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In this issue: 12 | Straddling Two Worlds
Doctors walk a tightrope as
adolescents seek greater control
over their healthcare decisions.
04 | The Right Call
Teens and young adults are more likely to beat cancer when treated at a children’s hospital.
08 | Journey to Transplant
Families count on transplant coordinators to guide them through an overwhelming experience.
Connection
Fall 2009
02
From Where I Stand
Christy Blanchard
Grandmother Mountlake Terrace, Wash.
I am grateful. It happened eight years ago, but I remember that day as if it were yesterday. I was in Seattle Children’s Emergency Department with my daughter, Kara, looking at that first set of CT scans. My granddaughter, Schyler, was only 3-1/2 months old, and the growth on her brain was the size of a softball.
Nothing could have prepared me for the news that my first grandchild — the baby I’d longed to love and get to know — had a cancerous brain tumor.
My emotions swung wildly between hurting for my daughter and being terrified for Schyler. Those feelings lessened when I met Dr. Richard Ellenbogen, Schyler’s surgeon. He was calm and reassuring. He treated me like I had every right to be part of his conversations with Kara, and that meant the world to me.
The surgery was successful and five days after being discharged, Kara took Schyler to Wal-Mart for baby pictures. With a little blanket draped over her head, she gave the photographer the biggest smile as if to say, “Hey, I got my life back.”
Kara gave Dr. Ellenbogen a clock as thanks for Schyler’s life — a small token that can’t begin to repay him for the time we’ve had with “our angel.” He will always be our knight in shining armor.
Sometimes when I watch Schyler play or hear her laugh, I think about the ordinary day eight years ago that turned into our worst nightmare, and I remember all the special people at Seattle Children’s who were there for us every step of the way. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
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Connection Team
Jennifer Fisch Executive Editor
David Perry Vice President of Marketing and Communications
Susan BlakeDirector of Operations Foundation and Guild Association
Allison Broadgate Marketing and Communications Manager
Kathi Elliott Brand and Production Manager
feature story writer Brad Broberg
contributing writers Elizabeth Austen Lisa Brihagen Keith Mack
design
Methodologie, Seattle
cover and feature photographer Nancy LeVine
photographers
Ed Clark Cleve Collinsworth Joanna Glickler Aileen Kelly Morgan Keuler, Team Photogenic Ali LeRoy Michael MatisseRay Meuse Kjell Oswald Aaron ReynoldsDave Sizer
connection Vol. 11 no. 4 © 2009 Seattle Children’s, Seattle, Washington. All rights reserved.
cover “Helping teens and tweens make good decisions about their healthcare is very rewarding,” says Dr. Leslie Walker, the chief of Seattle Children’s Adolescent Medicine Division.
Contents
Feature Stories
04 | The Right Call Teens and young adults are more likely to beat cancer when treated at a children’s hospital.
08 | Journey to Transplant Families count on transplant coordinators to guide them through an overwhelming experience.
12 | Straddling Two Worlds Doctors walk a tightrope as adolescents seek greater control over their healthcare decisions.
In Every Issue
14 | What’s Happening at Seattle Children’s
18 | On the Scene
22 | Calendar of Events
23 | At a Glance
Fall 2009
“One generation plants the tree; another gets the shade.”— Chinese Proverb
To learn more about Seattle Children’s, visit www.seattlechildrens.org. If you’d like to stop receiving Connection, please contact us at 206-987-2153 or at [email protected].
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The Right Call Survival rates for teens and young adults with cancer are higher when they are treated at children’s hospitals.
As a recent high school graduate, Heather Krich considered herself an adult. No way would she go to a children’s hospital if she got sick.
Yet that’s what happened after Heather was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and her doctors referred her to Seattle Children’s.
They made the right call.Studies show survival rates for many
cancers such as Ewing sarcoma and acute lymphocytic leukemia are higher when teens are treated at pediatric hospitals and/or receive treatments developed specifically for children. At Children’s, survival rates for many cancers, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, Hodgkin lymphoma and brain cancer, are higher than the national norm.
“Looking back, I wouldn’t have wanted to go anyplace else,” says Heather, now 21 and an assistant teacher for children with special needs in the Northshore School District.
The latest therapies
There are several reasons why patients like Heather do better at children’s hospitals than hospitals that also treat adults. The most compelling is that more patients at children’s hospitals are enrolled in clinical trials for new therapies that are continually advancing the standard of care.
In addition, children’s hospitals are more aggressive about treatment. That’s because children are — except for their cancer — fundamentally healthy and better able to withstand vigorous protocols. Hospitals that
also treat adults gear their care to a more generalized population that doesn’t tolerate such an aggressive approach.
Even when protocols are identical, studies show better outcomes in children’s hospitals. It may be because pediatric hospitals rarely delay treatment if a patient isn’t feeling well on a given day. Hospitals that treat the general population are more likely to wait because they are accustomed to caring for less resilient patients.
And those hospitals also have far less experience treating childhood cancers. When teens and young adults develop a childhood cancer, a children’s hospital will be much more familiar with how to treat their illnesses.
The challenge is to make this age group feel welcome in a setting that also serves large numbers of young children. Our new Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program aims to better meet the unique needs of teens and young adults.
Launched in 2007, the program is led by Dr. Becky Johnson, a pediatric oncologist who specializes in caring for adolescents and young adults.
“There’s no good time to have cancer, but the teen years are particularly difficult,” says Johnson. “Teens want independence. They’re focused on school, friends and their futures. Cancer derails life’s normal progress.”
Contact with peers
Children’s works hard to make younger patients feel comfortable in various ways, such as designing certain areas of the hospital around “balloon,” “giraffe” and “whale” themes. But the hospital wants teens — and even people in their mid-20s — to feel comfortable, too.
“We’re constantly asking ourselves, ‘What can we do so adolescents and young adults feel as though they are in a place that was designed for them?’” says Leah Kroon, clinical nurse specialist for the AYA care team.
Now, clinic appointments for this age group are clustered on the same days and the program will soon offer
(Above) As a survivor of cancer in early adult - hood, Dr. Becky Johnson (right) understands how difficult it can be to cope with a cancer diagnosis. Johnson and Leah Kroon, a clinical nurse specialist, have created a special program to provide pediatric treatments to adolescents and young adults with cancer.
(Page 4) For Heather Krich (at right, with oncology nurse Mandy Breedt), being treated for cancer on the same unit as young children was sad but inspirational. She recalls watching little patients ride tricycles up and down the hallway. “I realized I needed to stop throwing myself a pity party and start enjoying the time I have.”
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activities and classes during clinic hours to help adolescents and young adults meet other patients their age. A revamped Teen Zone provides a place in the hematology/oncology inpatient unit to hang out, play games, watch TV and surf the Internet.
That contact with peers means a lot, says Tyler Tran, a 13-year-old Everett resident who comes to Children’s for chemotherapy to treat acute lymphocytic leukemia. “You can tell somebody your story, and you can listen to their story,” he says. “Things are easier to understand coming from another teenager.”
