Dear team,
As March arrives, we are looking forward to the promise of warmer weather and we are focusing on equality vs. equity. We see each other and our patients in a different light and we’re asking ourselves, “What does each different person, patient, area, unit, etc., need to get to the same place?”
While equality and equity sound similar, we want to truly understand the difference. Equality means each individual or group of people is given the same resources or opportunities. Equity recognizes that each person has different circumstances and allocates the exact resources and opportunities needed to reach an equal outcome. (From George Washington University)
We think the video of the month (below) does a great job of describing this concept. We also love this picture that breaks down what diversity, inclusion, and belonging mean in a simplistic and meaningful way.
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We challenge you to think about your own teams and clinical areas. Is the population you serve represented on your team? Is everyone included in discussions and important decisions? Does everyone feel accepted, welcomed, and like they belong?
Please let us know how we can support you,
Jim, Liz, Karin, Billy, Ann, Jennifer, & Jef
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Gender Inclusive Language at UVA |
A Q&A with Drs. Kristina Gern Johnson & Sara Groff Stephens: creating a safe space starts with using language that supports our patients and our workforce.
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Establishing a Bone Marrow Transplant Program at UVA
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Learn about the future plans of Philip Roehrs, Clinical Director of Pediatric Transplant and Cellular Therapies.
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Together We Make a Difference |
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Theme of the Month:
Equity
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Quotes of the Week
March 1: "Ethics and equity and the principle of justice do not change with the calendar." ~ DH Lawerence
March 8: "Equality is giving everyone a shoe, equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits." ~ Unknown
March 15: "When a flower doesn’t bloom, you fix the environment in which it grows, not the flower." ~ Alexander Den Heijer
March 22: "Fairness is not an attitude. It's a professional skill that must be developed and exercised." ~ Unknown
March 29: "Live so that when your children think of fairness, caring, and integrity, they think of you." ~ H. Jackson Brown
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Mark Your Calendar
Professional Recognition & Health Awareness Days
- Child Life Month
- National Nutrition Month
- Patient Safety Awareness Week (March 14-20)
- International Board Certified Lactation Consultants Day (March 3)
- National Hospitalist Day (March 4)
- International Women’s Day (March 8)
- World Sleep Day (March 19)
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Purple Day for Epilepsy Awareness (March 26)
- National Doctor Day (March 30)
For Fun
- Dr. Seuss Day (March 2)
- National Oreo Cookie Day (March 6)
- St. Patrick's Day (March 17)
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Action for Happiness: March |
Check out the March calendar from Action for Happiness for daily actions to help us be more mindful and live in the moment. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life.
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Reflections & Expressions |
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Four Nights in an Unfamiliar World
by Dr. Josh Reyes, Pediatric Chief Resident
I thought I knew what I was getting into when I went through the double doors of the SPU ICU on that cold night in January. I guessed I would answer a few pages, place an order or two, talk with some team members, then leave and come back the next few nights. When I entered on that first night, people greeted me with significant surprise. How few doctors did we have that a pediatrician needed to be called to fill in on the COVID unit?
Over an hour passed before I saw another resident. The team came in and sat down, apologizing for being late. They had been coding a woman in her mid-50s. She had been extubated earlier that day and had just finished a phone conversation with her daughter. While watching the television, she had collapsed suddenly. She had a massive pneumothorax and pneumoperitoneum. She died the next day.
In my next three nights on service, an additional three people passed away. One had been transitioned to comfort care, and he passed thirty minutes after the removal of his endotracheal tube. Another was transitioned to do not resuscitate and, overnight, went from a high-flow nasal cannula to an active code to deceased, all in the span of four hours.
But, the last was possibly the hardest of all – a man in his late 50s. During my first night on call, my internal medicine colleague called the patient’s wife to ask her to make him DNR. When I took the phone to confirm her wishes, I could hear her trying not to cry. Over the next couple of nights, I watched his extremities go black from poor perfusion and watched him bleed, oozing continuously, from every IV site. It was clear that his time was coming to an end and I overheard the nurses say the word “pediatrics.” I learned he had an eight-year-old daughter at home and they were thinking about something they could do for her. The COVID restrictions meant that she likely would never see him again.
I went to the seventh floor that night and had a reprieve I did not know I needed. Everything familiar came rushing back. I walked into the PICU and received a bereavement kit: a canvas and paint for a handprint, a piece of ribbon for a lock of hair, a test tube for a rhythm strip and a card. I brought this back to the SPU and gave it to the nurses before leaving. When I returned that night, he was gone. I hope the man’s daughter will someday understand that it was the best we could do.
We have been so shielded here in the world of pediatrics. We have struggled, yes, but have only glimpsed the other side through sensationalized news reports and the ravings of political pundits. The human toll, on both the patients and the staff and physicians, is more than we can possibly imagine.
But, we can come out the other side stronger for it. We can volunteer our time and help vaccinate the community. We can reexamine our role in public health and the inequities that exist in our healthcare system. We can advocate for everyone and in doing so, give all of the children we care for on a daily basis a better and brighter future.
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March is Child Life Month! |
American Academy of Pediatrics Recommendation
“Child life services should be delivered as part of an integrated patient- and family-centered model of care and included as a quality indicator in the delivery of services for children and families in health care settings.”
What is Child Life?
"Child Life Specialists address the psychosocial concerns that accompany health care experiences by promoting optimal child development and minimizing adverse effects.”
