Melody received the first “Akron Children’s Advocate Award” at the 2025 More childhood, please™. Awards held Oct. 1. Although it’s an individual award, Melody shares it with her fellow community health workers (CHWs). “What an honor to be nominated for the Advocate Award. I cried when I found out I won,” she shared. “Most people […]
More childhood, please.™ Awards celebrate those who positively impact children’s lives
More than 200 people gathered Oct. 1 to celebrate our community’s brightest stars. The inaugural More childhood, please. Awards honored community members and Akron Children’s employees who improve kids’ lives throughout northeast Ohio. Welcome and entertainment Chris Gessner, Akron Children’s president and CEO, greeted the event attendees. “When I look around this room, I am […]
Akron Children’s celebrates 2025 APP awardees
Akron Children’s is proud to announce the 2025 recipients of the APP awards, honoring outstanding advanced practice providers (APPs) for their dedication, leadership and exceptional contributions to patient care. The year, Allison Lantz, MSN, APRN-CNP, School-Based Health, was recognized with the award for Excellence in Practice. Daniel Goldstein, MD, pediatric anesthesiologist, was named Outstanding Physician […]
Quick action of Akron Children’s school nurse saves life of student
A lot of fate helped Jacob Burley on Dec. 17 when he collapsed in his school gym. For starters, he had fast-acting friends, teachers and a school nurse nearby trained in CPR and an AED on hand to help revive his arrested heart. Jacob, 14, an eighth grader at Crestview Local Middle School in […]
Heather Edwards named 2024 Liaison of the Year for championing school nurse certification in Ohio
Akron Children’s Heather Edwards, clinical coordinator, school-based health services, has been named 2024 Liaison of the Year by the National Board for Certification of School Nurses (NBCSN) for her work promoting certification on the state level. NBCSN’s mission is to advance the health and learning of students and the wellness of the school community through […]
Akron Children’s providers honored for lifesaving act
In a display of quick thinking and professional expertise, Akron Children’s school-based health services staff members, Patty Kidwell, MA, and Beth Wyslutsky, RN, were recently honored for their lifesaving actions during a student’s severe allergic reaction at Tallmadge Elementary School. The incident occurred in the school cafeteria when a second grader unknowingly consumed a granola […]













