Dear Team,
December is here and our theme of the month is Awe and Wonder. As adults, the holidays are busy and not quite as joyous as when we were little. Let’s make this month magical!
Research indicates that experiencing these magical feelings also changes how we approach our lives. It can make us more satisfied, less self-involved, less likely to feel starved for time, more grateful, and more likely to help others. (Learn more here)
It is amazing to witness all of humanity in our (very difficult) work, but moments of awe and the privilege of caring for people at their most vulnerable can be what sustains us.
We’re believing in miracles, magic, ourselves, our teams, and the compassion we bring to work every day. We hope you join us in approaching the season with childlike wonder and excitement.
Who’s ready for sledding and cookies?
Jim, Liz, Karin, Billy, Ann, Jennifer, & Leigh
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The Real and the Ideal Clinical Study: How iTHRIV Makes a Difference
Learn more about the many ways that iTHRIV promotes sound and rigorous clinical research from Dr. Jim Nataro.
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Small Gesture, Big Impact |
Read the heartfelt note from Stephanie McNerney about Dr. Eliza Holland and the impact she had on a special patient.
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Learn more about the latest updates on epidemiology, variants, vaccines, and more.
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Together We Make a Difference |
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Theme of the Month:
Awe and Wonder
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Quotes of the Week
December 6: "Create experiences that leave you in awe, for these will be the highlights of your life." ~ Ryan Blair
December 13: "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." ~ Albert Einstein
December 20: "Look for something positive in each day, even if some days you have to look a little harder." ~ Oprah
December 27: “The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” ~ W.B. Yeats
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Mark Your Calendar
Professional Recognition & Health Awareness Days
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World AIDS Day (December 1)
- International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3)
- International Volunteer Day (December 5)
- National Influenza Vaccination Week (December 5-11)
- National Hand washing Awareness Week (December 1-7)
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Check out the December calendar from Action for Happiness. This month, we're encouraging you to carry out small acts of kindness. This has been another difficult year of uncertainty and ups and downs for many of us. Kindness is contagious, and helping others has been proven to make us feel better too!
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2021 Seasons Treatings
Deadline: Friday, December 10
Our annual Season’s Treatings event is coming soon, and we are inviting you to participate by donating toys to directly benefit our pediatric patients and families. Thank you for your generosity and for helping us make this season bright!
To donate, shop here: Amazon Registry & Target Registry ("UVA Child Life Office" will be a shipping address, so please select that option before completing your purchase.)
For more information, questions, or to make an in-person donation, please contact Amy Cesak, 434-760-4148.
We will not be utilizing donation bins this year due to COVID-19 hospital restrictions.
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Emergency Food Network Food Drive
Deadline: Friday, December 10
What? Nonperishable food (list below)
Where? In one of the labeled boxes at the front of our main Pediatric admin office. If you have items you would like to donate, but don’t have the ability to get to the admin office this week, please write Matt Thomas directly and he’ll help with the pickup.
When? By the end of this week (12/10)
NEEDED ITEMS
- Canned vegetables, fruit, and meat
- Coffee and tea
- Canned or dried soup or stew
- Canned beans
- Pasta/rice/quinoa/lentils
- Cereal/oatmeal
- Pancake mix and syrup, cake mixes
- Salad dressing and other condiments
- Peanut butter and jam
- Kid-friendly foods, baby formula
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SAVE THE DATE: Pediatrics Racial Justice Book Club
Date: January 26
Time: 7:00 - 8:30pm
Location: Zoom link to be provided
UVA’s Pediatric Equity and Inclusion Committee is hosting a virtual Pediatrics Racial Justice Book Club and would like to extend an invitation to our UVA Children's staff members.
Our book will be The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Isabel Wilkerson. She “chronicles one of the great untold stories of American history: the decades-long migration of Black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life.”
Interested in joining the book club? Children's team members, please contact Annie Jessee and Department of Pediatrics team members (physicians, residents, and staff), please contact Georgene Nelson. Want more information about the book club or have questions? Please contact Matthew Thomas.
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Welcome to Our Newest Charge Nurses! |
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NICU
Kam Aulie
Rachel Benninger
Sarah Bowker
Cynthia Dean
Nicole Durden-Mundy
Hannah Fox
Gigi Gentry
Cindy Hamner
Naomi Rademeyer
Amber Wagner
PICU
Becky Linares
Mia Campbell
Marnie Painter
Megan Pearsall
Anita Robertson
Kelly Herring
Kirstin Cooney
Shelby Lighton
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Thank you to The Hogfarmers |
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Thank you to The Hogfarmers, a nonprofit helping hospitalized children and families, for their generous gaming system donation! Seen here is a patient playing an Xbox, preloaded with a variety of games. Gaming has become such a huge part of children’s lives and donations like this help to provide distraction and normalization, leading to decreased anxiety and stress, which promotes healing. A win, win for everyone! |
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The Soho Center gives away hundreds of thousands of wonderful children's books each year in Central Virginia and across the state. One of the major recipients of Soho's large-scale Book Giveaways is UVA Children's Hospital, UVA's pediatric clinics, and UVA/Culpeper. Each month, 8,000 young children get to pick new books and take them home to read and enjoy. Please enjoy this touching e-mail from a mother whose child gets a book at each of his medical visits:
I would like to extend a note of thanks for the work you do to provide books to children in Central Virginia. My two-year-old son has received many of them as he has undergone medical care from UVA.
