While our son, Dakota, was born at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic — in the winter of 2021 — we were ecstatic he was healthy with no cause for concern. Weighing 9 pounds and measuring 22 inches long, he was every bit the pure joy our family had waited 42 weeks for. In his […]
Akron Children’s is a national leader in cardiac surgery outcomes
Akron Children’s has successfully achieved shorter lengths of stay for open-heart surgery in infants and pediatric patients, including lengths of stay that are half as long as most other programs. “Our average length of stay is three days, but we are trending toward two days for many common open-heart procedures,” said Robert Stewart, MD, Akron […]
Akron Children’s orthopedic surgeons reduce opioid prescriptions by 54 percent
As the opioid crisis grew into a national epidemic, the nine pediatric orthopedic surgeons at Akron Children’s began analyzing their own pain prescribing practices and how they compared with peers. This led to a standardized protocol that has reduced the amount of narcotics being prescribed by 54 percent. “The opioid epidemic, a multifactorial issue with […]
Surgery to repair leaky valve mends 4-year-old’s “broken” heart
Addisyn Piekarski and her mom, Kristen, had just the right outfit in mind for Addisyn’s Jan. 13 follow-up appointment with her heart surgeon, Dr. Robert Stewart. Sporting a shirt covered in small hearts, with a large, sequin heart in the center, seemed fitting to meet with the man who just 8 days earlier had repaired […]
Determined 2-year-old lights up recently opened New Philadelphia Health Center
Jaxon Britton is not even 2 yet and he’s already developed a reputation for marching to the beat of his own drum. “He’s a unique kid, what can we say?” his mother, Bridget said. Jaxon has defied the odds multiple times and lived to smile about it. He’s been through more serious health issues than […]
After NICU stay, Pollock family adjusting well at home
Our first appointment outside of our hospital stay was scheduled with our pediatrician. We really like how relaxed he is and how well he listens to us. He was encouraged at how well Jordan is doing thus far. He was concerned about Jordan’s weight. While in the NICU, Jordan demonstrated some sleepy eating patterns. We […]
