04 | Through Parents’ Eyes

Parents help us integrate the family perspective into everything we do — from building design to bedside manner.

08 | Allies on the Field

A new program puts certified athletic trainers in the gym and on the fields of Seattle’s public high schools to prevent injury to teen athletes.

12 | Raising the Green Bar

Creating a healing environment and a healthy community go hand in hand.

ConnectionIn this issue:

Spring 2009

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From Where I Stand

Thomas N. Hansen, MDCEOSeattle Children’s

Before becoming a hospital CEO more than a decade ago, I spent about three-quarters of my time in the laboratory trying to find ways to save the lives of premature babies with lung disease.

Today, I spend one day a week at Seattle Children’s Research Institute developing low-cost ways to help infants around the world deal with respiratory problems that accompany premature birth.

Why my continued interest in medical research?

I think it’s the key to eliminating all childhood diseases.

I know that sounds grandiose, but I truly believe that research breakthroughs in our lifetimes will allow us to see the end of childhood diseases like cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy and sickle

cell anemia — just like our parents or grandparents saw an end to the polio epidemics of their generation.

And I’m not alone in my belief. Seattle Children’s is full of people

who are working to eliminate pediatric diseases, because they see the toll that chronic diseases take on children.

Right now, on any given day at Children’s, more than half of the children and teens who come to the hospital have serious conditions that they must deal with every day for the rest of their lives.

Research is our real hope that these kids will have a different future. Your support is the foundation upon which we build that future.

Thank you!

I am a scientist.

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Spring 2009

Connection Team

Jennifer FischExecutive Editor

David PerryVice President of Marketing and Communications

Susan BlakeDirector of Operations Foundation and Guild Association

Allison BroadgateMarketing and Communications Manager

Kathi Elliott Brand and Production Manager

feature story writersElizabeth AustenLisa BrihagenBrad Broberg

contributing writersElizabeth Austen Lisa BrihagenAnita BrowningJennifer FischKeith Mack

designMethodologie, Seattle

cover and feature photographerNancy LeVine

photographersHeather CooperKira HallerJerry Johnsen Aileen KellyJeff Krahenbuhl, Monologue PhotographyBruce LeeMichael O’Neill, Team PhotogenicMichael RosenbergThe Seattle TimesErik StuhaugBen Van Houten

connectionVol. 11 no. 1© 2009 Seattle Children’s, Seattle, Washington. All rights reserved.

coverSeattle Children’s Neonatology Fellow Dr. Andy Beckstrom gets an education at the home of Burke Nelson, 2, as part of his pediatric specialty training.

“Spring is when life’s alive in everything.”— Christina Rossetti

Contents

Feature Stories

04 | Through Parents’ Eyes Parents help us integrate the family perspective into everything we do — from building design to bedside manner.

08 | Allies on the FieldA new program at Seattle Children’s puts certified athletic trainers in the gym and on the field of Seattle’s public high schools to prevent injury to athletes.

1 2 | Raising the Green BarCreating a healing environment and a healthy community go hand in hand.

In Every Issue

1 4 | What’s Happening at Seattle Children’s

1 8 | On the Scene

22 | Calendar of Events

23 | Reflection

To learn more about Seattle Children’s, visit www.seattlechildrens.org. If you’d like to stop receiving Connection, please contact us at 206-987-4841.

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Through Parents’ Eyes Parents are valued as advisors, teachers and supporters throughout Seattle Children’s, helping us integrate the family perspective into everything we do — from building design to bedside manner.

(Left, on page 4) Kobey Chew has had 10 surgeries at Children’s. Through the Parent Support Program, his mom helps other families on similar journeys.

(Above) Deb Koon draws upon her son’s 5 1⁄2-year battle with leukemia to help his providers give even better care.

In the mid-1980s, a nurse administrator at Seattle Children’s brought a group of parents together and asked them what the hospital could do to be a better place. Within the span of 15 minutes, the parents generated 50 sensible suggestions. Staff members at that meeting were stunned that parents could be so on target.

Fast-forward to today. Parents are considered essential members of the healthcare team. As a general rule of thumb, they’re also part of most teams working on systemwide improvements — from a smoother discharge process to a better ID badge system. Children’s Family Advisory Council, one of the longest-running groups of its kind at any pediatric hospital in the nation, provides feedback on proposed changes that affect patients and families.

“Actively involving parents has moved us forward in countless ways,” explains Lyn Kratz, a 20-year Children’s veteran in social work. “They have fresh ideas that make sense and are grounded in what really matters to families.”

For mom Angie Sutphen, helping Children’s improve care and service allows her to give back and make meaning out of her daughter’s condition. “I want to make it even better for the next parent.”

Valuing the parent’s perspective Her son Logan’s leg had been bound in a cast for four weeks, and Jenna Powell suspected something was wrong. Although they had only two more weeks until the cast was scheduled to be removed, Powell worried about her

uneasy feeling until she called their nurse at Children’s Orthopedics Clinic.

“Even though I couldn’t point to anything specific, Logan’s nurse told me, ‘If you feel like something isn’t right, then we need to take a look,’” remembers Powell. Once at Children’s, removing the 2-year-old’s cast revealed dead tissue around an incision that hadn’t closed.

That level of sensitivity to parental concerns is just what the clinic’s nurse manager, Patience Peale, looks for when interviewing job applicants.

“We want to hire people who see

parents as experts on their own children,” Peale explains. So she invited Powell to be part of the clinic’s hiring committee last year. More than 150 parents like Powell participate as advisors through the hospital’s Families as Consultants program.

“Jenna’s questions bring a whole different perspective to the interview,” says Peale. “While I’m focused on whether the candidate is a good clinician, Jenna helps us determine if that person truly understands what matters to patients and families.”

