Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU

Our patients have a new space for hope, healing and fun! The 3,400-square-foot Child Life Zone is now open in the Children’s Tower, serving as a therapeutic play space dedicated to hospital patients’ social and emotional well-being. The Zone was made possible by $2.6 million in community funding and designed and constructed by the Teammates for Kids Foundation. It includes: * A clubhouse modeled after the Native American longhouses of regional tribes * Medical play area with interactive exhibits to help kids feel at ease in the medical setting * Touch screen digital sensory table * Virtual reality station * Makerspace with 3D printer and other technology for pursuing creative endeavors * Arcade and gaming lounge * Photo booth For the full story visit: https://lnkd.in/gUdSHAZQ

Last week our Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery had the pleasure of hosting the inaugural “Seminars in Spasticity: Approaches to unstoppable care.” Attendees from across disciplines and specialties came together to discuss the latest in spasticity management and treatment and attend interactive sessions led by CHOR’s own specialists from pediatric neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, PM&R and physical therapy, as well as expert speakers from around the region and the national Cerebral Palsy Research Network. To learn more about our neurosurgery services and team visit Neurosurgery in Richmond, Virginia | Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU (chrichmond.org).

This Wednesday we are excited to welcome Dr. Julie Dunbar! Dr. Dunbar specializes in pediatric hospital medicine, taking care of our kids that need to stay in the hospital overnight. She is especially interested in quality improvement and health informatics. Originally from Connecticut, she recently moved here from New York City and lives in the Fan with her husband and son. Dr. Dunbar is a proud graduate of the University of Richmond, and said she is excited to return to Richmond for the close sense of community and exciting art and cultural scene.

The 2024-25 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings were released today, and we’ve been named to the list for the 10th time! U.S. News & World Report gathered clinical data from more than 100 medical centers. This information, coupled with surveys of thousands of pediatric specialists, was used to award “best” designations to the hospitals that excelled at factors such as clinical outcomes, level and quality of hospital resources directly related to patient care, and expert opinions. To read more on our outstanding teams that were recognized this year for caring for unstoppable kids like Lux visit: https://bit.ly/3Yf9X0Z

As our pediatric surgical team continues to grow, Dr. Jeffrey Haynes, chief of pediatric surgery at CHoR, shares what this role means to him and his goals for ensuring continued outstanding surgical care for kids at CHoR: https://bit.ly/4gollOV

We kicked off Childhood Cancer Awareness month with Hyundai Hope On Wheels. Since 1998, Hyundai Hope On Wheels has made a commitment to help children fight cancer. Their unwavering dedication was put into high gear last week, as Dr. Elizabeth Krieger and the hematology/oncology team received the 2024 Hyundai Impact Award. This $100,000 grant supports Dr. Krieger’s research into a connection between immune response after a stem cell transplant and leukemia recurrence. Congratulations to the entire Children's Hospital of Richmond at VCU team! #thankfulThursday

This Wednesday we welcome Dr. Ghedak Ansari to our otolaryngology and Center for Craniofacial Care teams! Born in Baghdad during the first Gulf War, Dr. Ansari has lived all around the world, from Sweden to Minnesota, Nebraska to Virginia. She attended the Howard University College of Medicine, and served as a Spanish teacher in West Baltimore through Teach for America before medical school. When choosing the medical field, Dr. Ansari followed in the footsteps of both her father and grandfather. The former serves as a dedicated community physician in Central Virginia, and the latter provided free healthcare in Iraq, worked with Native Americans in Nebraska, and later in North Carolina. In her free time, Dr. Ansari enjoys listening to Bachata and Arabic music, playing the piano, beating people in basketball, traveling to new countries, and exploring coffee shops around town. She speaks Spanish and Arabic and is passionate about poetry, literature and music in both of these languages. To read more about Dr. Ansari visit https://bit.ly/4ecFFBg

Mark your calendars for a special session of VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center's Facts & Faith Fridays on 9/20 at 3p.m. with guest speaker Monica Bertagnolli, M.D., the director of The National Institutes of Health (NIH). She will share updates regarding her new role, as well as priorities for the NIH. This virtual session is free and open to the public, but registration is required. To register visit: https://bit.ly/3ACL0D8

It's calendar shoot time!! Before you know it those beautiful 2025 CHoR calendars will be ready, but in the meantime enjoy a few outtakes from our photo shoots this week!

This Wednesday we are excited to welcome Dr. Lara Srouji to our critical care team! Dr. Srouji grew up in Northern VA, and studied music performance (oboe) at McGill University in Montreal, Canada before attending medical school at Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA. She has a special interest in pediatric cardiac critical care and simulation-based team training. Dr. Srouji moved here from Morgantown, WV with her husband, two young boys, and their dog. She is also an avid knitter and... wait for it...a flower farmer!