Tyler got to know a teen from Hawaii who is also a leukemia patient. “He gave me advice about how to get through a certain type of chemo,” Tyler says, “like bringing eyedrops because my eyes will get really dry.”
Emotionally unprepared
Despite the advantages of treatment at pediatric cancer centers, only 38% of adolescents and young adults with cancer in Washington state are treated at Children’s, Johnson says.
Yet many more should be — because outcomes are better and because children’s hospitals are more attuned to their emotional needs.
“Teens may appear to be ready to be treated as adults, but a lot of times they will regress emotionally to a younger age because of the stress of cancer,” says Emily Sack, a hematology/oncology nurse. “They need a lot more support.”
The AYA team is using data from a study completed in March by Amanda Breedt, another hematology/oncology nurse, to help develop the program. The study featured a survey and a focus group of patients between 15 and 22 years old.
“The thing that surprised me the most was how much adolescents and young adults want to come back to provide peer support and be mentors for other patients,” Breedt says. “We’re trying to figure out how to incorporate it.”
Study results also made it clear that adolescents and young adults want education materials to focus on their specific psychosocial needs, such as how to prepare for school and what
to do about hair loss. They also want more information published online and presented by their peers.
Using social media
The AYA team is exploring joining a social networking site, such as Facebook, where it could publish cancer facts, post videos from former patients and provide adolescents and young adults a place to share their thoughts and experiences.
The team is also considering using text messages to answer patient questions and remind them about appointments and taking their medications — something this age group fails to do more often than others.
“The use of social media by this age group is unprecedented,” Kroon says. “They are almost more comfortable communicating in this realm than they are face-to-face.”
One of the most troubling effects of cancer treatment for adolescents and young adults is the potential
Tyler Tran, 13 (above with his mom, Amy), is being treated for acute lymphocytic leukemia. He appreciates that Seattle Children’s Adolescent and Young Adult program connects him with other teens who are also battling cancer. “Things are easier to understand coming from another teenager.”
Five-Year Survival Rates for Patients Ages 15 to 19 with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL)
Seattle Children's 85%
National 55%
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“ Teens may appear to be ready to be treated as adults, but a lot of times they will regress emotionally because of the stress of cancer. They need a lot more support.”
— Emily Sack, RN
loss of fertility due to radiation and chemotherapy. The AYA program offers counseling to male patients about preserving sperm before treatment and will eventually offer similar counseling to female patients about preserving eggs.
“It’s a touchy subject and not everybody is comfortable approaching it, but we have a team that is trained to talk about it with patients and their families,” Sack says.
Many of the adolescent and young adult cancer patients who participated in Breedt’s study, including Heather, wanted to stay involved. Children’s is
organizing an AYA advisory board that can provide input into educational materials, facility changes and program development — and perhaps offer peer support to new AYA cancer patients.
“I definitely felt that a lot of things at the hospital were geared toward young children,” says Heather, “but after being treated there, I wish I could go to Children’s for my healthcare for the rest of my life and be riding the Balloon elevator when I’m 89.”
Creating a Comfort Zone
Guilds are helping teens
and young adults with
cancer feel comfortable
at Seattle Children’s.
The Seattle Children’s Hospital Guild Association is raising $1.5 million to help the hospital better serve teens and young adults who are treated here for cancer.
The money will support the growth and development of the AYA program. A current project is looking at how community doctors refer teens for cancer treatment, which is the first step toward educating physicians about the benefits of using treatments developed specifically for teens.
The Guild Association is also helping Children’s create a more welcoming environment for these patients by adding age-appropriate décor, games and magazines to waiting rooms and to a teen room on the hematology/oncology inpatient unit. The Guild Association will also support group activities and outings for patients and the development of a Teen Advisory Board.Pediatric oncology nurse Emily Sack (pictured above left with patient Kaitlin Basic and Kaitlin’s
friend Sarah Kintner) knows how important communication is to making patients feel comfortable. “What we say when we walk into the room of an 8-year-old is entirely different than what we say to a 17-year-old,” she says.
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Journey to Transplant Families count on transplant coordinators to guide them through an overwhelming experience.
Greg Hernandez reeled when told that his son, Andres, needed a liver transplant. “It was like being hit with a bat,” he says. “I wasn’t prepared.”
How could he be? Less than a week earlier, Andres had been playing basketball back home in Anchorage, Alaska. Now, the lanky 14-year-old was fighting for his life after being whisked to Seattle Children’s with his father aboard a medevac flight.
With his liver rapidly failing of unknown causes, doctors gave Andres one week to live. His only hope was a transplant.
“It was all happening so fast,” Andres recalls.
A partner on the journey
Not every journey to transplant begins with such urgency, but all raise numerous questions — medical,
logistical, emotional and financial — that turn a family’s life upside down. How long must we wait for a donor organ? What do these lab results mean? Where will we stay while our child is recovering?
It’s a head-spinning experience, but at Children’s, families don’t have to make the journey alone. Transplant coordinators, like Marsha Larsen, assist families from referral to evaluation to surgery to discharge and beyond.
Native Alaskan Andres Hernandez and his family needed somewhere to stay during his post-transplant follow-up care. A relative lent them an RV and even drove it to Seattle from Idaho. The blue basket on the shelf contains the medicines Andres takes every day; the blue box helps him organize a week's supply of medicines by the day and time he must take them.
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Transplant coordinators are registered nurses. If they can’t answer a question or solve a problem themselves, they know who can — whether it’s a social worker, a dietitian or a surgeon. “I tell my families, ‘Call me anytime for anything,’” says Larsen.
Like switchboard operators, transplant coordinators keep everybody connected, ensuring the many pieces involved in caring for transplant patients come together.
“I like to think of them as being the hub of the wheel for the patients, their families and the medical team,” says Kathy Jo Freeman, who leads Transplant Services. “We couldn’t manage without them.”
First contact
Every year, Children’s performs more than 40 heart, kidney, liver and intestine transplants. The outcomes are among the best in the nation. In every case, transplant coordinators play a vital role right from the start.
“We’re usually the first person families talk to after they’ve been
referred,” Larsen says. “We give them a lot of information in a short period of time about what lies ahead, starting with the evaluation process. It’s a lot to absorb all at once.”
That was especially true for Andres and his family. He became sick in mid-April with very little warning. “It was like that,” Andres says, snapping his fingers.
At first his family suspected appendicitis, but tests at an Anchorage hospital showed his liver was failing, and doctors immediately referred him to Children’s, the only hospital in the region that provides liver transplants to children and teens. The Alaska Native Medical Center and Children's regional care coordinator, Lorena Long, helped with a smooth transition to Seattle.
As soon as a patient, like Andres, is referred, a transplant specialist schedules the numerous tests and appointments needed, including blood draws, X-rays and CT scans, plus individual consultations with the transplant team — surgeon, liver specialist, dietitian, pharmacist, social worker and others.