Qualifications: Bachelors prepared (minimal), internship, certification
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Child Life Specialists & Primary Coverage Areas
- Amy Cesak, PICU
- Bailey Trevillyan, SAS/OR
- Jessica Williford, 7 Central Acute
- Kaitlyn Tomkins, 7 West Acute
- Landon Jones, Radiology
- Savannah Sweatman, Radiology (currently filling in OR for Bailey)
Child Life Assistants
- Danielle Dix
- Patricia Carrubba
When to Contact Child Life
- Patient needs preparation for invasive procedure.
- Patient is having difficulty coping with a necessary procedure, i.e., crying, fighting or hiding
- Patient exhibits oppositional behavior, refusing to cooperate without anger or hostility
- Patient or siblings express specific fears to staff, needing follow up
- Patient is perceived by staff as withdrawn
- Patient is having difficulty taking medications
- Patient admitted having recently experienced traumatic loss or has a chronic illness
- Patient newly diagnosed with chronic illness
- Patient admitted injuries resulting from traumatic accident
- Patient whose injuries or diagnosis has resulted from suspected child abuse
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Virtual Excellence in Education Week
Monday, March 1 – Friday, March 5
All events are virtual; please register to receive the Zoom details.
Questions: Please contact Ashley Ayers, Manager for Faculty Development Programs (phone: 924-8497; email: ala5t@virginia.edu).
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Medical Center Hour
Medical Center Hour is a Zoom Webinar series: Zoom link & Passcode: 763749
Wednesday, March 3
Koppaka Family Foundation Lecture in Health Humanities//Medicine Grand Rounds
ELDERHOOD (REDEFINING AGING, TRANSFORMING MEDICINE, REIMAGINING LIFE)
Louise Aronson MD, Professor of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA
Justin B. Mutter MD MA, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Chief of Geriatrics, and Faculty, Center for Health Humanities and Ethics, UVA
Co-presented with Center for Health Humanities and Ethics and Department of Medicine
Wednesday, March 10
Zula Mae Baber Bice Memorial Lecture of the School of Nursing
ANCHORED IN NURSING: A LIFE IN LEADERSHIP
Rebecca W. Rimel BSN MBA, former President and CEO, Pew Charitable Trusts
Co-presented with School of Nursing
Wednesday, March 17
History of the Health Sciences Lecture
THE TOPOGRAPHY OF WELLNESS: HOW HEALTH AND DISEASE SHAPED THE AMERICAN LANDSCAPE
Sara Jensen Carr PhD ASLA, Assistant Professor of Architecture, Urbanism, and Landscape, School of Architecture, Northeastern University, Boston MA Tim Beatley PhD, Teresa Heinz Professor of Sustainable Communities, Department of Urban and Environmental Planning, School of Architecture, UVA
Co-presented with Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library; Center for Design and Health, School of Architecture; and University of Virginia Press
Wednesday, March 24
Edward W. Hook Memorial Lecture in Medicine and the Arts//Medicine Grand Rounds
STAYING HUMAN IN MEDICINE: FROM THE HOUSE OF GOD TO MAN'S 4th BEST HOSPITAL
Samuel Shem MD, Professor of Medical Humanities, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York NY
Co-presented with Center for Health Humanities and Ethics and Department of Medicine
Wednesday, March 31
AOA Lecture of the School of Medicine
(UN)MASKING IDENTITY: ART AS AUTOETHNOGRAPHY—REFLECTIONS ON LIFE AND HEALTHCARE
Mark Stephens MD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Penn State University, University Park PA Melissa S. Walker MA ATR, Healing Arts Program, National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda MD
Co-presented with the AOA Chapter, UVA
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Save the date: The 33rd Annual University of Virginia Children’s Hospital Research Symposium and 9th Research Trainee Competition
Children’s Hospital Research Symposium
Abstract due date: Friday, April 16
Symposium date: Thursday, May 27, 8:00am - 2:30pm
This year, we will be celebrating the 33rd Annual Research Symposium with research presentations, awards ceremony, and featured speaker.
Ninth Annual Research Trainee Competition
Abstract due date: Friday, April 16
Trainee Competition date: Friday, May 14, 11:00am - 1:00pm
The Research Trainee Competition features Platform Presentations by Residents, Medical Fellows, Medical Students, Graduate Students, and Undergraduates.
All presentations are virtual, on Zoom.
Kendig Award Call for Nominations
Nomination due date: April 16
The Kendig Research Award is given annually to a fellow in the University of Virginia, Department of Pediatrics who has demonstrated excellence in clinical or basic science research over the course of his or her fellowship.
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Best Maternity Hospitals 2021
“This award would not be possible without the tireless effort of our teams across the health system, including our physicians, nurses, certified nurse midwives, nurse practitioners, physician assistants and the entire team in Women’s Services and UVA Children’s to provide the highest-quality care for our newborns and new moms,” said James Ferguson, MD, MBA, chair of the UVA Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
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Welcome to the Team!
Josette Knapp is our new Patient Family Centered Care Coordinator (PFCC). She has a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. She enjoys traveling, cooking, spending time with family and friends, practices Pilates, and loves karaoke! She’s excited about her new role as PFCC at UVA Children’s Hospital where she will be developing and coordinating various family centered care programs.
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Frances Randolph Baylor
Born February 7
Jennifer Glass Baylor,
Pediatric Nurse Practitioner
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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!
WCH Communication and Culture Workgroup
The WCH Communication and Culture workgroup focuses on team-building, keeping us all in touch with the meaning of our work, giving us all common language and common goals, and helping to ensure that every member of our team, regardless of role, feels welcomed, included, respected, heard, and valued. We are always seeking new members, new ideas, and feedback!
Please help us spread the word
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