1. After 385 days, the last Merton quint, Gideon, went home! Last March, you met the quintuplets when they were born at just 25 weeks gestation. Tiny but mighty, these siblings began a journey that would get them strong enough for them to leave the hospital and go home.
As Gideon was getting prepped to go down to our Mobile ICU Unit, he kept staring above him. One of his nurses said that he must be looking at his guardian angel, Meredith, his sister who passed away soon after their birth.
Harper has been on life support – twice – had 4 open heart surgeries, 5 eye surgeries, countless therapy sessions and even more needle pokes, but not once has she let anything get the best of her.
3. We celebrated 50 years of social work support at the hospital during National Social Work month.
Comprised of 66 staff members, which includes a robust Help Me Grow program, Social work can be found in many areas of the hospital. Social workers are dedicated to better understanding a family situation by utilizing a strengths perspective and helping to reinforce the continuum of care from hospital to the community.
4. It was another Happy National Doctors’ Day! We recognized our hardworking doctors who give their all for their patients … and shared a few fun facts.
Dr. Tsulee Chen is a pediatric neurosurgeon and the director of Pediatric Neurosurgery here at Akron Children’s. She also enjoys marathons, mountain climbing and competitive ballroom dancing.
5. With all Ohioans 16+ being able to get the COVID-19 vaccine, we shared the CDC’s guidelines for those who are fully vaccinated.
Nearly 25 percent of Americans have had at least one shot. Experts estimate we will need 70-80 percent of Americans to be fully immunized to achieve herd immunity.
6. We recognized that it has been a year of trials, but also one of resilience and hope. Our employees have been challenged in many ways. Through it all, they have gone above and beyond to ensure the continued safety of our patient families and fellow staff.
Thanks to all our employees for continuing to live our promises for our patients and for each other. The gratitude we have for you is immeasurable.
7. We encouraged you to nominate a favorite nurse for DAISY Award recognition.
The DAISY Award was created to recognize nurses for clinical excellence and outstanding compassionate care. We are fortunate to have a nursing staff that meets and exceeds those standards.
8. International Women’s Day was the perfect time to celebrate women at the hospital by recognizing their achievements and embracing their diversity.
This photo highlights just a few of the incredible women that make up more than 84% of the workforce at Akron Children’s Hospital.
9. We updated our visitation guidelines to allow for greater access to patient visitation.
We continue to prioritize the safety of our patients and staff and thank all of our visitors for practicing masking, social distancing, and hand hygiene.
10. We wished our nurses a Happy Certified Nurses Day! We’re grateful for all of our Akron Children’s nurses, and today, we recognize those nurses who have achieved national board certifications in their practice specialties.
Certified nurse Robyn McKinney shared a special moment with one-day-old Messiah and his mom, Sasha, as she helped them bond by practicing kangaroo care.
