OSF HealthCare Newsroom

Good sleep for children with ADHD

Wed, 09 Sep 2026 06:00:00 -0500

It’s back to school time and that means parents are grappling with getting their children on a regular sleep routine. But for parents with children who have been diagnosed with ADHD, that’s no small task.

As many as 70% of children with ADHD experience problems with sleep. The issues include bedtime anxiety or resistance, insomnia and delayed sleep – meaning their sleep cycle has shifted and they aren’t tired at bedtime.

Kristin Mock, MD, is a family practice physician at OSF HealthCare who specializes in ADHD and pediatric sleep issues. She sees patients whose behaviors are often linked to ADHD; but they could also be a result of a lack of sleep.

Unlike adults who have excessive sleepiness and fatigue, Dr. Mock says children with ADHD tend to have more behavioral issues such as acting out or temper tantrums. They have difficulties with behavior and focus and concentration, and they tend to get fidgety.

So that begs the question – is the issue ADHD or a sleep problem or a combination of both?

“If your child has ADHD, there is a high likelihood they have comorbid sleep dysfunction and mental health dysfunction,” says Dr. Mock. “We need to treat the whole of the child and make sure that we've looked at all of those reasons that people can have concentration deficits and treat all of that to give them the best potential.”

Dr. Mock adds that not getting enough sleep can cause or make ADHD symptoms worse. And that means improving a child’s sleep issues can help reduce symptoms.

“So, when the brain is tired, it tries to find ways to get it to stay awake. It will go from one task to the next. It will jump from here to there. It will stutter and sometimes forget things,” she says. “Children will get very fidgety to keep their brain awake. So, while your brain is trying to just get through to the next time it gets to sleep, it makes you not as effective.”

Dr. Mock says the most common referral to her clinic comes from teachers who inform parents that their child lacks focus in the classroom. “Then it's our job to figure out why,” she says. “What’s really going on? Are they tired, do they have learning disabilities or do they learn differently?”

Mock says parents can help by discouraging any use of electronics once your child has gone to bed. That means there is no iPhone, iPad or TV in their bedroom and no texting, social media or video games, which will not go over well with many teens. Starting this behavioral change at younger ages makes this change easier.

She also recommends encouraging children to go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. Most children require eight to 10 hours of sleep every night. Dr. Mock adds children need two weeks to gradually get back into a good sleep routine now that school has started.

It's also important to get a handle on your child’s medication. Some ADHD stimulants can make sleep worse so talk to your child’s care team about how they are affecting your child’s sleep. Dr. Mock adds that if your child snores, medical providers need to do more. Dr. Mock says their doctor should make a detailed sleep history or maybe make a referral to a sleep specialist.

“Parents need to pay attention to their children's sleep,” Dr. Mock says. “Physicians may not realize that the child is not sleeping well. And so, parents need to be able to tell their doctor, 'Hey, I'm concerned about the way my child is sleeping, or my child is snoring. Can we do more?'"

For more information on sleep disorders, visit OSF HealthCare.

Interview Clips

The doctor will see your child now

Thu, 09 Oct 2025 14:59:33 -0500

There’s plenty to think about when raising children – education, developing social skills and keeping them healthy.

That’s why preventive care is so important. Called well-child visits, these appointments are just as important as treating your child when they are sick. These visits with a pediatrician or family practice physician are also a chance to monitor your child’s growth and development, prevent sickness and address any other issues, especially in the first year of life.

“Those visits during that time are very important so we can catch any abnormalities quicker and get them addressed in a timely manner,” says Chasity Caperton, MD, a pediatrician with OSF HealthCare.

During a well-child visit, parents and providers can discuss nutrition, physical activity, sleeping habits or any other health-related issues. Regular visits can also detect any potential problem, making them easier to manage or treat. Vaccinations are also a key aspect of many well-child visits.

In the first year of life, visits are typically scheduled when the child is two, four, six and nine months and around their first birthday.

“That time is important for the baby to grow and thrive,” says Dr. Caperton. “That's also the ages that we typically do a lot of the vaccinations and after that, they space out some to where they're every six months initially, until they reach the age of two, and then they become yearly.”

While you can’t really prepare a younger child on what to expect during a visit, Dr. Caperton recommends talking with older children about what might take place during their appointment. That may include vaccines like a flu shot.

