As an active preschooler, Tristan Rhoades was running through the house when he fell and hit his head on the corner of his toybox. The injury resulted in a visit to Akron Children’s Emergency Department for stitches, where Tristan and his mom Rachel Knight first met Doug Lehner, one of our suture technicians. The experience […]
Massillon parents face their children’s rare disease with love, strength and perseverance
Richie and Kelsey Williams of Massillon, Ohio looked forward to their date night. It was their first outing since becoming parents. They planned to go to a friend’s wedding and Richie’s parents agreed to watch their five-month-old daughter, Quinn. “My mom called while we were out and said Quinn was sick and throwing up every […]
Jennifer Marshall finds her true calling as a suture nurse
Some 15 years ago, Jennifer Marshall accompanied her 9-year-old nephew to Akron Children’s emergency room where he received sutures for a laceration on his arm. That experience made a lasting impression on Jennifer, who recently joined our suture team in the ER. “I never thought about being a nurse before,” said Jennifer. “But as I […]
Family entrusts care of 19 year old to Akron Children’s after dirt bike accident
Living in rural New Waterford, Ohio, 19-year-old Joey Hawkins grew up fishing, hunting, motocross racing and dirt biking. “Joey prefers activities that give me heart palpitations and usually end up with cuts, bruises or stitches,” joked his mom, Angie. “He’s been a daredevil since the age of 3.” In November 2022, Joey and some friends […]
Family, fun and travel await Colette Libertin in retirement
Colette Libertin, pediatric nurse practitioner, comes from a large family. When Colette, the seventh of 8 children, was born, her oldest sister was in nursing school in Dayton, Ohio. Her stories about nursing impressed Colette, who decided to pursue nursing, too. “After college, I only interviewed at Akron Children’s,” Colette said. “When asked where […]
Mockup of new emergency department aims to save $5 million in construction costs
Nearly 18 months before the planned start of construction of a $30-plus million Beeghly campus emergency department addition, a major lean initiative kicked off with a goal of shaving 15 percent off the estimated project costs. At its heart was a full-scale cardboard mock-up of the space in a former Kmart Super Store temporarily rented […]
