When Ginny Hardwick went into labor at 22 weeks, she was terrified for her daughter, Mckenzi, and what her future may hold. Through patience, persistence and a wonderful team of labor and delivery doctors and nurses at Mercy Health – St. Elizabeth Boardman Hospital’s Birthing Center, Ginny’s labor was held off for 2 weeks. Mckenzi […]
The prescription for a fulfilling career: Julie Prather shares her professional milestones and retirement plans
In 1995, after nearly a decade of honing her skills in adult hospital pharmacies, Julie Prather was ready for a change. While perusing the Akron Beacon Journal’s classified ads on Jan. 22, one ad caught her attention. Children’s Hospital Medical Center of Akron was searching for a pharmacist, and little did Julie know, this opportunity […]
Akron Public Schools (APS) students share what influences health in their community
Seeing a condemned house might not make most of us think twice. For Xavier, a sophomore at the East Community Learning Center (CLC), seeing such a building alarmed him.“When I first moved here from Europe, I’d never seen something like this before,” he explained. “I chose this issue because I want to spread awareness about […]
Courtney bounces back after 9 orthopedic surgeries
What do you do when you’re an active kid, and your joints keep hurting? You seek help from an expert. That’s just what Courtney Carpenter of Girard, Ohio and her family did. “I was a gymnast for many years, until the pain got so bad that I was forced to quit,” she said. “In high […]
Pilot program sets new nurse practitioner up for success
Akron Children’s Nurse Practitioner Kate Root successfully completed the first “Advanced Practice Provider (APP) Transition to Practice” pilot program. The goal: get newly graduated nurse practitioners (NPs) acclimated and working sooner. “When we hire an NP with years of experience, onboarding is pretty easy. They just have to learn our culture, systems and computer charting,” […]
Addison makes it back to the pitcher’s mound
Addison Lahmers from West Lafayette, Ohio is a busy teenager. She’s plays volleyball, throws the discus and is an elite softball pitcher with more than 200 career strikeouts in a season and a half. She participates in school clubs and committees, 4-H and Coshocton County Youth Leadership. But among her biggest achievements to date is […]