“You should let them know that I'll be asking them questions on their diet, their physical activity,” adds Dr. Caperton. “They might get a screening for depression, for instance. It’s better if they’re prepared.”

Dr. Caperton says it’s important to talk with a child at a level they can understand. “If you're talking with a four-year-old, you get down there and try to use words that they understand. You approach them differently than you would a 15-year-old,” she says. “Teenagers require a different approach. Don't try to use their slang. It's not going to work. Talk to them like adults, not like children, because they want to be treated as adults.”

Regardless of the child’s age, it’s important for parents to be present for the appointment.

“A lot of parents will not come to their well-child at certain ages, thinking it's not necessary. But it is very necessary to ensure the health of your child,” says Dr. Caperton. “There are many things that we catch at a well-child visit. We catch murmurs, high blood pressure, many different things to treat that we otherwise would not have caught.”

A sports physical, which includes monitoring heart, mental health and any other issues, such as follow-up after a concussion, can be included in a well-child visit. And some pediatricians will let you schedule back-to-back appointments if you have two children. Make sure to check with your provider’s office first.

For more information about well-child visits, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview Clips

Nasty Norovirus spreading among kids

Mon, 27 Jan 2025 08:00:00 -0600

During respiratory illness season there a more graphic, yet shorter-lasting virus making the rounds especially among kids: Norovirus.

What is Norovirus?

"Norovirus is a viral infection, most people refer to it as the stomach flu. But it's a distinctly different virus than influenza," says Doug Kasper, MD, an infectious disease specialist with OSF HealthCare. "It's acquired by contact, meaning you touch it. Then it gets from outside your body, usually in through your mouth, and then into your GI (gastrointestinal) system."

Norovirus symptoms and concerns

"Symptoms usually come on very quickly. Roughly a day or two after exposure, the person will notice gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, abdominal pain, bloating pain, gas and diarrhea," Dr. Kasper says. "Most people that don't have an immuno-compromised history, the symptoms will pass in 2-3 days. It can be a much bigger problem in people who are chronically ill. It leads to dehydration and low food intake. So, if someone is more vulnerable or they have underlying GI issues like Chron's disease, ulcerative colitis, it can cause more profuse symptoms."

Concern for reinfection

"One of the main issues with Norovirus, is that everybody is susceptible to it. There is no vaccine and there is no significant immunity that is generated by infection," Dr. Kasper says. "Which also means you can be reinfected shortly after you've had infection."

Neutralize Norovirus at the source

"Because people get so sick and they're using the same bathroom, where they're all in the same area, you really have to neutralize Norovirus at the source. Because otherwise people will just reinfect each other over and over again," Dr. Kasper says.

Dr. Kasper emphasizes that alcohol hand gels do not kill Norovirus. Washing your hands with soap and water and practicing good hand hygiene is extremely important.

For cleaning the contaminated areas and surfaces, use bleach-based products. You must clean bathrooms, common living areas and food preparation counters, Dr. Kasper adds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend leaving the bleach disinfectant on the affected area for five minutes. Then clean the whole area again with soap and hot water, followed by washing any dirty laundry, taking out the trash, and once again washing your hands.

The CDC reports that 685 million total cases of acute gastroenteritis (which leads to vomiting and diarrhea) comes from Norovirus. 200 million of those cases come from kids under 5 years of age, normally peaking in January.

Clean all products the person would've touched while they have Norovirus. Norovirus is "durable," Dr. Kasper says. It can last on surfaces for up to a few days.

Where Norovirus is most common

"We see this a lot in school-aged children, daycares, nursing homes and assisted living facilities where many people are congregating," Dr. Kasper says. "The main issue with Norovirus becomes environmental cleaning and hand hygiene."

Dr. Kasper adds that spikes are typically seen when kids go back to school in the fall or early winter.

“Kids share meals at lunch, or they touch each other through play when they're sick," Dr. Kasper says. "With older adults, especially if they're living in their home, it's less likely because they're just not around that many people or touching things throughout the day."

How food preparation can increase Norovirus spread

"It's not the actual food; it's the person preparing the food. What we worry about with Norovirus is the hand hygiene of the worker. Whether it's at a cafeteria or a restaurant, or even at the home," Dr. Kasper says. "To get infected with Norovirus, the person has to ingest it. It's not a skin infection, so most of the time we put our hands to our mouth, it's when we're eating. So, if somebody is preparing food, and the food becomes contaminated, you acquire it by touching or ingesting the contaminated food. But it's not coming from the food primarily, it's coming from the person who prepares the food."

