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In this
Issue.... 1/30/07
Clinical Corner
Teddy Bear Hospital
Pediatric Services Update
Museum Exhibit Captures Kids’ Healthy
Imaginations
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Clinical Corner
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This healthy 2-year-old boy presents with fever (104 F), cough, labored
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Teddy Bear
Hospital
This year’s
Teddy Bear Hospital at Festival of Trees was another huge success! The
event provides a non-threatening opportunity for kids to experience
unique aspects of pediatric medical care by role-playing with teddy bear
“patients.” More than 4,000 children participated this year, assisting
their new bears through a visit to the doctor’s office, surgery,
emergency care, neonatal intensive care and an ambulance tour.
Providence Health System nurses, pharmacists, social workers, physical
therapists and other medical and non-medical staff, as well as community
ambulance providers, volunteered their time and talents to run the
exhibit. Physicians from Providence St. Vincent Medical Center Emergency
and Pediatric departments provided suturing expertise and medical advise
throughout the two-day exhibit – at no cost to the teddy bears’ owners.
Happy
holidays and a big thank you to all who were involved!
Barbara Blair
Certified Child Life Specialist
Providence St. Vincent Medical Center
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Pediatric Services Update
Inpatient
pediatrics is the new kid on the Providence St. Vincent block. The
state-of-the-art 12-bed unit opened in the newly constructed East Tower
(4th Floor) on Nov. 16. The unit’s energetic specialized nursing staff
has a wide background of experiences and is dedicated to providing
family centered care in the spirit of the Providence mission.
Our “kid-friendly” facility is designed to welcome and support families
while promoting the health and healing of their children:
- ample windows and natural light
- family area with a refrigerator and
microwave
- private patient rooms with spacious
accommodations for two adults to stay overnight
- beautiful, kid-friendly artwork on the
walls and ceilings inspired by the natural beauty of the Pacific
Northwest
- fabulous playroom stocked with toys,
books, craft supplies, puzzles and more
The benefits of this new facility are paying off for the local
community. Providing inpatient care to mildly acute children at
Providence St. Vincent saves many parents a long drive across town. The
benefit to parents is being closer to other children at home and closer
to their jobs, allowing them to maximize time spent at the bedside of
their ill child. Patient stays at the hospital have ranged from one to
eight days. Patients have been seen for a variety of reasons including
appendectomies, respiratory illnesses, and dehydration. Satisfaction
rates are high, as measured by discharge surveys and follow-up phone
calls. Often the most touching compliments are the handmade thank you
cards from kids, decorated in bright colors with the words “Thank you to
my nurses for curing me!” printed in crooked lines.
We are
thrilled to be creating such a safe and successful place for pediatric
patients while doing what we love – taking care of children. We are
excited about the future and the continued growth it will bring. And, we
are grateful for your support of the new kid on the block.
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Museum Exhibit
Captures Kids’ Healthy Imaginations
Providence
Health System is proud to co-sponsor a new exhibit, “Kids Care,” at
Portland Children’s Museum. The exhibit opened Sept. 22 and runs for
three years. In addition to Providence, the co-sponsors include Metro
West Ambulance and Portland Children’s Museum.
Alex Jackson, associate administrator, Providence St. Vincent Medical
Center cut the ribbon, opening the exhibit to an enthusiastic crowd of
children. The children delighted in the exhibit’s hands-on displays,
which include:
- View simple X-ray images on an X-ray
view box
- Play inside a mini-Metro West ambulance
with live siren lights
- Peer through a microscope to see
fascinating views of hair, bugs and skin
- Assemble an operation-table puzzle that
includes views of organs, muscles and bones
- Role-play as a dispatcher in the
simulated emergency dispatch center
- Wear child-sized scrubs while playing
inside the exhibit
- Take a self-portrait with a camera to
illustrate the uniqueness of each individual
- Care for baby dolls by dressing, bathing
and feeding them
PHS physicians, nurses, nutritionists and other experts will be featured
in various educational forums and events that are planned during the
exhibit. In addition, Providence experts will continue to actively
consult with the museum in shaping and updating the exhibit during the
course of its run.
The exhibit is only one of our newest features for children. If you have
not yet seen the Inpatient Pediatric Unit at Providence St. Vincent, we
invite you to visit us on the 4th floor of the East Tower. You’ll find
Radio Flyer wagons, a playroom filled with games, private patient rooms,
stuffed animals and other touches designed to provide comfort and calm
to our pediatric patients.
The Children’s Museum is open seven-days
a week and is located opposite the Oregon Zoo, off Highway 26. For
admission costs and general information, call 503-223-6500 or visit
www.portlandchildrensmuseum.org.
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