For more than five years, Deb Koon and her family visited Children’s Hematology-Oncology Clinic (Hem-Onc) several times each month for her son Jared’s leukemia treatments.

During that time, Koon felt like she and her husband were part of a team and that their opinions counted. As compassionate as Children’s cancer specialists were, Koon knew they’d never really been in her shoes.

“Unless you’ve been through it, no one can really understand what it’s like to face the cancer diagnosis of your child, live it every single day, then cope with a relapse.”

In 2005, Koon jumped at the chance to participate in Hem-Onc’s newly formed family advisory group. Since then, she and 11 other parents have used their hard-won experiences to help improve everything from the way appointments get scheduled to how providers make rounds. Recently, the group shared with the entire Hem-Onc team their unique perspectives about what made a difference for them on the day their child was diagnosed.

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Spending time at the Nelson family home gave Dr. Andy Beckstrom (left) insight into what parents are thinking when they’re away from doctors and care conferences.

“Talking with parents in this way has helped me grow as a provider,” says social worker and advisory group facilitator Mary Jeanne Phipps. “I’m inspired by our parents, and I’m proud of the gains we’ve achieved by involving them.”

Welcome to our world Lynn Vigo is trying to cook dinner while the phone rings and her 13-year-old son, Justin, yells from downstairs that it’s time to take him to soccer practice. All the while she’s keeping an ear on 12-year-old Carolina, diagnosed with autism at the age of 2, who is busy playing with toys in her room.

On this typical Tuesday evening, Dr. Danny Mallon, a second-year pediatric resident at Children’s, sits in Vigo’s kitchen. They talk about the demands of the family’s day-to-day routine. When Justin appears, they talk about what it’s like to have a sister with autism. Then Carolina, who is nonverbal, wanders in. She takes Mallon by the hand and leads him to the refrigerator, her way of communicating that she’d like a snack.

Mallon’s privileged view into the Vigos’ life is part of the Families as Teachers program, in which pediatricians who are training at Children’s spend time at the home of a family who has a

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child with special needs. The honest conversations that arise during these personal encounters with parents provide career-shaping insights for many of the nearly 40 trainees who participate in the program each year.

For Mallon, the “Aha!” moment came in seeing Vigo as a normal mom — away from the controlled hospital setting.

“I expected Lynn to be overwhelmed with a special-needs child, but she showed me how possible it is to be a success. Seeing her at home with Carolina opened my eyes to the depth of expertise parents like Lynn have,” says Mallon.

The evening Dr. Andy Beckstrom spent with Chris Nelson made him rethink his approach to care. Nelson described the bumpy transition she and her husband endured after their toddler was transferred to Children’s for surgery and they were faced with a whole new set of providers. The story helped Beckstrom realize that he needed to do more to establish trust with his own patients and families.

“Chris’ experience taught me to take the time to get to know families and find out what their needs are,” says Beckstrom, a first-year neonatology fellow at Children’s. “She also helped me see the importance of knowing kids apart from their diagnoses.”

Seattle Children’s Carol Parry (left), Lawrie Williams (right) and Lyn Kratz advocate for parent involvement at all levels of the organization.

“ I saw the importance of knowing kids apart from their diagnoses.”

— Dr. Andy Beckstrom, Neonatology Fellow

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A powerful connection During the three years Rene and Don Denman had been seeing clinicians at Children’s, they tried hard to check their emotions at the door during meetings in which important healthcare decisions about their daughter’s complex condition needed to be made.

But this time — huddled with five doctors in an exam room looking at the MRI film that showed their 3-year-old’s brain had herniated into her spinal canal and was blocking the flow of cerebrospinal fluid — Rene Denman couldn’t hold it in. She felt the tears begin to flow, then came great sobs that she couldn’t stop. She cried so hard she couldn’t speak.

“That meeting was a catalyst for me,” remembers Denman. “I knew I needed to talk to someone else who’d been through this.”

Their nurse referred her to Lawrie Williams, who coordinates Children’s Parent Support Program. Williams matches trained parent volunteers with those who are in the beginning stages of learning about their child’s special healthcare needs.

“The parent who connected with me understood my frustrations and helped me process my emotions,” says Denman. “By listening to her experiences, I learned how to talk about my daughter’s facial differences in a way that honors her as a unique individual.”

Cassandra Sage remembers the phone messages she began receiving from her support parent about a

“ We ask parents for input because their unique perspective helps us improve care for all children and families.”

— Carol Parry, Family Support Specialist

month after her son Kobey was born with multiple birth defects that include limb differences. The man’s voice on her answering machine mentioned his own son’s severe limb differences and encouraged her to call him just to talk. About four months later, Sage picked up the phone.

“He was a ray of sunshine in the fog — a real lifeline for me,” she says now. When she watched him coach his own son on a baseball team for young athletes with special needs, he expressed the hope that, someday, Sage’s son would play on his team,

After Cassandra Sage’s son, Kobey Chew, now 7, was transported to Seattle Children’s shortly after birth, Sage was matched with a parent who’d been through a similar situation. Says Sage, “He was a ray of hope for me.”

too — a wish that’s become reality for Kobey, who is now 7.

Because of the support both Denman and Sage received from other parents, they’ve both joined Williams’ network of more than 100 parent volunteers.

“Connecting with other families who’ve walked down the same path gives parents strength and hope,” says Williams.

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Allies on the Field A new program puts certified athletic trainers in the gym and on the fields of Seattle’s public high schools to prevent injury to teen athletes.

He could tell that this hit was different. As 15-year-old Clinton Parrilla got up from the football field, he was sure he’d cracked a rib.

Back on the sidelines, the Cleveland High School sophomore sought out his team’s certified athletic trainer, Phil Heywood. As he examined Parrilla and applied ice, Heywood asked Parrilla detailed questions about the location and intensity of the pain.