Norovirus is highly transmissible

"You need a very small amount of virus, very few copies, for somebody to become infected," Dr. Kasper says. "With any virus, there's a certain amount the person has to acquire to trigger an infection. So, it's not one copy, but Norovirus is on the end of the spectrum where you need many fewer copies to generate infection."

Why Norovirus is dangerous for immunocompromised people

"The immune system is what clears Norovirus. So, somebody who has an intact immune system, although they'll get sick and it'll be very unpleasant, generally they will get better within a period of days," Dr. Kasper says. "Somebody who is immunocompromised, whether it's through having a transplant or medication steroids, they can really struggle to clear Norovirus for a longer period of time. What really builds up is the fluid loss leads to dehydration and possible electrolyte loss that leads to other complications. Then anorexia can occur when you're not hungry to eat. That can compound for somebody that is in a frailer state to begin with."

Most senior living communities have specific cleaning guidelines they’re expected to follow by government agencies. Schools follow different guidelines, Dr. Kasper says, but a lot of the guidance is based on using industrial-based cleaners to try and stop the spread of illnesses.

Norovirus is reported in outbreaks, not a specific number of cases, because the virus spreads so fast and can affect a large amount of people in a smaller space. “When contact happens, infection is likely to occur,” Dr. Kasper adds.

Norovirus is common and not unexpected, Dr. Kasper says. There are no new strains that come out like we see in the flu or COVID-19. The need for communication on the virus is simply to bring awareness to cleaning habits and to give advice on how to keep others safe.

Video Interview Clips

Parents' fast actions lead to world-first heart procedure

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 19:30:54 -0600

Parental instincts and quick reaction time led to two central Illinois parents saving their child’s life.

It started at home when the parents noticed something was extremely wrong with their 2-year-old son. They performed CPR and resuscitated him. He was transported to OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria where it was determined he had suffered sudden cardiac arrest and had a malignant heart condition known as Brugada syndrome.

What is Brugada syndrome?

Brugada syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that causes heart arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death.

“Most kids that go through that, unfortunately, don’t survive,” says Harma Turbendian, MD, a pediatric cardiac surgeon with OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “So, this was fast-acting parents who knew what they were doing, then EMS, followed by our team here in the ICU.”

Meet the team

The medical team at OSF Children’s Hospital who treated the toddler was led by Sunita Ferns, MD, the director of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Electrophysiology, Mark Plunkett, MD, the chief of Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, and Dr. Turbendian, who was the primary surgeon in the procedure.

OSF HealthCare surgical teams have been using a device known as the EV-ICD, or extravascular implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, made by Medtronic, since spring 2024. But the new technology had only ever been used on adults or much older teenagers. The purpose of the device is that if or when a malignant heart arrhythmia occurs in the person, it will shock the heart back into rhythm.

By analyzing the 2-year-old’s response to a trial of antiarrhythmic medications in the ICU and incorporating insights from his preliminary genetic results, Dr. Ferns made the diagnosis of Brugada syndrome and brought together a team of specialists.

“We needed buy-in to trial a new device for the first time ever in a patient his size from the surgeons and good technical support. Medtronic was excellent. We called our field engineers and had a whole team here,” Dr. Ferns says.

Time to start the procedure

Sudden cardiac arrest is quite rare in kids, only happening in approximately one out of 100,000 children each year. However, the survival rate after one of these events is very low as well, with only 5% of pediatric patients surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Dr. Turbendian explains how the device is inserted.

"They're fairly small incisions that are required for implantation of the device. You actually don't have to access the heart in order to place this thing," Dr. Turbendian says. "You can make a small incision under the breastbone and one part of the device just slides through that small incision to sit under the sternum."

The possibility of implanting an EV-ICD takes away the need for open heart surgery to select patients.

Traditionally, a transvenous pacemaker has been used for older kids and adults. It was determined by Dr. Ferns and her team that the transvenous device was too large for the 2-year-old patient, and the EV-ICD was the better option. The EV-ICD incisions are much smaller, making this the more minimally invasive option.

