Like all moms, I wanted only the best for my girls as they were growing up. Throughout my career as a health care provider, I tested the quality of my work by asking: would this be good enough for my kids? At Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, we’ve never settled for anything less than the best for kids — and we never will. I consider it an honor to work for …Continue reading →
Once an infant is stable, they may be transferred from our NICU to our NPCU.
The Neonatology Program at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin has seen many changes in the past several years. One notable change is the increase in the number of neonatal nurse practitioners now participating in patient care in both the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and Newborn Progressive Care Unit.
A neonatal nurse practitioner is a registered nurse who has an advanced degree and special training in the care of …Continue reading →
Every day, more than 600 children are injured due to bicycle-related crashes. Younger children are at higher risk, but even experienced teenagers, like my son, can be in danger. This summer it will be 10 years since we lost our son due to a bicycle/vehicle crash. Don’t think it can’t happen to your family.
With spring just around the corner, now is the time to start tuning up your bikes, checking helmet sizes and reviewing the rules of the road. Bike safety is a passion for my family …Continue reading →
Kelsey and her daughter, Mara, receiving care in our NICU from Media Esser, a neonatal nurse practitioner
I have worked in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin since 2001. I started as a nurse intern and later became a nurse. Now I am a neonatal nurse practitioner. Although I’ve filled different roles, I have learned that the one constant in the NICU is the very special and unique way that we work with the …Continue reading →
Cookie and her nurse, Laura McNally, BSN, RN
We have been touched by the kindness of so many nurses here at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin since my daughter, Cookie, was diagnosed with lymphoma in August 2012. She had six rounds of chemo followed by a bone marrow transplant. We could not have gotten through it without the love and great care of nurses like Laura McNally, her nurse in the MACC Fund Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders.
Laura made a personal connection with Cookie from her very first treatment. Even after we went to the cancer unit, Laura …Continue reading →
Simon is now a thriving 18-month-old.
My son Simon was born in April 2011 at an area hospital. Soon after delivery I started to notice some “red flags,” like his breathing was a little fast, and at times his color did not look quite right. These red flags continued when we were discharged from the hospital, and Simon began feeding poorly and looking blue. Trying not to overreact, I took him to the pediatrician’s office where he received a pulse oximetry screening, which measures the amount of oxygen in the blood, and found he had low oxygen levels.
We were transported by ambulance to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin where Simon was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect. He was …Continue reading →
I used to get so frustrated with the decisions made by my elected officials. Why didn’t they do what I wanted them to do? They’re supposed to represent me, right?
One problem — I never communicated with any of them. How were they supposed to represent me if I didn’t explain how I felt? That’s when I discovered …Continue reading →
Jadyn enjoys hip-hop and break dancing.
I’ve been an orthopedic surgeon at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin for a long time. Our Orthopedics team is a very dedicated group, and we make every effort to make each patient comfortable, from kids with broken bones to patients who need complex surgeries.
Jadyn, age 13, is a great example of one of these complex cases. She had quickly progressing scoliosis, and her curve was too large for a brace. We had to prepare …Continue reading →
Linda Bevec’s daughter, Claire, received a kidney transplant at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin when she was just 10 years old. Going through that experience made Linda realize how important it is to be a voice for children — because often children can’t speak …Continue reading →
Discovering you are pregnant and carrying more than one baby can be an exciting and special time in a woman’s life. But, a pregnancy of multiples can have additional risks for the mother and unborn babies, and often is considered a high-risk pregnancy. In these cases, the obstetrician will most likely refer the mother to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, also known as a perinatologist, who specializes in high-risk pregnancies.
If pregnant with identical twins, the perinatologist will determine if the babies share a placenta. If the placenta is shared, there is a greater chance of a …Continue reading →