Teaming Up with Coaches to Keep Athletes Safe

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Though Heywood determined that Parrilla’s rib was not broken, something wasn’t quite right about the teen’s condition. “I kept him out the rest of the game, and explained that if he noticed certain symptoms developing, he should go to the hospital immediately,” recalls Heywood.

The next day, Parrilla couldn’t eat, could hardly walk and it hurt to go to the bathroom — symptoms Heywood had warned him about. X-rays at Seattle Children’s revealed a lacerated spleen — a potentially life-threatening injury.

Parrilla spent five days at Children’s. Though he missed the rest of football season, he made a full recovery without surgery.

Expertise at a crucial moment“The fact that Phil was right there on the field may have saved Clinton’s life,” says Anju Jain, the associate medical director of the Seattle Schools Certified Athletic Trainer Program and a former athletic trainer. “There are certain situations where ‘playing through the pain’ can have devastating

When Cleveland High School student Clinton Parrilla (right) took a hard hit during a football game, Seattle Children’s certified athletic trainer Phil Heywood assessed the situation and sidelined him — a decision that may have saved Parrilla’s life.

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consequences. Players need someone on the sidelines who knows what to look for and has the authority to say, ‘You need to sit the rest of this game out.’”

Parrilla’s coach, Kelvin Goliday, is grateful for Heywood’s expertise on the field. “In a situation like that, I wouldn’t have known what to do — I figured it was a bruised rib. It’s an incredible relief to have someone who knows what he’s doing, right here.”

Focus on preventionThrough a contract with the Seattle Public School District, Children’s provides master's-level trained, licensed and certified athletic trainers to seven high schools, and oversees three other athletic trainer/teachers who are employed directly by the district. Though their priority is the high-risk sports like football, soccer, wrestling and basketball, the trainers work with all of the sports teams at their schools.

Before the season begins, trainers provide each team with “pre-hab” — sport-specific training and conditioning programs designed to help athletes develop strength and flexibility to perform better and more safely throughout the season. Trainers attend home and away games for the high-impact sports, and provide immediate acute care.

“It can be difficult for a kid or a parent to tell how significant an injury is — an athletic trainer can take the guesswork out of it,” says Heywood. Rolled ankles are common — by ruling out a fracture, the trainer can save the family an unnecessary trip to the ER. Treating sprains can be handled at school, by the trainer.

A trusted allyChildren’s trainers are athletes themselves, who know the exhilaration and risks of intense play firsthand. They also understand the pressure to perform even while injured.

“Because we’re there, working with them every day, the kids learn to see us as allies,” says Heywood. “Athletes will tell me things they can’t tell their coach, because they know I’m focused on their long-term well-being.”

Children’s contract with the Seattle Public School District to manage its athletic trainers gives athletes and coaches one-on-one time with seven health professionals trained at the master’s level. Here, Children’s certified athletic trainer Nicole Jackson talks warm-up fundamentals on the field.

of Washington state high schools have access to a certified athletic trainer.

Only 36%

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Gudiño was reinjured in his very first college game. This time, a certified athletic trainer helped him rehabilitate. Gudiño was impressed with the specialized care the trainer offered him, and realized what a difference such help might have made a few years earlier. In that experience, Gudiño found a new game plan for his life, eventually becoming an athletic trainer dedicated to helping teen athletes avoid injury.

Gudiño’s sense of personal mission is evident in the work he does at Ingraham High School, as one of seven Seattle Children’s athletic trainers associated with the Seattle Schools Certified Athletic Trainer Program. Whether he’s following up to make sure a player is doing his rehab exercises or resting appropriately,

scrambling for essential supplies on a tight public school budget or coming in on the weekend to paint the training room with a ram (the school’s mascot), Gudiño’s dedication is obvious.

For many of the athletes at Ingraham and other Seattle public schools, an athletic scholarship is their best shot at college. The most important thing, says Gudiño, is being one more source of support for these kids, to help them see that they have options.

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“ I tell players: ‘I’m here to help you be healthy so that you can pursue your goals of getting a better education through a sports scholarship.”

— Antonio Gudiño, Seattle Children’s Certified Athletic Trainer

For Antonio Gudiño, the risks of intensive play during the teen years are all too real.

By age 15, he was already on a semipro soccer team in Guadalajara, Mexico. At 18, while playing “select” soccer in California — where scouts look for promising players — his career was sidelined by a hairline fracture to his tibia.

The initial injury was treated appropriately, but not optimally for someone who wanted to return to a preprofessional level of play. For example, no one counseled Gudiño about the need for physical therapy or ongoing rehab. “When the cast finally came off, my calf was about half the size of the other one,” he recalls.

By providing assessment and care directly where it’s needed, on the field, certified athletic trainers like Antonio Gudiño help young athletes avoid injury and get back in the game — safely.

Staying Healthy Means More Options

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It’s a Sunday afternoon and more than 100 youth soccer teams from all over Washington state are gathered at Starfire Sports, a 54-acre facility in Tukwila, Wash., for a tournament.

Under a small white tent, certified athletic trainers Phil Heywood and Antonio Gudiño of Seattle Children’s triage injuries, tape ankles and apply ice. They’re part of a volunteer partnership between Children’s and Starfire, focused on providing injury prevention, stabilization and initial treatment right on the field.

Teddy Mitalas, a lifelong soccer player who directs Starfire’s soccer program, says parents tell him the

partnership with Children’s is the best thing Starfire has done. “Having world-class health professionals right here, on site during the tournament, makes teams — and parents — feel more secure,” says Mitalas.

For Anju Jain, associate medical director of the athletic trainer program, the partnership is a natural, since both organizations are nonprofits dedicated to the well-being of children and youth from all socioeconomic backgrounds.