"The lead was inserted, and the device was implanted outside of his rib cage," Dr. Ferns says. "Given that a 2-year-old is going to grow leaps and bounds over the next decade or two, it's an excellent choice for him. When we tried this, it was the first time in the world that someone trialed it on someone this small.”

Dr. Plunkett calls the device a game changer. One that will send shock waves across the globe in the world of medicine.

“Children in the past had to undergo much larger procedures, oftentimes a sternotomy or thoracotomy. The devices were often bigger, and we were sewing patches on the heart or implanting coils," Dr. Plunkett says. "And some of those devices were not as effective as this new technology."

History-making procedure

"It’s the first of its kind. This implantation is the smallest and youngest child ever to have this device," Dr. Plunkett says. "So that has expanded its application and market in a huge way. Its design initially was for adults or adult-sized patients. The fact we've proven it to be effective and safely implantable in a child this size really expands its application immensely."

Dr. Ferns agrees, hoping the team’s work will get published soon, which helps medical centers across the world learn when and how to perform this procedure.

"It tells the world that we can now use (the EV-ICD) in a smaller child. That's how a lot of pediatric implants or newer technologies happen. It's one or two centers that do it and they publish their results," Dr. Ferns says. "We expect that to be published shortly. There are kids all around the world who sustain cardiac arrests, and they now have this option."

EV-ICDs are just a “safety net”

“We don't want it to keep shocking a child, because that's no way to grow up. To keep worrying about when your next shock is going to happen," Dr. Ferns says. "So, we monitor these devices constantly. If we see any arrhythmias in the background, despite the medication he's on, we are able to offer him other technologies. Ablative technologies can help modify the substrate, which is the tissue that's responsible for the bad rhythm.”

Dr. Ferns is in charge of the child’s post-surgery care moving forward. She says Quinidine, a drug that was initially made to treat malaria and now treats irregular heart arrhythmias, was the perfect match for the patient’s condition.

“He has responded exceptionally well to this treatment,” Dr. Ferns adds.

This decision was made after the child’s EV-ICD did its job and went off while at home. His parents had to bring him back to the team at OSF HealthCare, who then had to ensure everything was meshing correctly.

While Dr. Ferns says the patient will forever be “married” to cardiology, she’s confident in the techniques and technology the Electrophysiology (EP) Lab at OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center has to treat these patients. The EP Lab manages arrhythmias from unborn fetuses all the way to patients in their 70s with complex congenital heart disease. Technology like contact force sensing and high-density mapping are available, along with many other resources.

If the patient’s symptoms were to worsen as time goes on, Dr. Ferns and her team in the EP Lab have the ability to perform ablations which target any abnormal heart tissue causing the arrhythmia, suppressing the abnormal electrical focus.

The generator of the device is in the axillary region, or the armpit. So as the child gets older and bigger, the strain sometimes found on conventional epicardial leads as a child gets taller is eliminated. The battery of the ICD should last 10-12 years.

Saving the patient’s life started at home

All three doctors say they can’t overemphasize the importance of the parents’ actions at home.

“When we look at the magnitude of this, first we have to go back to the fact this child survived an arrest at home, was successfully resuscitated, was neurologically intact and presented to our hospital," Dr. Plunkett says.

This leads Dr. Ferns to say learning CPR is one of the most important things someone can do. Especially as kids enter middle and high school age and are involved with high intensity sports.

Another benefit of an EV-ICD is that if/when a patient experiences an arrhythmia, it will notify the congenital heart team in the EP Device Clinic.

"Most arrhythmia syndromes tend to happen at higher levels of activity. Many abnormalities can be detected by a simple noninvasive test such as an electrocardiogram (ECG)," Dr. Ferns says. "Universal screening is not yet common in the United States, but it is a part of the health care system in many European countries."

Strong family history is a sign to get checked out

Strong family history of sudden cardiac arrest or heart disease is a sign to get seen by a cardiologist. Dr. Ferns recommends starting off with an ECG which she advises doing before kids participate in high intensity athletics.

To learn more about the Electrophysiology Lab at OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Dr. Sunita Ferns Video Interview Clips

Dr. Mark Plunkett Video Interview Clips

Dr. Harma Turbendian Video Interview Clips

Providing a light for our children

Thu, 07 Nov 2024 13:38:33 -0600

The chaotic world we live in can often have parents scratching their heads about the best way to raise their children. Now, more people are turning to a concept called lighthouse parenting.