Depending on the severity of a patient’s condition, the evaluation may take place within two weeks of referral — for Andres it all happened in less than a day.
Seeing the complete picture
After the initial evaluation, the transplant coordinator collects the results from each test and consultation and presents them to the transplant team. If a transplant is the best option, the patient is placed on the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) waiting list.
During the journey ahead, the coordinator will acquire a deep understanding about the overall plight of the patient and family. “It’s the beginning of a relationship that builds over time,” says Larsen. “By having a complete picture of their case history, I become the single point of contact for the family and the transplant team, which ensures continuity of care every step of the way.”
That means a lot to families, says Phoebe Araujo of Preston, Wash., whose infant son, Mario, needed a liver transplant last year.
100,000 Number of people waiting for an organ transplant in the U.S.
Transplant Coordinator Marsha Larsen plays a vital role in the journey through organ transplantation, assisting families from referral to evaluation to surgery to discharge and beyond. “Call me anytime for anything,” she tells the families she works with.
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“Having one person to interact with takes the guesswork out of everything when you have a question and you don’t know who to ask,” she says. “It provides a great support system.”
A stressful wait
Every transplant patient is ranked according to criteria that include medical urgency. Though Andres was given high priority, there was no guarantee a donor liver would become available in time.
“Nationwide, more than 100,000 people are waiting for an organ transplant at any given moment,” Freeman says. “Most children get a transplant in time, but 18 people die every day while they’re waiting — and occasionally that includes a child.”
Patients who are listed for transplant are already nearing the end stages of organ failure. During the wait for a donor organ — which can last several days or several months — they get sicker and sicker.
“The worst part of waiting is watching your child’s condition deteriorate,” recalls Araujo. She and her husband, Israel, waited four months for Mario’s
“ Most children get a transplant in time, but 18 people die every day while they’re waiting — and occasionally that includes a child.”
— Kathy Jo Freeman, director of Transplant ServicesTwo-year-old Mario Araujo waited four months for his first liver transplant. His father, Israel, was scheduled for surgery to donate part of his liver to Mario the day the family learned a donor organ was available.
first transplant, which failed, and another three weeks for his second, which succeeded.
Transplant coordinators are a family’s touchstone to the hospital during this stressful time. They relay ongoing test results, adjust medications and monitor the child’s overall health. Coordinators also help families cope with the anxiety of awaiting the call
telling them a donor organ is available. “There’s a huge potential for people
to feel like a number and get frustrated because their child hasn’t received an organ yet,” says Araujo. “The great thing about the transplant coordinators is they know how the waiting list works and can explain the process.”
Other members of the Children’s staff also lend support. Social workers
Seattle Children’s Guest Services staff help out-of-town families find housing before and after transplant. Some families bring RVs and stay in the hospital parking lot.
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assist families throughout their journey by helping them resolve social and emotional issues to promote a successful transplant experience.
“We talk a lot about adjustment to illness before and after transplant, fears associated with scarcity of organs and continuity of care,” says Social Worker Amal Nuammar-Hastings. “We also address the fear that a donor organ won’t be available in time.”
“Definitely a miracle”
That was the dreadful possibility facing Andres, his father, stepmother, Vicky, and biological mother, Amanda Larsen. Incredibly, Andres waited only one day before a donor organ became available.
“The nurses said that in 30 years, they’d never seen anyone get an organ that quickly,” says his father. “It was definitely a miracle.”
While local families can go home after discharge, out-of-town families must stay near the hospital for several months so they can return for follow-ups and respond quickly to any complications.
Children’s Guest Services staff often help out-of-town families find housing
after transplant and even before, since patients awaiting transplants must remain within six hours of the hospital. Guest Services also provides a shuttle service to help patients and families get to and from the hospital.
“We try to make the logistics of their lives as easy as possible so they can focus on the transplant,” says Guest Services Specialist Renata Taylor, who made it possible for Andres and his father to stay in an RV in a hospital parking lot when Andres was discharged after his transplant.
The trailer reminded Andres of family camping trips and provided “peace of mind” for his father. “I didn’t want to be waiting for a cab to get to the hospital if something happened,” says his dad. “In the trailer, I could see the emergency room lights through the window.”
Since living with a donor organ is a lifelong experience, the transplant journey never really ends, and the transplant coordinator never stops serving as a source of support.
Still, when Larsen sees patients right after surgery, she feels a sense of accomplishment. “It’s wonderful to be involved in giving someone a second chance at life.”
The Gift of Life
More than 100,000 people in the United States, including more than 1,500 of our Northwest neighbors, are waiting for lifesaving organ transplants. You can document your personal decision to be an organ and tissue donor by:
•Saying“yes”toorgan donation when renewing your driver’s license
•Registeringonlineat www.donatelifetoday.com/
•CallingLifeCenterNorthwesttoll-free at 1-877-275-5269
Social Worker Amal Nuammar-Hastings helps patients like 9-year-old Christopher Schilling — and their families — resolve the social and emotional issues related to organ transplantation.
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Straddling Two Worlds Doctors walk a tightrope as adolescents seek greater control over their healthcare decisions.
“It’s a very compelling topic,” says Dr. Leslie Walker, who leads Adolescent Medicine at Children’s. “There’s a lot of variation in how doctors approach some of the more sticky situations.”
When the wishes of adolescents and parents are at odds, doctors need to become diplomats, says Diekema. “The best outcomes occur when everybody comes to an agreement. You can’t treat someone effectively if they are fighting you every step of the way.”
Sound decisions
Evidence shows that healthcare decisions made by teens are just as good as those made by adults, Walker says. “They may need support to follow through, but they tend to make sound decisions when presented with all the information.”
In cases related to substance abuse, mental health and reproduction, most states — including Washington — give adolescents the legal right to make decisions about treatment. In other instances, an adolescent’s growing physical and emotional autonomy gives him or her de facto control.
“You can make a 3-year-old comply with treatment, but you can’t make a 16-year-old do something they don’t want to,” says Dr. Benjamin Wilfond, who leads the Treuman Katz Center.
In that sense, adolescents are no different than adults. Yet, because of the complexity of age and parental roles, doctors may be less willing to allow adolescents to decline lifesaving treatments.
“That’s a case where people are willing to push harder to persuade adolescents to obtain treatment than they might for a 30-year-old facing a similar decision,” Wilfond says.
Maintaining trust
Besides creating decision-making issues, caring for adolescents also creates confidentiality issues.
“Many of us are parents, too, and we hear things from adolescents that we’d want to know if they were our kids,” Diekema says. “But adolescents need an adult whom they can trust. If we break that trust, we run the risk they won’t get the care they need.”
Children don’t jump straight from childhood to adulthood. They spend their adolescence — roughly between the ages of 12 and 18 — living in both worlds.
This stage can be very challenging as adolescents seek greater and greater independence in everything from how they dress to when they come home.
That need for independence also creates challenges for doctors who treat this age group. With every decision, they must balance the rights and desires of adolescents with the rights and desires of parents — demands that can compete with each other.