Care Where It’s Needed

As child athletes get older, the focus often shifts from playing for fun to intense competition.

The stakes get higher as players, parents and coaches begin to dream of college scholarships and professional careers. Constant training and high-level competition can lead to overuse injuries, and, eventually, to chronic pain, according to Seattle Children’s Dr. Monique Burton.

She should know. Burton began training in gymnastics at age 6 and competed on a national level through college. Most of that time, she did not have the benefit of an athletic trainer, a medically trained expert in preventing, assessing and rehabilitating sports injuries. The price she pays now is chronic pain — much of which might have been avoided had she known what to do differently during those crucial teen years of heavy training and high-stakes competition.

Hidden vulnerabilitiesYoung athletes have hidden vulnerabilities, explains Burton.

Because they are still growing, they are susceptible to repetitive stress injuries, particularly fractures.

“More and more kids have preventable injuries related to overuse,” says Burton. “The majority are the result of repetitive stress without sufficient healing time.”

These are precisely the kind of injuries that lead to lifelong chronic pain. Burton estimates that as many as half of these overuse injuries are preventable.

A Mission to Prevent Injury

After experiencing repetitive stress injuries as a teen gymnast, Seattle Children’s Dr. Monique Burton now leads a new program aimed at helping prevent such injuries in teen athletes.

“ As many as 50% of sports-related injuries due to overuse are preventable.”

— Dr. Monique Burton, Medical Director, Seattle Schools Certified Athletic Trainer Program

Now a sports medicine specialist, Burton leads a new program aimed at helping young athletes train and compete safely. Children’s has placed athletic trainers at seven Seattle public high schools, where they work directly with student athletes and their coaches. The trainers also staff regional club soccer tournaments to deliver on-site care for the injuries that can’t be avoided.

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Bar Raising the Green Bar

At Seattle Children’s, creating a healing environment and a healthy community go hand in hand.

Seattle Children’s has a long history of seeking better ways to care for sick and injured children. Now, the hospital is eager to find greener ways as well.

From composting food scraps to designing new buildings that are kind to Mother Nature, Children’s strives to tread as lightly on the planet as possible while focusing on the health of patients and the community.

“We can provide our patients with the best care possible, but if we don’t give them a healthy world to live in, we haven’t fulfilled our mission,” says Jeff Hughes, who oversees Grounds, Sustainability and Environmental Stewardship at Children’s.

Setting the green bar high isn’t just “the right thing to do,” says Sue Heffernan, a clinical nurse specialist. It’s a natural part of creating a healing environment inside the hospital and a healthy community outside. And it’s often good medicine.

Today’s choices, tomorrow’s impactIn 2004, after animal studies indicated that infant males’ exposure to plasticizers was linked to a host of illnesses, Heffernan led an effort to replace devices that contain these chemical additives, which make materials more flexible, with devices that don’t.

The experience inspired Heffernan to form a hospital-wide Green Team to advocate, coordinate and track green projects throughout the hospital. “Our goal is to become the cleanest, greenest hospital in the country,” Heffernan says. “Our employees are totally committed and are constantly suggesting ways for us to recycle, save energy and use healthier products. It’s truly a grassroots effort.”

In 2008, Children’s became the second hospital in Washington to earn the Governor’s Award for Sustainable Practices from the state’s Department of Ecology. The annual award honors businesses and organizations that show leadership in conserving resources and eliminating hazardous materials, waste and emissions.

“The award says a lot about our commitment to the environment,” says Mitch Birchfield, the head of Environmental Services. “Our focus on sustainability reflects the values, awareness and leadership of the people who work here. It’s who we are and how we want to operate.”

Cutting solid waste by 285,000 pounds a year saves

$51,000

Trimming water use by 7 million gallons a year saves

$90,000

Sue Heffernan, clinical nurse specialist, shows off the phthalate-free IV bag and tubing that is now being used at Seattle Children’s — a move that reduces chemical additives in equipment and possible risks to kids’ health.

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Children’s has cut annual solid waste output by 285,000 pounds and trimmed annual water use by 7 million gallons. Strategies range from composting food scraps (diverts 1,400 pounds a week from the waste stream) to retrofitting the surgery autoclave (saves 4,100 gallons of water a day) to recycling 20 tons of computers and electronic equipment.

Children’s avoids using cleaning products with fragrance because they contain environmentally unfriendly chemicals and can cause breathing problems for patients with respiratory diseases such as asthma. The hospital collects unused medications and sends them to be incinerated by a regulated facility (minimizing air pollution), which eliminates any possibility the medications could pollute waterways through the waste stream.

Working with Full Circle Farms, a certified organic produce farm in Carnation, Wash., Children’s hosts a twice-monthly farmers market and features locally grown organic produce in the cafeteria on market days. In addition, Children’s is a drop-off site where Full Circle customers can pick up their weekly orders.

Lower costs, lighter footprintAs Children’s prepares to expand its main campus and build a new outpatient clinic in Bellevue, planners are considering numerous green design and construction options.

Seattle Children’s czar of all things eco-friendly, Jeff Hughes, oversees green projects that range from cutting the institution’s solid waste output to designing new buildings with vegetation-covered roofs.

“Children’s is being really aggressive about this and looking at some very interesting and innovative green features,” says Dave Neal, a principal with Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects and project manager for the hospital expansion master plan.

One example: green roofs. Completely or partially covered in vegetation, green roofs reduce stormwater runoff and can cut a building's energy costs by providing natural insulation. Other likely strategies include letting in as much daylight as possible to save electricity, using recycled building materials to conserve natural resources and choosing low VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and adhesives to prevent harmful off-gassing.

