Children's Mercy Kansas City

What’s camp week without a sliming?! Norah, Rosilyn, Shaylie and other patients had way too much fun at today’s camp activity – watching our team members, Shelbi, a music therapist and Nick, a medical interpreter along with special guest, Sporting Kansas City forward Johnny Russell get doused in green goo 🤪 Most of us would do just about anything to see these kids smile, and slime sure does the trick! 💚 https://cmkc.link/4cYmZ7O

Some of our favorite employees are wagging their tails with joy over NutriSource Pet Foods generous investment in our Facility Dog Program! 🐕🦺🎉 Just like their human colleagues, our Facility Dogs need time away from work to have fun, act silly and run out their zoomies. Hunter, Jellybean, Litta and Dusty are over the moon for their new fenced in respite area, made possible by our wonderful community of champions and our partnership with NutriSource & KLN Family Brands. “The unconditional love of a dog can do so much to lift spirits during a stressful, difficult time for kids and families. We know that sometimes the best medicine comes with four legs, a wet nose and a wagging tail,” 💙 said Chase Rasmussen, President of KLN Family Brands.

Children’s Mercy innovation, combined with quick-thinking team members, recently saved a life at our community partner, Operation Breakthrough. Our float pool nurses, Kaylea and Bridget, were filling in as school nurses for the day when they were called to help a teacher who was having a severe allergic reaction! Tiffany, an Operation Breakthrough teacher, was experiencing symptoms of anaphylaxis, including swelling, hives, difficulty breathing and itching in her throat, after eating avocado. Nurses Kaylea and Bridget rushed across the building with a portable AED pack, which was specially created by Children's Mercy employees for our outpatient clinics. In addition to an AED, the rescue packs are stocked with emergency equipment like EpiPens and oxygen to help during a crisis. Tiffany was stabilized, treated at a hospital, and was back at work the next day. We’re so thankful for our agile nurses who did not hesitate to jump into action and the innovative emergency packs that made all the difference!

Kudos to our amazing Heart Center team for earning a spot on the Becker’s “Hospitals and Health Systems with Great Heart Programs” list. This selection includes both pediatric and adult health systems that demonstrate outstanding cardiovascular care, superior patient outcomes and advanced technologies and research techniques. Our Heart Center team is leading the way in successful pediatric heart transplant surgeries and innovations for babies and children who are born with heart differences. Our support extends beyond just excellent medical care to include things like: · Long-term social and emotional support for patients and their families through our THRIVE program. · Customized illustrations through MyHeartArt to help parents visualize and understand their child’s unique heart structure. · The CHAMP at-home monitoring system, so families can live at home in between stages of their child’s single ventricle heart repair. · A Ronald McDonald House embedded inside the hospital for family support during hospital stays. We’re proud of the big love our Heart Team shares with patients and families! heart https://lnkd.in/e4G-KdpJ

All kids deserve access to the same cutting-edge care, no matter where they live. In our recent episode of Transformational Pediatrics, Dr. Ana Cohen discusses how Children's Mercy is expanding access to genetic testing to rural communities. Listen below, or wherever you listen to podcasts: https://cmkc.link/3Wnh7zm

We celebrate with Dr. Timothy Bennett as he retires from a distinguished career in maternal-fetal medicine. During his 15-year tenure at Children’s Mercy, Dr. Bennett was instrumental in the development and operation of our Fetal Health Center, overseeing more than 2,000 deliveries of high-risk babies. Dr. Laura K.P. Vricella took the helm as the next director of the Fetal Health Center in January 2024. She speaks highly of our reputation for excellence in fetal and newborn care in the Midwest and beyond, and is looking forward to building on the solid foundation Dr. Bennett established. Both clinicians emphasize the honor and privilege of caring for families through some of the best and worst days of their lives. Reflecting on his career, Dr. Bennet shared one key takeaway: “What I’ve learned is that we have a lot of babies who have success, but we also have a substantial number who we know are not going to do well. There’s a huge opportunity there for health care. There aren’t promises [in fetal health care]. I wish there could be. But what we can say is, ‘We’re going to help you every step of the way.'“ https://cmkc.link/3zQBR9C

Congratulations to Dr. Tolu Oyetunji who was recently named Division Director, General Surgery. Dr. Oyetunji joined the faculty at Children’s Mercy Kansas City in 2017. Learn more: cmkc.link/Oyetunji

Our hometown #SuperBowl champs may wear red, but they truly have hearts of gold! ❤️🏈 Big thank you to defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah for hosting his first annual 7-on-7 flag football tournament and raising $10,000 to help our patients and families. Your generosity is inspiring! Have a great training camp – we can’t wait to see what this season has in store! 👏

School’s out and summer is in! ☀️ All summer, FREE lunches are available to all kids ages 1 to 18 at Children’s Mercy’s Adele Hall campus in Kansas City, Mo. Lunches will be served in our KC Cafe and are available Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. This summer’s Kids Eat Free program will run through August 9. Join us for lunch this summer! 🥪🥗🍓🍪 https://cmkc.link/458OnwO

Help us celebrate our July #EmployeeOfTheMonth, Lynette Lartey, MPH, MCHES®! 🎉 Lynette is a Research Associate on our Health Services and Outcomes Research team. Research Associate Dr. Janet Nalubega Ross nominated Lynette, praising her support of team members, organizational skills, embodying Children’s Mercy values and her incredible kindness. Health Services and Outcomes Research Division Manager Beth also added, “If you meet Lynette, you walk away feeling valued.” 💙 We are so grateful to know her! Thank you for all you do, Lynette! 👏