What if parents want to withhold a diagnosis from an adolescent?
What if an adolescent insists a doctor keep a sexually transmitted disease secret?
What if parents and adolescents disagree on a course of treatment?
“You feel like you’re walking a tightrope,” says Dr. Doug Diekema, an emergency medicine doctor who also leads education for the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s.
This summer, the center’s annual conference, “No Longer a Child, Not Yet an Adult: Ethical Issues in Adolescent Healthcare,” addressed key questions surrounding the treatment of adolescents and attracted participants from across the country.
Through the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s, Drs. Benjamin Wilfond (left) and Doug Diekema are working to raise awareness and develop solutions for the complex ethical questions related to treating adolescents.
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“You can make a 3-year-old comply with treatment, but you can’t make a 16-year-old do something they don’t want to.”
— Dr. Benjamin Wilfond, director of the Treuman Katz Center for Pediatric Bioethics at Seattle Children’s
Once again, state law erases some of the gray by requiring confidentiality involving substance abuse, mental health and reproduction. But that doesn’t eliminate all tension.
“What becomes uncomfortable is when a parent says, ‘You absolutely must tell me everything my child said,’” Walker says. “That’s where the push-pull begins.”
The flip side is parents who want doctors to withhold disturbing information, such as a diagnosis, from their child. Doctors have no legal obligation to disclose the diagnosis to a minor, but they run the risk of losing the patient’s trust if and when the diagnosis is discovered.
“The key to resolving these dilemmas is communication between all of the parties involved,” Walker says. “Step by step, you work through the issues. It takes time, but that’s how you reach good decisions.”
Dr. Leslie Walker, who leads the Adolescent Medicine program, says teens can make good decisions about their healthcare when presented with all the information and given support to follow through.
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What’s Happeningat Seattle Children’s
As part of Seattle Children’s response to the ongoing economic crisis, we asked employees and physicians for their ideas to reduce our costs and eliminate barriers to care. We’ve been rewarded with hundreds of creative and insightful suggestions and have already enacted many of them.
The changes range from the seemingly small, such as switching from color stationery to black and white for most uses, to more fundamental changes that improve families’ ability to get the care they need. For example, patients with diabetes and other endocrine disorders do better when they can see a team of providers at once. But because of variable provider
schedules, patients had to wait weeks to get team appointments. By standardizing these schedules, the Endocrinology Department increased its capacity for team visits by an impressive 26% and decreased the time that patients must wait.
Tapping into our people’s ideas to reduce waste is not new. We’ve been improving our work processes for several years. We’re reaping the benefits of that commitment now, with results that will help us weather the current economic storm.
Staff Ideas Save Money, Improve Access
Thomas N. Hansen, MD CEO, Seattle Children’s
Cilla Joondeph Chairman, Seattle Children’s Hospital Board of Trustees
U.S. News & World Report magazine ranked Seattle Children’s among the nation’s top children’s hospitals for the 17th consecutive year. The results were announced in July, as part of the magazine’s annual “America’s Best Children’s Hospitals” issue.
Children’s was ranked fourth in the country for kidney disorders, sixth for cancer, eighth for urology and ninth for respiratory disorders, neurology and neurosurgery.
Other Children’s programs receiving top recognition by U.S. News included neonatal care, orthopedics, digestive disorders, and heart and heart surgery. Children’s is the only children’s hospital in the Pacific Northwest to make the list.
“We are truly honored to be recognized among the best children’s hospitals in the nation,” said Dr. Thomas Hansen, CEO. “Through the support of our community and tireless work of our employees, we are striving to improve
outcomes, discover new treatments and provide the best possible care to our patients and their families. Even in the toughest economic times, we continue to maintain our founding promise, to provide medical care to all children in our region — regardless of a family’s ability to pay.”
Ranked Among the Nation’s Best
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The largest clinical study ever performed in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) found that citalopram (Celexa) was no more effective than a placebo at reducing repetitive behaviors such as hand flapping, swaying, repetitive play and inflexible daily routines.
Citalopram, commonly prescribed for children with ASD, is in a class of antidepressants called selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI).
This class of medication is also often used to treat repetitive behaviors associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
Seattle Children’s psychiatrist Dr. Bryan King, the lead author of the six-site clinical trial, says the results may challenge the widely held premise that repetitive behaviors in children with ASD are similar to repetitive behaviors often found in cases of OCD.
King and his colleagues also caution providers to weigh the risks and benefits of prescribing citalopram for ASD, since nearly all 149 children in the study reported negative side effects from the medication.
“While our study’s findings may be frustrating news for hopeful families and clinicians, each new finding helps us re-examine and revise treatment plans, refine future studies and build upon what we know as we search for effective treatments and eventually cures for this complex group of disorders,” says King.
The study was published in the June 2009 issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.
You can hear King discuss the study at http://www.seattlechildrens.org/home/about_childrens/press_releases/2009/06/004756.asp.
Funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to the Seattle Children’s Research Institute increased 44% in fiscal year 2008. The dramatic gain moves Children’s to the number five spot among pediatric research institutions receiving NIH awards — up six spots from number 11 in fiscal year 2007.
Our jump in NIH funding was due to a multiyear effort to expand our research infrastructure and recruit top national researchers.
“We continue to develop state-of-the-art space so our research teams have the facilities and sophisticated technical resources they need to find solutions to some of the most daunting challenges in pediatric medicine,” says Dr. Jim Hendricks, president of the research institute.
As one of the top five pediatric research centers in the nation, Children’s receives 55% of its total pediatric research funding — approximately $22 million — from the NIH. We also rank third in the
Children’s Leapfrogs to Fifth in NIH Funding
“ Each new finding helps us re-examine and revise treatment plans, refine future studies and build upon what we know.”
— Dr. Bryan King, director of Seattle Children's Autism Center
Seattle Children's NIH funding increased 44% in fiscal year 2008.
Common Autism Medication Ineffective for Repetitive Behaviors
Northwest region in NIH research funding, after our research partners the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
Currently, more than 500 faculty and staff conduct research in 290,000
square feet of laboratory and associated support space. Future plans include adding top research talent and expanding to 2 million square feet of research space.
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In July, Seattle Children’s hosted 16 high school juniors for “UDOC,” a five-week hands-on educational program that is co-sponsored by the University of Washington’s (UW) Office of Multicultural Affairs in the School of Medicine, the Office of Educational Partnerships and Diversity in the School of Dentistry and Children’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity.
UDOC’s goal is to foster interest in healthcare careers among students from racial and ethnic groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in these professions.
The UDOC scholars spent six days at Children’s exploring our multifaceted efforts to address asthma through clinical care, research and community prevention. These experiences complemented their UW classroom activities focused on evidence-based practices. Drs. Jim Stout and Margaret Rosenfeld got things started by sharing stories about their personal career paths and perspectives about asthma care and research. The UDOC scholars also met with and observed the work of various clinicians at Children’s who work with asthma patients, including pulmonologists, Emergency Department physicians, respiratory therapists,
radiology technicians, patient navigators and patient educators.