The Bellevue clinic will seek LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the United States Green Building Council. Though a rarity among healthcare facilities, LEED certification is a sign of things to come at Children’s, says Paula Holmes, director of Seattle Children’s Bellevue. “We want the Bellevue clinic to be the model for all of our future regional projects,” she says.

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Pathways Lecture Series

“ Making Marriage Work”John Gottman, PhD Thursday, March 19 Town Hall, Seattle

“ Opting In/Opting Out: Slow Parenting in the Fast Lane”

Tuesday, March 24 Seattle Children’s Theatre

“ CALM: Cool-Headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens”Dr. Laura Kastner Thursday, April 16 Stadium High School, Tacoma

“ More Than Baby Talk: Enriching Ideas for Your Amazingly Teachable Tots”Dr. Michelle Terry Wednesday, April 29 Seattle Public Library — Main Branch

“ Blessing of a Skinned Knee: How to Stop Over-Indulging, Over-Scheduling and Over-Protecting”Dr. Wendy Mogel Wednesday, May 6 Town Hall, Seattle

“ CALM: Cool-Headed Strategies for Parenting Tweens and Teens”Dr. Laura Kastner Tuesday, May 19 Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue

The current recession presents challenging circumstances for all of us, and Seattle Children’s is no exception.

Now more than ever, Children’s is an important part of the safety net for our region’s children. The combination of rising unemployment — with the accompanying loss of health insurance — and cuts to state services can be disastrous for families caring for a chronically ill child.

In fact, we expect to provide more than $100 million in uncompensated care this year — a significant increase over our 2008 record of $86 million — because our core mission remains unchanged: to provide superior care to our region’s children regardless of their families’ ability to pay.

As we continue to stay true to our mission, we are also tightening our

The Children’s Safety Net

As one of the presenting sponsors of the Pathways Lecture Series, Seattle Children’s joins ParentMap magazine to connect parents with experts on child development.

All lectures are 7 to 9 p.m. and tickets are $18 in advance, $25 at the door; $25 in advance/$30 at the door for the Dr. Gottman lecture. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.parentmap.com/pathways or call 800-838-3006.

belts. We must respond to declining investment returns and tight credit markets. We have developed and are enacting long- and short-term contingency plans, including reducing operating expenses where prudent and feasible. We are acting on good ideas from our staff about how to improve access to our services while keeping costs down.

After more than a century of careful stewardship of our resources, and through the continued support of a generous community, we believe we are well-positioned to weather this crisis by taking thoughtful action.

Thank you for your support. Together, we will get through this. Ours is a bright and hopeful future.

Thomas N. Hansen, MD CEO, Seattle Children’s

Cilla Joondeph Chairman, Seattle Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees

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Seattle Children’s has launched a pilot project to provide legal assistance to low-income families with children who are receiving medical treatment and also have legal issues that affect their health. Known as the Medical-Legal Partnership for Children, the three-year pilot will benefit low-income families at Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), a community clinic of Seattle Children’s, and Harborview Children and Teens Clinic.

The project is the first of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and was made possible by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. It was created through collaboration with the Northwest Justice Project, the law firm

New Medical-Legal Partnership for Children

“ If a social worker and a lawyer can intervene to improve the family’s living conditions, that may have a significant positive impact on the health of that child.”

— Dr. Ben Danielson

Seattle Children’s respiratory therapist Dave Crotwell has been named the National Neonatal Pediatric Specialty Practitioner of the Year by the American Association of Respiratory Care. The award recognizes Crotwell’s contributions over a 14-year career, from his clinical care to recent research.

As part of a team of Children’s researchers and practitioners, Crotwell has been measuring respiratory equipment performance and communicating the findings to the companies that make the equipment. His research led to significant design improvements in one of the most widely sold ventilators in the world.

Dave Crotwell Honored for Research

Dave Crotwell

Dr. Ben Danielson

of Davis Wright Tremaine and other community partners, and is patterned after a legal clinic established in 1993 at Boston Medical Center.

“This partnership will help patients who have social, housing, immigration, economic or legal problems that negatively affect their health,” said Dr. Benjamin Danielson, the medical director at OBCC. “For example, a child with asthma living in moldy, substandard housing may make repeated trips to the hospital with severe breathing problems. If a social worker and a lawyer can intervene to improve the family’s living conditions, that may have a significant positive impact on the health of that child.”

“By being involved with manufacturers, we can ensure that we will have exactly what we need to provide the best care for our unique patient population instead of wasting our resources on things that don’t work as well,” says Crotwell.

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The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation recently awarded an additional $500,000 to the Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), bringing the foundation’s total contributions to GAPPS to more than $1.6 million.

Children’s formed GAPPS in 2007 to research and address the twin problems of premature birth and stillbirth. The Gates Foundation made the additional award to support research on effective advocacy and newborn interventions.

Locally and globally, prematurity is the leading cause of infant death, and

carries with it high social and economic costs. More than 1 million children die each year because they were born too

early, and many of the 12 million who survive suffer long-term disabilities. More than 3 million others are stillborn.

In May 2009, key findings from GAPPS’ comprehensive literature review and analysis will be presented at an international conference co-convened with Save the Children, UNICEF and the World Health Organization in Seattle. The conference will serve as a forum to foster continued collaboration and to create a roadmap for future research and intervention efforts.

For more information, see www.gapps.org.

Gates Foundation Expands Support for Prematurity and Stillbirth Initiative

Susan Heath and Kiko Van Zandt: Nurses of the Year

The Western Washington Chapter of the March of Dimes honored Seattle Children’s nurses Susan Heath and Kiko Van Zandt with 2008 “Nurse of the Year” awards.

Heath, who serves as Children’s chief nursing officer, was honored as the Distinguished Nurse of the Year for her leadership and accomplishments, including Children’s successful quest for Magnet designation.

