by Rob & Cathy Wilson
Growing up in Memphis, we often took for granted the fact that we had not one but two hospitals dedicated to the care of children. Both St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital have made it their mission to care for the unique healthcare needs of children. Now that both our daughters have received treatment at Le Bonheur, we have learned why children's hospitals are so important. There is a saying that children are not just little adults. When we look at medical care, this is especially true. Children need more than just a smaller bed in their hospital room and smaller equipment in the operating room.
As parents we have seen that children's hospitals are uniquely qualified to provide high quality medical care to children. When our younger daughter, Mary Quay, was born with spina bifida, she needed surgery within 72 hours of her birth in order to close the lesion on her back. While we have many excellent hospitals in our community, the pediatric neurosurgeons in Memphis only perform operations like this at Le Bonheur because at Le Bonheur, the anesthesiologists, nurses, and techs are all trained on the needs of infants and children. Children's hospitals also train the next generation of children's specialists. By their very nature, children's hospitals provide more specialized care than a general hospital can. Le Bonheur has centers for excellence in pediatric neurosciences, orthopedics, cardiac, trauma, critical care and neonatology where children not only from Memphis but also from surrounding counties and states and other parts of the world come for care in order to reach their full potential.
We also believe children's hospitals are uniquely qualified to meet the emotional needs of children who are treated there. An adult going to the hospital does not have the same needs that a child has, even if the child has the same medical condition. Child Life specialists at Le Bonheur help meet the emotional needs of patients by providing age-appropriate explanations of medical procedures, distraction during painful procedures and activities for patients and siblings during a hospital stay. Simple procedures like placing an IV are easier for our daughter when a Child Life Specialist has talked to her about what is going to happen and is by her side with us to comfort her and provide simple distractions like blowing bubbles. At Le Bonheur each child is allowed to go through "Bunny Lane" prior to a surgical procedure to pick out a new game or toy. This may be a small thing to an adult but to a child this may take some of the apprehension out of surgery. The new Le Bonheur, which opened in late 2010, was designed with colorful artwork to engage children and families. There are times when our children don't want to leave the hospital after an appointment because they are having so much fun playing with some of the interactive artwork.
Overarching this medical expertise and emotional support is the patient- and family-centered care, which is integral to the care provided at Le Bonheur. A children's hospital must care not only for the patient but also for the patient's parent or guardian and sibling and other family members. A children's hospital understands how to engage the patient even though they are not the primary decision maker in their care while also engaging and meeting the needs of the other family members. Some of the programs at Le Bonheur, which evidence the hospital's commitment to patient- and family-centered care, include allowing a parent or guardian to go back with their child prior to surgery to be there while anesthesia is administered, allowing parents to stay with their child overnight (even in intensive care) and seeking out input from parents on policies and procedures and committees.
We would love it if our girls didn't need medical care, but they do and they can receive the best care at a hospital that has as its primary focus the care and treatment of children.
The Wilson family will be attending Family Advocacy Day in July. You can read their previous blog post here.
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