The UDOC scholars also visited the Seattle Children’s Research Institute, where they conducted asthma laboratory exercises to measure their own lung function and participated in a facilitated discussion about the importance of including racial and ethnic minorities in clinical trials and the challenges faced in their enrollment.
“Seattle Children’s partnership with the University of Washington’s UDOC program is an important ‘ingredient’ in our recipe for achieving the hospital’s strategic goal of having a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve,” says Dr. Doug Jackson, who leads Children’s Center for Diversity and Health Equity.
Inspiring the Next Generation
New Book Details Hospital’s Rich History
Hope on the Hill: The First Century of Seattle Children’s Hospital recounts our history and our impact on the city, the Northwest and the thousands of patients we have served. The book was written by the late Walt Crowley, David Wilma and the staff of HistoryLink.org. Preorder your copy by Nov. 1 for the special price of $29.95. Books will arrive early in 2010, when the bookstore price will range from $35 to $40. To preorder, e-mail [email protected] or call 206-987-3865. Proceeds benefit uncompensated care.
Seattle Children’s hosted 16 high school juniors for “UDOC,” a five-week hands-on educational program to foster interest in healthcare careers among students from racial and ethnic groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in these professions.
Hope on tHe Hill
By Walt Crowley, David W. Wilma, and the Historylink.org Staff
the First Century of Seattle Children’s Hospital
Ho
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rowley, D
avid W. W
ilma, and the H
istorylink.org Staff
in the spring of 1898, Anna Clise and her husband, James, a successful businessman, watched in dismay as their third child, 5-year-old Willis, suffered and died from what was called “inflammatory rheumatism.”
They were told there was no treatment. indeed, there was no doctor
west of philadelphia who specialized in any childhood ailments. And since there
were few social services, poor children who were stricken had even worse prospects than those whose parents were wealthy.
Anna never forgot Willis’s suffering. While escorting her daughter to finishing school in 1906, she toured Children’s Hospital of philadelphia, the first institution of pediatric medicine in the country. Anna and her husband also visited the Hospital for Women and Children in Syracuse, new York. These institutions affected her profoundly.
Back home in Seattle, Anna Clise set out on a daunting mission: to start, from scratch, an association dedicated to providing surgical and other hospital care to children, regardless of class, race or ability to pay. With 23 other women from Seattle’s most influential families, she founded the Children’s orthopedic Hospital Association. At first, it funded seven beds at Seattle General Hospital while raising money for its own facilities on Queen Anne Hill. For its first 98 years, Children’s was run by a board consisting entirely of determined women, who proved formidable fundraisers and skillful persuaders.
When the Queen Anne facility became too cramped after World War ii, Children’s moved to a new campus in laurelhurst, where it now has 250 beds and is consistently ranked among the top 10 children’s hospitals in the nation. over the years, it also has evolved into a top-flight medical center, serving the four-state Washington, Alaska, idaho and Montana area. today, Children’s goal is to become the top children’s medical facility in the U. S. -- an ambition Anna Clise would have wholeheartedly endorsed.
This book recounts the history of this remarkable institution its impact on Seattle and the thousands of patients it has served.
About the AuthorsWalt Crowley was an award-winning Seattle historian and author of more than a dozen books. He was co-founder, with his wife, Marie McCaffrey, and paul Dorpat, of Historylink.org, the nation’s first original encyclopedia of local and state news designed expressly for the internet. He died in 2007.
David W. Wilma, former Historylink.org deputy director, is a freelance writer.
Hope. Care. Cure.We see hope, care and cure every day here at Seattle Children’s. it’s a brown-eyed third grader bravely fighting cancer. it is a phD in Microbiology searching for a cure for cystic fibrosis. it is a gardening guild raising thousands of dollars on a warm spring weekend.
Step inside Children’s and you’ll enter a unique world: one where skilled, compassionate physicians, nurses and staff work with patients and families to make miracles happen. Amid the child-friendly, life-size giraffes, elephants and
whales that adorn our corridors you’ll feel the buzz of energy and purpose that define our community.
We believe that all children have unique needs and should grow up without illness or injury. We are united by a compelling mission: to prevent, treat and eliminate pediatric disease.
proceeds from ‘Hope on the Hill’ – The First Century of Seattle Children’s Hospital, will benefit the hospitals uncompensated care fund, helping ensure that all children have access to the care they need, regardless of their families ability to pay.
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Even as the recession impacts Seattle Children’s, compassionate donors help us honor our commitment to care for every child in our region, regardless of a family’s ability to pay. Thanks in part to our caring community, Children’s provided $86.2 million in uncompensated care during fiscal year 2008. We simply could not meet this unprecedented need without your generosity.
Community support has never been more important or urgent as we face the current economic downturn. To address a shortfall of $9 billion,
Washington state legislators approved a budget that includes substantial cuts to programs that support healthcare for our state’s most vulnerable children and families. As a result, we expect to see a loss of about $22 million over the next two years.
Approximately 43% of Children’s patients are covered by Medicaid, a government program that provides medical coverage at no cost to low-income families. However, the program reimburses Children’s for only 69% of treatment costs. Uncompensated care makes up the difference.
Families with private insurance are also struggling financially as a result of job losses and reductions in health benefits. For example, many families must pay for services that were covered by insurance in the past. And some families of longtime patients who used to make an insurance co-payment per hospital admission are now paying the same amount per day of each stay. When a hospital bill exceeds a family’s ability to pay, Children’s financial assistance program provides relief.
Your gifts to uncompensated care ensure that children in our region continue to receive the best medical care available, regardless of insurance coverage. In 2008, Children’s covered a record $77.3 million in Medicaid payment shortfalls and provided $8.9 million in financial assistance to families in need. This year, we expect uncompensated care for these programs to exceed $100 million.
Thank you for bringing healing to children and peace of mind to families during difficult times.
Community Helps Meet Growing Need
16% expected increase in uncompensated care we’ll provide in 2009.
These healthy young athletes are making a difference for sick and injured patients by participating in the Covey Run Kids Dash, which benefits Seattle Children’s uncompensated care program. Every year, thousands of compassionate donors help Children’s provide the best medical care to children in the Northwest, regardless of a family’s ability to pay.
Growth of Uncompensated Care 2001–2008
(dollars in millions)
$24.9$28.0
$35.2 $34.6 $35.8
$41.7
$65.4
$86.2
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
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On the Scene
The Friends of Costco Guild marked the 10th anniversary of the Children’s Golf Classic by raising $6.7 million in August to support uncompensated care at Seattle Children’s. In 10 years, this three-day event has generated more than $40 million, making it by far the most successful fundraiser in the hospital’s history.
Major sponsors gathered for a reception at Chateau Ste. Michelle Aug. 22. Jay Leno, the event’s featured
entertainer in 2006, returned to Safeco Field Aug. 23 to highlight the anniversary celebration before 1,000 guests.