David Brooks, chief executive officer of Providence Regional Medical Center in Everett, chaired the event. He presented Heath’s award and noted, “Her leadership continually pushes her team and the hospital to find new ways to make it the best place to work.”

Van Zandt, a nurse on Children’s Rehabilitation Unit, was honored as Nurse of the Year for Community Service. The award recognizes significant professional or voluntary contributions in community-based settings. Van Zandt is the coach for the Shadow Seals, an adaptive swim team for kids and young adults. She traveled to China in 2008 as assistant coach for the Paralympics swim team. Kiko Van Zandt (left) and Susan Heath

1 in 10 babies is born prematurely in Washington state.

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If you are 70 1⁄2 or older, you can transfer up to $100,000 this year tax-free from traditional IRAs to charities such as Seattle Children’s. This opportunity, first available in 2006, was reestablished by recent legislation and expires Dec. 31, 2009.

Bob and Vicki Hanson are among the many donors who have already made tax-free IRA transfers to Children’s. The choice between paying taxes on IRA distributions or helping Children’s was an easy one for the couple. “Tax-free gifting of IRAs prompted us to do something we have wanted to do for some time — create an endowment for cancer research,” says Vicki Hanson. The couple transferred $100,000 from their respective IRAs to establish the Bob & Vicki Hanson Endowment for Cancer

Charitable Gifts from IRAs A unique opportunity for senior donors is back.

Research, which will support innovative therapies to help cancer patients live longer, healthier and more productive lives. “Children’s research has already produced improved outcomes for cancer patients, which gives us great hope for future advances,” says Bob Hanson.

The couple’s connection to Children’s began many decades ago. Both Bob’s and Vicki’s mothers — Dorothy Hanson and Gladine Middleton — were guild members who taught their children about the hospital. Vicki Hanson volunteered at Children’s for more than 13 years and co-founded the Dr. Jack M. Docter Guild. In 1991, she received the Anna Clise Award, the highest individual honor bestowed by Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association.

Bob and Vicki Hanson

“ Tax-free gifting of IRAs can make a huge difference to Children’s medical care and research.”

— Bob Hanson

Bob Hanson, an attorney and real estate investment and development professional, shares his wife’s passion for Children’s and encourages other seniors not to miss this chance. “Tax-free gifting of IRAs can make a huge difference to Children’s medical care and research.”

Contact Lorraine del Prado at 206-987-4977 to learn more about making tax-free IRA gifts.

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Festival of Trees Turns 30

The Dr. Forrest L. Flashman Guild raised $165,000 for uncompensated care at the 30th annual Festival of Trees at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel in Seattle Nov. 23. Guild members created 25 themed trees, and each was dedicated to a hospital patient and purchased through silent auction. Hundreds of guests enjoyed hot cocoa, holiday music and photos with Santa.

Elna Duffield (left) and Robbi DeVries co-chaired the 30th annual Festival of Trees.

The Star Guild raised nearly $450,000 through the Season of Light Auction at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel Nov. 29. Themed “Let the Season Begin,” the event attracted more than 200 guests and featured a gourmet dinner, entertainment and silent and live auctions. KING 5’s Lori Matsukawa and John Curley were, respectively, program emcee and auctioneer.

(From left) Lori Matsukawa, emcee; Katie Carder, auction chair; Dana Lofton, Star Guild president; John Curley, auctioneer; and Dr. Tom Hansen, Seattle Children’s CEO, celebrate at the Season of Light Auction in November.

Season of Light Auction Dazzles

Dr. Tom Hansen, Seattle Children’s CEO, spoke about the growing need for uncompensated care. Afterward, guests danced to live music in the Fairmont’s Spanish Foyer. Many thanks to sponsors UNICO, Williams, Kastner & Gibbs, Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Architects, ABM Janitorial, Copperfin and Boeing.

Money raised from events in this section supported uncompensated care as well as critical efforts such as pediatric brain tumor research and injury prevention.

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Concert Strikes Right Chord

The Symphony Guild raised $153,000 at its 11th annual concert to benefit uncompensated care. Guild founder and composer Mateo Messina presented the 10-movement “An American Symphony” to more than 2,200 concertgoers at Benaroya Hall in Seattle Nov. 7. Messina, who composed the score for the popular film “Juno,” was joined by Warner Bros. recording artists Eisley, the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and solo electric cellist Matthew Schoening.

The Jack and Colleen Ryan Guild raised $175,000 for uncompensated care at the fifth annual Seattle Snow Ball at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel Dec. 23. The family-oriented black-tie affair attracted nearly 300 guests, from seventh-graders to grandparents. Alyssa Locke, 19, spoke about being treated at Seattle Children’s for bone cancer. One of Alyssa’s caregivers,

Kelly Gallagher (left) and Debbie Cady of the Frances W. Nordstrom Guild co-chaired Club Night 2008, which raised nearly $140,000 for uncompensated care and pediatric brain tumor research. More than 200 guests gathered Nov. 6 at The Triple Door in Seattle, where they enjoyed cocktails, dinner and live

Latasha Evans (second from right), who received a heart transplant at Seattle Children’s, performed a song at the Symphony Guild concert that she and composer Mateo Messina co-wrote. Latasha’s sisters Lenora (left) and Letisha accompanied her on stage.

Family generations gathered to support Seattle Children’s at the Seattle Snow Ball.

Dr. Ernest “Chappie” Conrad, encouraged attendees to support Children’s. After dinner, guests danced to the Michael Benson Band. Special thanks to event sponsor Blue Nile and to platinum sponsors Pay Northwest and Joe Clark.

Seattle Snow Ball Raises $175,000

music. Seattle Children’s researcher Dr. Jim Olson spoke about the “tumor paint” his team developed. The substance illuminates cancerous cells during surgery and helps surgeons better distinguish between a tumor and healthy tissue. After the program, guests danced to music by Mister Miyagi.

