak@blythedale.org914-831-2431Pager: 877-325-6394Fax: 914-592-0381Susan Murray, L.C.S.W.,Director of Social Worksusangm@blythedale.org914-831-2443Fax: 914-347-5544