Nearly 1,000 golfers played the following morning at seven area courses. Supporters gathered later that evening for an awards party at The Golf Club at Newcastle.
Sincere appreciation to Classic Circle of Care sponsors Costco Wholesale, agron/adidas, American Express, General Mills, JBS Swift & Company,
Nice-Pak, Pilgrim’s Pride, Sun Products Corporation and the Sinegal Family Foundation. Many thanks to title sponsors Allied Marketing, Cargill, Inc., Comprehensive Payment Recovery Services, ConAgra Foods, Diageo, Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, LNK International, Mars, Inc., Niagara Bottling, PepsiCo, Pharmavite LLC, Tarantino Gourmet Sausages, Trident Seafoods, Tyson Foods and Unilever.
10th Annual Golf Classic Raises $6.7 Million
(Above left) In August the Friends of Costco Guild celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Children's Golf Classic, the most successful fundraising event in Seattle Children's history. (Top right) Friends of Costco Guild founder Jan Sinegal (left) and guild president Lynn Winters joined Seattle Children's patients and twins Cole (left) and Cody Hughes at a celebration at Safeco Field. (Bottom right) Jay Leno entertained at the dinner and auction.
The events described in this section raised a combined $9.9 million
to support uncompensated care, research and patient-care programs
at Seattle Children’s.
19
Team Seattle Guild drivers (from left) Don Kitch Jr., Patrick Dempsey and Joe Foster raced on behalf of Seattle Children’s at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in June.
Seattle Children's patient Kami Sutton joined guest celebrity Vic Edelbrock Jr. during a break in the action at the Pacific Northwest Historics Vintage Races in July.
Motorcycle builder and Seattle Children’ssupporter Paul Yaffe leads the pack as hundredsof bikers head out on Children’s Ride 14.
Historics Turns 21
The SOVREN Guild raised more than $570,000 over the Fourth of July weekend at the 21st annual Pacific Northwest Historics Vintage Races at Pacific Raceways in Kent. An estimated 10,000 fans attended. Guest celebrity and longtime Seattle Children’s supporter Vic Edelbrock Jr. raced his 1969 Mustang during the three- day event.
Jon and Mary Shirley hosted a dinner in their home to recognize members of Children’s Checkered Flag Club Champions, who donated $10,000 each to the hospital.
The International Race of Executives featured 10 individuals who each donated $10,000 to Children’s to train with professional drivers.
Special thanks to title sponsor Phil Smart Mercedes-Benz, presenting sponsor Edelbrock Corporation, premier sponsor Jackson Dean Construction and associate sponsors CCS Digital, MulvannyG2 Architecture, UBS Financial Services, Inc., U.S. Bank and Windward Press.
Children’s Ride Rolls
The Imagine Guild raised $350,000 for uncompensated care and diabetes research during Children’s Ride Weekend in June. The fifth annual Children’s Ride Gala and Auction was held June 26 at Fremont Studios in Seattle, where the “Battle of the Baggers” featured Paul Yaffe vs. Brian Klock. Both builders customized a Harley-Davidson to benefit Children’s; Yaffe won the “battle” when his bike received a top bid of $45,000.
Nearly 500 motorcycles joined the escorted Children’s Ride 14 from Safeco Field to Emerald Downs on June 28 for a day of food, entertainment and horse racing.
Many thanks to title sponsors Buyken Metal Products, Claffey’s Painting, Dacels, Destination Harley-Davidson, Downtown Harley-Davidson, Hinshaw’s Victory Motorcycles, John L. Scott Foundation, KIRO, Klock Werks, KZOK, Paul Yaffe’s Bagger Nation, Renton Motorcycles, V-Twin magazine, Wizards of the Coast and Zacky’s Custom Rods.
Team Seattle Races at Le Mans
The Team Seattle Guild provided international exposure for Seattle Children’s and raised nearly $200,000 for cardiac intensive care while com-peting in the 24 Hours of Le Mans auto race June 13 and 14 in France. The guild raised the funds through pledges and sponsorships. Children’s CEO Dr. Tom Hansen joined other hospital supporters and racing enthusiasts in Le Mans to cheer on Team Seattle.
After racing for 12 years at the Rolex 24 Hours at Daytona, Team Seattle was invited to compete at Le Mans, the oldest sports car endurance race in the world. The driving team included actor Patrick Dempsey, guild co-founder Don Kitch Jr. and veteran racer Joe Foster.
Southwest Airlines Supports Hospital Families
Many thanks to Southwest Airlines for donating 50 round-trip flights to Seattle Children’s patients and families. “Transportation is a huge challenge for some families,” says Elizabeth Bennett, who directs Guest Services, Partnerships
and Advocacy at Children’s. “We recently cared for a child who was airlifted from Idaho, whose family had no resources to fly home. Southwest’s gift helped them during a very stressful time.”
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The Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) presented the Dr. Blanche S. Lavizzo Spirit of Caring Award on June 11 to longtime supporters Lenny and Marilyn Wilkens. The award is named for Washington state’s first female African-American physician, who served as OBCC medical director from the clinic’s opening in 1970 until her death in 1984. Award winners are individuals or organizations who provide extraordinary leadership,
volunteer time and financial gifts to the clinic. The Wilkens family and the Lenny Wilkens Foundation have donated nearly $1 million to OBCC since 1984. This figure includes funds raised through the foundation's annual Celebrity Classic weekend. This year, more than 500 guests attended a dinner and auction at the Hyatt Regency Bellevue Aug. 14, and nearly 150 golfers played in a tournament the next day at The Golf Club at Echo Falls.
(Above left) Marilyn and Lenny Wilkens (at right) accept the Spirit of Caring Award from hospital trustee Jan Sinegal and Evelyn Lavizzo of the Odessa Brown Children's Clinic. (Above right) Golfers at the Lenny Wilkens Foundation Celebrity Classic included (from left) Seattle Children’s Dr. David Fisher, foundation president Percell Johnson, Children’s Dr. Craig Rubens, Lenny Wilkens, Will Hansen, and Children’s CEO Dr. Thomas Hansen.
Lenny and Marilyn Wilkens Honored
The 22nd annual Auction of Washington Wines raised $1.5 million for Seattle Children’s during four days in August.
A gourmet picnic attracted more than 900 guests to Chateau Ste. Michelle winery Aug. 13, and private dinners were held Aug. 14 at selected wineries and in homes throughout the Puget Sound area. The third annual Covey Run 10K and 5K Run/Walk & Kids Dash, presented by the Run for Children’s Guild, raised $120,000 on Aug. 15.
Festivities concluded later that evening with the Starry Starry Night Gala Auction, which featured a gourmet dinner, Washington wines, entertainment and live and silent auctions.
Many thanks to lead sponsors Chateau Ste. Michelle, Lease Crutcher Lewis, the John L. Scott Foundation, Classical KING FM 98.1, KING 5, Seattle magazine, Seattle Sounders FC, Viking Range/Gateway Appliance Distributing, Vine Vertical and Wine Spectator.