Club Night Supports Uncompensated Care, Research

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top-notch care Children’s is known for. Seattle Children’s is so critical to our community.”

If you would like a special way to celebrate an event by giving to Seattle Children’s, please contact Commemorative Giving at 206-987-4844.

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David Byrum (left) and Bill Murdock of Schuck’s Auto Supply presented a check for $5,720 to Katharine Fitzgerald (center left) and Elizabeth “Tizzy” Bennett of Seattle Children’s at a 2008 Mariners game. The Seattle Mariners and Schuck’s donated the funds to support Children’s child passenger safety outreach program.

Jorve Roofing Supports Summer Camp

Ted Jorve of Jorve Roofing (third from left) presented nearly $60,000 to Seattle Children’s camp coordinator Michele Rebert (center) and cardiologist Dr. Stanley Stamm (second from right) during a visit to Children’s in summer 2008. The funds, raised through the company’s annual golf tournament, support the Stanley Stamm Summer Camp, which gives children with serious illnesses the chance to go fishing, ride horses and take part in other typical summer camp activities.

When Liz Vivian and Graham Ford wed recently, they included Seattle Children’s uncompensated care on their gift registry. “It was really special for our friends and family to donate because uncompensated care is so close to my heart,” says Vivian, who had multiple surgeries at Children’s on her back and foot between age 5 and 18. “Although my family couldn’t always afford the full cost of treatment, I always received the

Former Patient Gives Back at Wedding

Mariners and Schuck’s Boost Child Safety

Children’s works with Head Start in central and south Seattle to provide low-income families with car and booster seats at reduced or no cost, along with demonstrations on how to use the seats. The program also provides the seats to families seen at the Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic, a community clinic of Seattle Children’s.

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Bread Company Raises Dough

Great Harvest Bread Company raised more than $10,000 through the fourth annual “Raising Dough for Seattle Children’s” promotion in September. Seven Seattle-area Great Harvest stores donated 100% of sales from honey-wheat Bread-y Bears to support uncompensated care. Children’s patients named the bears created for the promotion, including “Viola,” “Buddy” and “Bear-Bear.”

Broadcast Rings in Holidays

“Miracle Season,” Seattle Children’s annual holiday special, raised $150,000 during its KOMO 4 broadcast Dec. 14. Steve Pool and Sabra Gertsch (above) shared stories of hope and healing and encouraged viewers to pledge their financial support. The program highlighted the work of Children’s nurses, and musicians performed holiday favorites. The program was sponsored by KOMO 4, the John L. Scott Foundation, Credit Unions for Kids, Log A Load for Kids and Marriott.

Holiday Program Spreads Cheer

Seattle Children’s Holiday Program provided gifts for 70 patients from 62 hospital families in 2008, thanks to more than 50 participating companies and organizations, including many departments at the hospital. Children’s Social Work Department organizes the annual endeavor, which is supported financially by the John L. Scott Foundation.

(From left) Nancy Senseney, Susie Ostrander, John Curley, Laurie Frink, Marikay Cuthill and Nancy Outcalt gather at the KC Howard Guild’s Holiday Luncheon in December.

Many Seattle Children’s patient families had more presents under the tree last year, thanks to the hospital’s Holiday Program.

Great Harvest Bread Company has raised more than $56,000 for Seattle Children’s since annual Bread-y Bear promotions began.

Holiday Luncheon Raises $200,000

The KC Howard Guild’s 14th annual Holiday Luncheon raised $200,000 for uncompensated care at the Seattle Sheraton Dec. 8. Themed “Make Dreams Come True,” the event attracted more than 350 guests who bid in live and silent auctions. John Curley of KING 5’s “Evening Magazine” emceed the program and conducted the live auction. Two guests purchased live auction packages that included tickets to Oprah Winfrey’s Oscar show at the Kodak Theater in Hollywood.

Seattle Children’s patient Marques Mar joined KOMO 4’s Steve Pool and Sabra Gertsch during the “Miracle Season” broadcast in December.

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Seattle Children’s Community Health Fair

Saturday, March 14, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Sound Café, Seattle Children’s

Learn about health, safety and Seattle Children’s through the Teddy Bear Clinic, ambulance tours and a visit from the Tooth Fairy. Free. Call 206-987-1569.

Guardians’ Circle LuncheonSaturday, April 18, noon; Overlake Country Club, Medina

Guardians’ Circle members will enjoy lunch, live entertainment and a program on Seattle Children’s world-class care. Call 206-987-6827.

Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association Annual Meeting

Thursday, April 30, 9:30 a.m. registration; The Westin Seattle

Celebrate guild accomplishments and learn about exciting new developments at Seattle Children’s. Bring a gift or donation for Project Teen. E-mail guildassociation@seattlechildrens.org or call 206-987-2153.

Purchase a MiracleMay 1 through June 15; grocery and drug stores throughout Washington

Benefit Seattle Children’s by purchasing products identified by bright green Purchase a Miracle shelf tags, such as Newman’s Own, Coca-Cola, MJB Coffee and Kellogg’s.

Art à la CarteFriday, May 1, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.; The Golf Club at Newcastle

Enjoy a luncheon and silent and live auctions featuring jewelry, textiles, paintings, glass and photography by Northwest artists. $50 per person. Call 206-910-7200. Presented by the Preston Kuppe Guild.

Children’s Circle of Care North American Leadership Conference

Thursday, May 7, Seattle

2008 Children’s Circle of Care members are invited to attend this conference, luncheon and gala dinner. Acclaimed journalist Tom Brokaw will speak. Visit www.seattlechildrens.org/circleofcare or call 206-987-2153.

