Carle Health

On Tuesday, Oct. 15, Carle Health staff and volunteers held the Shining Light Infant Memorial Service at Carle Foundation Hospital to honor the memories of babies forever in the hearts of families. The private service of prayer and reflection was held in alignment with the International Wave of Light, an annual worldwide lighting of candles, to honor pregnancy loss and infant death. “This was an important time for families and loved ones remembering the little babies who never got to bloom but brought beauty into the world." -Rachel Campbell, BSN, RNC-OB, perinatal grief and bereavement liaison at Carle Foundation Hospital The event was made possible by many volunteers and by generous donations to Carle Health Center for Philanthropy.

“Social Workers provide the invaluable service of connecting patients with community resources. In my 14 years at Carle, I’ve had the opportunity to take interns, offer LCSW supervision, work with a variety of community agencies and complete the professional advancement program.” Apply today and work with a great team at #CarleHealth: https://lnkd.in/eVm4e8dk

Carle Health is committed to providing an inclusive care environment and one way we do that is with our Interpreter Services. As National Hispanic Heritage Month comes to a close, we want to recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans and the work of our Interpreter Services team in helping members of the community get the healthcare they need.

Congratulations to Carle Health Executive Vice President, Chief Medical Officer, Napoleon Knight, MD, MBA, for receiving a Lifetime Achievement award from the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. The award honors individuals for their enduring contributions to the medical field. Mark Cohen, MD, FSSO, FACS, Carle Cancer Institute and Dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, said Dr. Knight has championed the college’s mission for education, innovation and preparing the next generation for challenges ahead. “As a cornerstone of Carle over the last 35 years he has contributed tirelessly to growing programs and opportunities that benefit patients in our communities and has mentored countless students, faculty, and residents over the years. Over the years, he has become a pivotal figure, leading by example the advancements in clinical practice and education both in the health system and in the community. This includes his work with Prosperity Gardens, now a program of the City of Champaign Township, which provides children with garden-based nutrition education; his commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion supporting Carle’s gender-inclusive care framework, aimed at enhancing patient equity for the LGBTQ community; and his commitment to medical student education through his time, mentorship, and philanthropic efforts. He continues to participate in most of the medical school’s events and loves to hear about student innovations and how they can help patients in our community.” Dr. Cohen describes Dr. Knight as an inspirational leader, mentor and educator as well as a champion of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Having worked extensively in Emergency Medicine and in various leadership roles at Carle Health, Dr. Knight brings an understanding of the needs of the patient population and the challenges of the evolving medical industry. As a leader at Carle, he works to implement strategies to improve the health of the diverse service population, extend specialty care available in the system, increase health plan membership, and make lasting impact to advancing the quality standards of the organization. Carle Illinois College of Medicine

Families who experienced loss are invited on October 15, 2024, to evening Shining Light Infant Memorial ceremonies, held on Pregnancy Loss and Remembrance Day in Urbana and Normal. 🕯️ “Grief is so often isolating, especially the grief of the loss of a child. This is a time to be with others, look each other in the eye and share remembering our babies together.” -Rachel Campbell, RN, Perinatal Grief and Bereavement Liaison, Carle Foundation Hospital For more information about each event, including ways to view the ceremony virtually or register to have your baby’s name read during the ceremony, visit the following links: Carle BroMenn Shining Light Memorial Service and Walk to Remember: https://lnkd.in/gYMgivDn Carle Foundation Hospital Shining Light Memorial for Pregnancy and Infant Loss: https://lnkd.in/gGC_B9en

Carle Hoopeston Regional Health Center is a rarity: a small-town hospital with Magnet with Distinction designation. That recent honor was celebrated with the Hoopeston community on Oct. 10. Carle Health team members, community partners and local leaders celebrated the accomplishment at a communitywide event at The Legion in Hoopeston with inspiring messages, pinning of nurses and unveiling commemorative banners. Find out more about all there is to celebrate at Carle Hoopeston: https://lnkd.in/gdP_xndX

“Our hope is that this memorial is a safe place for grieving families to come and remember their little babies, and connect with other families who have shared experiences.” -Rachel Campbell, RN, Perinatal Grief and Bereavement Liaison, Carle Foundation Hospital Parents share their journey of infant loss and welcome others to join in special program to find solace and share memories.🕯️

Carle Health Hospice Services recently hosted Camp Healing Heart, a camp to help children and teens experiencing the death of a loved one, at 4H Memorial Camp at Allerton Park. “We want to give our most vulnerable population, our youth, tools that can support them for the rest of their lives." Elizabeth Rieke, MSW, LSW, a social worker with Carle Hospice and Home Care and camp lead counselor, said. The one-day camp is designed to provide tools to help children to process grief, while connecting them with other kids who understand. The day includes therapeutic sessions interspersed with fun activities, such as a wagon ride, arts and crafts, and recreational and sports activities. Thirty-seven campers and 100 volunteers, many of whom also have experienced loss, participated this year. 💗

Sheila Johnson was ready to die. Thankfully, even as she believed that she was reaching the “end stages,” Sheila tried pulmonary rehabilitation, which gave her energy, happiness and new life. The number of visits to pulmonary rehab in Urbana, Danville and Mattoon increased by 25% during the first half of this year, with many patients experiencing similar benefits. Read more about Sheila's journey and the impact pulmonary rehab can have: https://lnkd.in/g5Draidf

We were honored to welcome Illinois Governor JB Pritzker at Trillium Place Young Minds Center, an affiliate of Carle Health. Gov. Pritzker met with Carle Health leaders and physicians, state and local officials, and impacted local families to discuss the ever-growing need for increased access to high-quality behavioral health services and other challenges facing families in crisis. “Our goal is to provide a national model that dramatically improves behavioral healthcare as we increase access to the highest quality compassionate care to our community. The support of leaders like Governor Pritzker, other local officials and so many other community partners has been instrumental in making this vision a reality.” -Mary Thompson, president of Trillium Place Carle Health is committed to improving the standard of care as we institute a model of compassionate, patient-centered healing for children and adolescents at a critical time in the mental health epidemic.