Vintage Results for Wine Auction
(Above left) Tod Leiweke (left) and Greg Lill co-chaired the 2009 Auction of Washington Wines. (At right) The Run for Children’s Guild presented the third annual Covey Run, which attracted nearly 1,400 runners and walkers and raised $120,000 for Seattle Children’s.
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“Miracle Makers” Celebrates 25 Years
The “Miracle Makers” television broadcast marked its 25th anniversary May 30 by raising $147,000 on KOMO 4. Seattle Children’s patients Marques Mar, Jake Finkbonner, Savannah Barrie, Alyssa McCarron-Thompson and Josiah and Cristalin Cramer shared their stories and encouraged viewers to pledge financial support to the hospital. KOMO 4 newscasters Steve Pool, Mike Dardis and Sabra Gertsch hosted the special, supported by more than 250 volunteers and sponsored by KOMO 4 and Costco Wholesale.
Shoppers Help “Purchase a Miracle”
The Purchase a Miracle campaign raised $380,000 for Seattle Children’s in 2009. Shoppers helped raise the funds between May 1 and June 15 by selecting grocery and drugstore items identified by Purchase a Miracle shelf tags. The tags were placed in more than 500 stores around the state by members of Children’s Guild Association. Retailers sold Miracle Balloons, encouraged employee giving, held product promotions and offered sponsor incentives to support the hospital.
“Part of the Family” Earns Legacy Gift
Jennifer and Matt Goldberg included Seattle Children’s as a beneficiary in their wills after witnessing the extraordinary care given to son Tate for his immune disorder and to daughter Clara for a gastrointestinal disorder. The couple also founded a guild to benefit pediatric immunology research. “Children’s is a part of our family,” says Jennifer Goldberg, who is a Guild Association board trustee. “It’s a place of miracles and hope, and I want to see that legacy continue after I am gone.” To learn how to include Children’s in your will, call Lorraine del Prado at 206-987-4977 or Christina Lui at 206-987-6812.
Seattle Children’s patients told their storiesduring the 25th annual “Miracle Makers”broadcast.
Stephanie Harris and Maila Sharp of Tacoma TOP Food & Drug encourage shoppers to buy Miracle Balloons, a promotion which raised more than $32,000 for Seattle Children's at 29 area Haggen and TOP Food stores.
Including Seattle Children’s in her will was “really easy to do,” says Jennifer Goldberg, shown with her children Clara and Tate.
Nearly 30 Seattle Children’s faculty and staff members raised $15,000 by riding in the 30th annual Group Health Seattle to Portland Bicycle Classic (STP) July 11 and 12. Proceeds benefited Children’s Emergency Department Research Endowment Fund. The group included Children’s executives, physicians, hospital employees and members of
Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The Children’s team joined 10,000 other cyclists on the 200-mile Group Health STP, which is one of the largest recreational bicycle rides in the country.
Dr. Sandy Melzer of Seattle Children's was among the hospital supporters who rode in the Group Health STP in July to raise money for Children’s Emergency Department research.
Cyclists Support Research
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Calendar of EventsRaising Dough for Children’s
Throughout September; Great Harvest Bread Company Bakeries, Western Washington
Great Harvest will donate 100% of September sales of fresh-baked $15 honey-
wheat Bread-y Bears to Seattle Children’s. Preorders only. Visit
www.greatharvestsea.com for store hours, locations and to place your order.
17th Annual Toy Drive
Saturday, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Husky Stadium, Seattle
Drop off a new, safe, unwrapped toy at Husky Stadium before the Washington vs.
USC football game. Cash donations accepted. Presented by Les Schwab Tires,
Q13 FOX and the Guardian Angel Guild. Call 206-999-0958.
2009 Great Kitchen & Bath Tour
Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 19 and 20, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; selected area homes
See the home-building industry’s latest designs and gather ideas for your own home.
$15 per person in advance; $20 at the door. Visit www.greatkitchenandbathtour.org.
Heart and “Sole” Ladies Luncheon & Auction
Sunday, Oct. 4, 11:30 a.m.; TPC Snoqualmie Ridge Golf Club, Snoqualmie
The Dreams of Hope Guild presents wine, appetizers, luncheon and dessert. Silent and
live auctions will include travel packages, dining and nearly 30 pairs of shoes. $50 per
person. Visit www.dreamsofhopeguild.org or e-mail [email protected].
Annual Gala & Auction
Saturday, Oct. 10, 5:30 p.m.; Grand Hyatt Seattle
Join auctioneer John Curley and the ASTAR Autism Guild for cocktails, dinner and
silent and live auctions. $150 per person. Call 206-332-1646.
Ninth Annual Where Miracles Take Flight Auction
Saturday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.; The Museum of Flight, Seattle
Join the Miracle House Guild for wine, hors d’oeuvres, dinner and live
entertainment. $100 per person includes silent and live auctions. Cocktail attire.
Visit www.miraclehouseguild.org or e-mail [email protected].
10th Annual Cruise for a Cure
Saturday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.; Issaquah Community Center
The Jaquish/Dukelow Memorial Cancer Research Guild (formerly Jordyn Dukelow
Memorial Guild) will present appetizers, hosted bar, music by Nina and the Big Boys
and silent and live auctions. $50 per person. Call 425-351-0139.
Cha-Cha-Cha for Children’s
Saturday, Oct. 17, 6:30 p.m.; Overlake Golf & Country Club, Medina
Hit the dance floor after enjoying hors d’oeuvres, wine, dinner and a small live
auction. $150 per person. Cocktail attire. E-mail [email protected] or call
425-453-6662. Presented by the We Believe Guild.
Run of Hope Sunday, Oct. 18, registration begins 8 a.m.; Seward Park, Seattle
After a 5K run and 3K walk, participants will enjoy live music, food and prizes.
$25 before Oct. 16; $30 on race day. Visit www.runofhopeseattle.org. Presented
by Seattle Children’s Pediatric Brain Tumor Research Guild and the Four Seasons
Hotel Seattle.
Unmasking Hydrocephalus
Saturday, Oct. 24, 5:30 p.m.; Hyatt Regency Bellevue
Join emcee Dennis Bounds of KING 5 News and the Hydrocephalus Research Guild
for a Venetian carnival–themed gala and auction. $125 per person. Visit
www.hydroresearch.org or call 425-482-0479.
Columbia Valley Harvest
Saturday, Oct. 24, 6 p.m.; Red Lion Hotel, Pasco
The Tri-City Guilds for Children’s present the 24th annual Harvest Ball. Enjoy dinner,
dancing and live and silent auctions for $100 per person. Black tie optional. E-mail
[email protected] or call 509-460-0172.
Club Night 2009 Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 p.m.; The Triple Door, Seattle
Cocktails in the unique Musicquarium lounge will be followed by dinner, dancing
and live music by The Frustrations. $85 per person. Call 206-730-2040. Presented
by the Frances W. Nordstrom Guild.
