Diane Bueker, pediatric cardiac sonographer, wanted 2 things as a teenager: to work in the medical field and volunteer with the Peace Corps. At age 16, Diane achieved her first goal when she began working for a private practice surgeon. But being part of a service opportunity that changed lives took a lot longer to […]
Helping hearts in Haiti for 10 years
For 10 years, Akron Children’s Hospital has been supporting Haitian pediatric heart patients through a partnership with St. Damien Pediatric Hospital, and the milestones achieved along the way are nothing short of life-changing. How it all started After a devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake ripped through Haiti in 2010, Akron Children’s staff visited the island country to […]
Akron Children’s work in Haiti is showcased in ‘Open Hearts,’ a CIFF documentary
Akron Children’s Hospital’s work with St. Damien Hospital in Haiti takes center stage in a new film being shown at the 2021 Cleveland International Film Festival. The 59-minute film, called “Open Hearts,” can be streamed for $10 from April 8 to 20. Of that, a $1 donation goes to the nonprofit MedWish. You can watch […]
Dr. Jeff Kempf looks forward to more opportunities to do good in retirement
When Dr. Jeff Kempf, retired director of the global health program and emergency medicine physician, counts his blessings, he often thinks about Haiti and its people. It was because of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, that Dr. Kempf was able to develop a transformative program to bring health care and support services […]
Haitian heart patient feels love without boundaries
Say hello to this beautiful, 5-year-old boy from Haiti. He has a chance to live thanks to many caring people coming together at the perfect time from all over the world, including nurses and doctors in our Pediatric Intensive Care Unit in Akron and hospital administration. Director Dr. Jeffrey Kempf says our Global Health team […]
Community support inspires physician to give
Growing up in Cleveland, Dr. John Pope says he didn’t know much about Akron. Now, after 19 years at Akron Children’s Hospital, he can’t imagine being anywhere else. “I decided early on that this is where I wanted to stay until I retire,” Dr. Pope said. “When I came here from Cleveland I said, this […]