Tri-Cities Guilds Golf ClassicSaturday, May 16, 7 a.m. to noon tee-off; Tri-City Country Club, Kennewick

Event includes continental breakfast, lunch and dinner awards ceremony with live and silent auctions. $175 per person. Call 509-551-1808. Presented by the Tri-Cities Golf Classic Guilds.

25th Annual “Miracle Makers”

Saturday, May 30, 7 to 11 p.m. on KOMO 4 TV

Pledge your financial support during the “Miracle Makers” broadcast by calling 206-443-2468. Co-sponsored by Costco Wholesale and KOMO 4.

Children’s Ride Gala and Auction

Friday, June 26, 6 p.m.; Fremont Studios, Seattle

Enjoy dinner, entertainment and live and silent auctions. Bid on two customized Harley-Davidson motorcycles. $150 per person. Visit www.childrens-ride.com or call 206-987-4876. Presented by the Imagine Guild.

Children’s Ride 14Sunday, June 28, 7 a.m.; registration at Qwest Field, Seattle

Join a Washington State Patrol–escorted ride from Qwest Field to Emerald Downs in Auburn. $60 per person includes ride, racetrack admission and barbecue. Visit www.childrens-ride.com or call 206-987-4876. Presented by the Imagine Guild.

21st Annual Pacific Northwest Historics Vintage Auto Races

Friday, July 3 to Sunday, July 5, gates open at 8:30 a.m.; Pacific Raceways, Kent

Enjoy races featuring rare pre-1970 automobiles. Adults: $25 per day or $40 for three days. Children: $5 per day. Visit www.northwesthistorics.com or call 206-987-4877. Presented by the SOVREN Guild.

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Boards of Trustees 2008–2009

Hospital

Cilla JoondephChairman

Sue Albrecht

Dean Allen

Rhoda Altom

Libby Armintrout

Robb Bakemeier

Joel Benoliel

Jane Blair

Julia Calhoun

Pat Char

Nancy Daly

Michael Delman

David Fisher, MD

Bob Flowers

Mary Ann Flynn

Thomas Hansen, MD

Kay Heron

Genie Higgins

Jim Ladd

Mona Locke

Cindy Masin

Linda Mattox

Resa Moore

Gloria Northcroft

Laurie Oki

Kathy Randall

Rob Roskin, MD

Jan Sinegal

Peggy Walton

Foundation

Laurie OkiChairman

Sherry Benaroya

Robert Cline

A.M. Clise

Ronald Crockett

Richard DiCerchio

David Fisher, MD

Shalisan Foster

Thomas Hansen, MD

Ray Heacox

Kandace Holley

Ted Johnson

Cilla Joondeph

Craig Kinzer

Howard Lincoln

Candy Marshall

John Meisenbach

Cameron Myhrvold

Gordon Perkin, MD

Douglas Picha

Scott Redman

Tami Reller

Fariba Ronnasi

Robert Sawin, MD

Kenneth Schubert Jr.

J. Lennox Scott

Peter Shimer

Michele Smith

Dale Sperling

F. Bruder Stapleton, MD

Kelly Wallace

Robert Watt

Dina Wells

Lenny Wilkens

Guild Association

Michele SmithChairman

Pamela Baughn

Laurie Boehme

Sue Byers

Kerri Coyle

Jana Dukelow

Krista Fay

Mary Jo Foseid

Shalisan Foster

Jennifer Goldberg

Dorothy Greenwood

Mary Lynn Holman

Jane Humphries

Mari Juntunen

Linda Maki

Louisa Malatos

Barbara Mann

Lorene Martin

Lisa Mawer

Sharon McCagg

Suzanne Sinegal McGill

Trish Oury

Nancy Schenck

Laurie Taylor

Dixie Wilson

Cary Young

Jennifer Zinda

Executive Staff

Thomas Hansen, MDCEO

Patrick HaganPresident and Chief Operating Officer, Seattle Children’s Hospital

James Hendricks, PhDPresident, Seattle Children’s Research Institute

Douglas PichaPresident, Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation

Lisa BrandenburgSenior Vice PresidentChief Administrative Officer

Drexel DeFordSenior Vice President Chief Information Officer

Mark Del Beccaro, MDPediatrician-in-Chief Chief Medical Information Officer

David Fisher, MDSenior Vice President Medical Director

Susan Heath, RN, MNSenior Vice President Chief Nursing Officer

Sanford Melzer, MDSenior Vice President Strategic Planning

Robert Sawin, MDSurgeon-in-Chief President, CUMG

Jeffrey SconyersSenior Vice President General Counsel

F. Bruder Stapleton, MDSenior Vice President Chief Academic Officer

Kelly WallaceSenior Vice President Chief Financial Officer

Reflection

M/S S-200PO Box 50020 Seattle, WA 98145-5020

www.seattlechildrens.org

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Job#: CHILD 4962 Job Title: Magnet Award Ad Pub/s: Connections Date: 1/29/09 Proof: 2Trim: 8.5"w x 8"h Live: n/a Bleed: 8.75"w x 8.125"h (top only) Color: CMYK Laser%: 100% Images: HighRes File Author: TH

The American Nurses Credentialing Center has designated Seattle Children’s a Magnet hospital for nursing, an honor given to less than 4% of hospitals in the U.S. And we’re the only pediatric hospital in the Northwest to be given the award. We’ve always known our nurses are the best, and we’re very happy the ANCC agrees. But most importantly, we hope our

patients and families do too. To learn more about Seattle Children’s and our Magnet status, visit seattlechildrens.org.

Congratulations to our nursing staff on achieving Magnet status.

There’s compassionate care. And then there’s the top 4% in compassionate care.

CHILD 4962 Magnet_C.indd 1 2/2/09 2:50:48 PM