Symphony of the Superhero
Friday, Nov. 6, 7 p.m.; Benaroya Hall, Seattle
Composer Mateo Messina and the Northwest Symphony Orchestra present the
Symphony Guild’s 12th annual benefit concert, featuring special guest Cut Chemist.
$40 to $50 per person. Visit www.thesymphonyguild.org or call 206-377-0010.
31st Annual Festival of Trees
Sunday, Nov. 22, 3 to 5:30 p.m., dinner, 5:30 p.m.; Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle
The Dr. Forrest L. Flashman Guild presents 20 beautiful Christmas trees to be
auctioned for Seattle Children’s. Free admission includes refreshments, music and
entertainment. Afterward, enjoy dinner in the Georgian Room; children, $33; adults,
$72. Visit www.seattlefestivaloftrees.com.
Shop, Sip and Savor for Seattle Children’s
Monday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m.; Seattle Sheraton
Join auctioneer John Curley at the KC Howard Guild’s annual holiday luncheon and
auction. Shop the holiday marketplace prior to the luncheon for wine, clothing and
gifts. $75 per person. Call 206-987-2777.
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Boards of Trustees 2009–2010
Hospital
Cilla Joondeph
Chairman
Foundation
Peter Shimer
Chairman
Guild Association
Laurie Boehme
Chairman
Executive Staff
Thomas Hansen, MD
CEO
Dean Allen
Rhoda Altom
Libby Armintrout
Robb Bakemeier
Joel Benoliel
Jane Blair
Julia Calhoun
Pat Char
Nancy Daly
Michael Delman
David Fisher, MD
Bob Flowers
Mary Ann Flynn
Thomas Hansen, MD
Genie Higgins
Judy Holder
Cynthia Huffman
Jim Ladd
Cindy Masin
Susan Mask
Resa Moore
Jeff Nitta
Gloria Northcroft
Laurie Oki
Rob Roskin, MD
Nancy Senseney
Jan Sinegal
Charles Stevens
Peggy Walton
Sherry Benaroya
Laurie Boehme
Cindy Brettler
Robert Cline
A.M. Clise
Ronald Crockett
Richard DiCerchio
David Fisher, MD
Shalisan Foster
Thomas Hansen, MD
Ray Heacox
Kandace Holley
Craig Jelinek
Ted Johnson
Cilla Joondeph
Craig Kinzer
Tod Leiweke
Howard Lincoln
Candy Marshall
John Meisenbach
Cameron Myhrvold
Laurie Oki
Gordon Perkin, MD
Douglas Picha
Scott Redman
Tami Reller
Fariba Ronnasi
Robert Sawin, MD
Kenneth Schubert Jr.
Jan Sinegal
Michele Smith
Dale Sperling
F. Bruder Stapleton, MD
Kelly Wallace
Robert Watt
Lenny Wilkens
Maureen Atkins
Sue Byers
Kerri Coyle
Jana Dukelow
Krista Fay
Mary Jo Foseid
Shalisan Foster
Jennifer Goldberg
Dorothy Greenwood
Mary Lynn Holman
Jane Humphries
Mari Juntunen
Jolene Logue
Alex Lytle
Linda Maki
Louisa Malatos
Barbara Mann
Lorene Martin
Lisa Mawer
Suzanne Sinegal McGill
Trish Oury
Nancy Schenck
Michele Smith
Laurie Taylor
Dixie Wilson
Jennifer Zinda
Patrick Hagan President and Chief Operating Officer, Seattle Children’s Hospital
James Hendricks, PhD President, Seattle Children’s Research Institute
Douglas Picha President, Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation
Lisa Brandenburg Senior Vice President Chief Administrative Officer
Drexel DeFord Senior Vice President Chief Information Officer
Mark Del Beccaro, MD Pediatrician-in-Chief Chief Medical Information Officer
David Fisher, MD Senior Vice President Medical Director
Susan Heath, RN, MN Senior Vice President Chief Nursing Officer
Sanford Melzer, MD Senior Vice President Strategic Planning
Robert Sawin, MD Surgeon-in-Chief President, CUMG
Jeffrey Sconyers Senior Vice President General Counsel
F. Bruder Stapleton, MD Senior Vice President Chief Academic Officer
Kelly Wallace Senior Vice President Chief Financial Officer
At a Glance
M/S S-200
PO Box 50020
Seattle, WA 98145-5020
www.seattlechildrens.org
Address Service Requested
NON-PROFIT ORG.
U.S. POSTAGE
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Seattle, WA
Permit No. 8225
Job#: CHILD 5252 Job Title: Brand Alethea Pub/s: Connections Date: 7/31/09 Proof: 4Trim: 8.5"w x 8"h Live: n/a Bleed: 8.75"w x 8.125"h (top only) Color: CMYK Laser%: 100% Images: HighRes File Author: BA, TH
When there’s only one place that can saveyour daughter’s life, that’s where you go.
At seven weeks, Alethea Bloedel was diagnosed with transposition
of the great arteries, a complex heart condition that required lifesaving
surgery. Her pediatrician knew what to do: send her to Seattle
Children’s. With one of the nation’s top heart centers, and a team of
over 30 cardiac experts who treat more pediatric heart-
related issues than any hospital in the region, Seattle
Children’s was Alethea’s best hope. Benefi ting from
unique lifesaving technology available at Seattle Children’s, her
surgery was a huge success. Now she’s a happy, healthy fi ve-year-old.
At Seattle Children’s, “Hope. Care. Cure.” are the words that defi ne us.
And we couldn’t do what we do without your support. So thank you.
From us, Alethea and her family. To learn more, volunteer or donate,
go to seattlechildrens.org.
Care.
CHILD 5252 Brand Alethea_C.indd 1 7/31/09 12:29:11 PM
Job#: CHILD 5252 Job Title: Brand Alethea Pub/s: Connections Date: 7/31/09 Proof: 4Trim: 8.5"w x 8"h Live: n/a Bleed: 8.75"w x 8.125"h (top only) Color: CMYK Laser%: 100% Images: HighRes File Author: BA, TH
When there’s only one place that can saveyour daughter’s life, that’s where you go.
At seven weeks, Alethea Bloedel was diagnosed with transposition
of the great arteries, a complex heart condition that required lifesaving
surgery. Her pediatrician knew what to do: send her to Seattle
Children’s. With one of the nation’s top heart centers, and a team of
over 30 cardiac experts who treat more pediatric heart-
related issues than any hospital in the region, Seattle
Children’s was Alethea’s best hope. Benefi ting from
unique lifesaving technology available at Seattle Children’s, her
surgery was a huge success. Now she’s a happy, healthy fi ve-year-old.
At Seattle Children’s, “Hope. Care. Cure.” are the words that defi ne us.
And we couldn’t do what we do without your support. So thank you.
From us, Alethea and her family. To learn more, volunteer or donate,
go to seattlechildrens.org.
Care.
CHILD 5252 Brand Alethea_C.indd 1 7/31/09 12:29:11 PM