I have always appreciated to see the carts of crisp, brand new books in the Culpeper Medical Center and along the corridors of the UVA Children's clinic. In addition to being welcome distractions, those free (to us) books have always seemed too good to be true!
I clearly recall reading "Chick `n' Pug Meet The Dude" to our months-old baby in the Culpeper ER back in 2019. Picking out the book from the cart gave my husband the chance to focus on something other than the panic of the moment, and we read that book many times through the night!
Our son now has frequent appointments at the Children's clinic in Charlottesville and he gets to pick out a book from the cart after each session. A new book is often a motivator to get him through an appointment, and we love celebrating each accomplishment with a book (which we read in the car as he has a post-appointment snack). I am thankful that he can choose a book for himself - that sense of control and independence is important, especially in a daunting situation.
My appreciation for the Soho books runs especially deep, as I am a bibliophile librarian who is personally and professionally surrounded by books. I am constantly impressed by the quality of books provided, both in content and structure. I am amazed that most of the books are hardcover (the more expensive option). "The Mousequerade Ball" is my son's favorite title thus far, and mine has to be "Bogart and Vinnie" (our dog is very much a Bogart and our toddler is very much a Vinnie)!
Please know that your efforts and the Soho books have greatly impacted our family, in happy and scary times, and on several levels. Thank you very much for your work!
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7 Central: We are very thankful to have the expertise of UVA and all the staff there.
Peds Transplant: We are very thankful to have the expertise of UVA and all the staff there.
Ortho: It's clear that everyone we interacted with cared a lot about how we felt and providing great care. Every step of the way from the parking attendant at the garage through the lady who checked us out and set our follow up. It's clear that a lot of thought has been given to the entire patient experience. I really appreciated Dr Bachmann and his concise and thorough communication, and the time he took to answer all questions and help anticipate problems that might arise later. Thank you for making a traumatic experience as smooth as possible as my son is recovering from his injury.
Urology: We love Dr. Corbett! Always kind and caring, great with our son, and explains all answers.
8 Central OB: My L&D experience could not have been any better. From the HUCs to housekeeping to my RN team (Catherine and Kim) to the docs and anesthesia. Everyone was simply amazing and I could not have asked for more!
Northridge for Women: Dr. Bray is the best OB/GYN I've ever had. She shows concern, compassion, and I can tell her anything.
Gastro: This visit as well as all past visits has been a very positive experience. We are grateful to the staff for the care and advice.
Peds Surgery: Glad to be able to have Dr McGharen as her surgeon. He was able to explain to the smallest detail and clear my doubts
Fetal care: Ultra Sound technician was so kind & helpful.
NICU: Our NICU staff was amazing nearly every nurse seemed competent and experienced.
Gen Peds: Dr. Gupta always does a tremendous job and we feel privileged to have her as our son's PCP.
Pulm: Dr. Teague was very knowledgeable and also very kind and understanding, he really took time w/us. I wish there were more dr.'s like him.
Genetics: I went to see one provider. I saw a whole team of them, addressing the stated concerns and even addressing those we didn't go to the clinic for! I'm beyond ecstatic because of the awesome service we received.
Allergy: My family thinks Dr. Hemler is the best!
Endo: Everyone has always been very kind and patient, Dr. Mason in particular. I'm very comfortable seeing her. :)
Dev Peds: Even though we saw several providers, it felt like a very seamless process. Everyone was prepared and knowledgeable about the background prior to coming into the room. Always very appreciated!
Northridge Pediatrics: Dr. Quillian is amazing! I feel that both my children are in the best hands possible with her as their physician. She is kind, thoughtful, and informative.
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Pediatric Community Vaccination Center |
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Have a story idea? Let us know!
Working on an exciting new project? Want to spread the word about your clinic? Know a team member that should be recognized? We can help!
Womens and Childrens Wisdom and Wellbeing
The Communication and Culture workgroup is evolving into the Wisdom and Wellbeing Steering Committee and Peer Representatives. In alignment with UVA Health, we are expanding our efforts to include not only team building and resilience, but also to stress first aid, peer support, and identification and removal of unnecessary stressors in the clinical work environment. Please let us know if you would like to get involved in the is important work!
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Monthly Matters newsletter archive
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