According to experts, lighthouse parenting combines important traits such as nurturing, loving and protecting while giving their children space to grow and learn on their own.

“[It’s like] a regular lighthouse that guides the ships from one place to another,” says Victor Mendoza, a behavioral health provider for OSF HealthCare. “That's how it is with parenting. Just being there for your child and helping them get through difficult times. Sometimes [parents can] step in when they need to, and sometimes they let them try things out.”

The lighthouse parenting concept has been talked about for nearly a decade. It was coined by pediatrician Kenneth Ginsburg, MD, who literally wrote the book on the topic. But it has come to the surface again recently as a concept Dr. Ginsburg has described in interviews as “a return to common sense and what we know works.”

Mendoza says lighthouse parenting falls somewhere between two other styles — helicopter parenting and free-range parenting. A helicopter parent tends to hover, may be over-involved and is always evaluating risk that can prevent children from developing a certain skill. Free-range parents believe giving freedom promotes independence and self-confident children. For example, a helicopter parent might stand with their child on the tee-ball field, helping him or her get to the ball or run to the right base. A lighthouse parent might give their child some guidance before the game and watch the action from the sidelines.

“With lighthouse parenting, it allows your children a little bit of freedom,” says Mendoza. “Obviously, you don't want to completely leave them in the dark and have them figure things out by themselves and not provide any sort of support. But just knowing when you have to step in and when you have to step back.”

Mendoza says the biggest benefits of lighthouse parenting include encouraging healthy boundaries, developing coping skills and creating a supportive relationship between parent and child.

And it’s OK for your children to fall short of expectations from time to time.

“Letting them fail. Letting them learn from their mistakes. And allowing them to see if they can figure it out on their own,” Mendoza says. “Having that dance with them in a way that we're going to move a little and we're going to step in a little bit. Sometimes we're going to move back a little bit. Just follow your gut.”

Mendoza stresses that lighthouse parenting may not work for all parents and children. He says it’s important to consider the child’s age, needs, temperament and development. Lighthouse parenting is going to look different for younger children than school-aged kids or teens.

“Lighthouse parenting is not like this strict set of rules that you have to follow,” Mendoza says. “It's like a guideline that you can incorporate into your parenting to help you be a more active parent or a more lighthouse parent and be there for your child.”

Mendoza says the lighthouse parenting concept works in his practice. Some parents, he says, are willing to try a new style because of the way they grew up – in a home that lacked a good support system or parental involvement.

He adds children should understand that while they are loved, there are rules and boundaries for their behavior and actions.

Mendoza preaches patience when it comes to introducing a new parenting style. “It takes some time to practice and get used to it. So just be patient with yourself as a parent," he says. "Don't beat yourself up if you didn't get it right, or you felt like you didn't do a good job. That's what lighthouse parenting teaches you – learning from our mistakes and allowing yourself to engage in that lighthouse parenting and do it as best as you can.”

For more information regarding behavioral or mental health support, visit the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview Clips

Health Highlights | Walking Pneumonia

Wed, 06 Nov 2024 10:25:41 -0600

Normally, school-aged kids, teenagers and young adults are more likely to have what's called “walking pneumonia.”

It's caused by Mycoplasma Pneumoniae, a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports test positivity for walking pneumonia increased in the late spring of 2024 and remained high.

The term walking pneumonia wa coined because it's possible for someone to be walking around with the infection and not even know it.

Keith Hanson, MD, the General Pediatrics Unit Medical Director at OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois, says every year some strains of illness, or a particular virus, are more common than others.

Right now, it's pneumonia.

“What's a little unusual about this year, is we're seeing that same bacteria causing pneumonia in kids that are younger than usual, and the severity of the illness is more,” Dr. Hanson says. “We're seeing more kids admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, and they're definitely younger than that typical age range like preschoolers and even some infants.”

Dr. Hanson says as is the case with bacterial infections, there are antibiotics to treat walking pneumonia.

The hope is to shorten the illness and make it less severe, while decreasing the chance of spreading the infection to others.

Health Highlights Video Version With Chyrons

Health Highlights Video Version Without Chyrons

Walking Pneumonia Strolling Into Little Lungs

Mon, 04 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Normally, school-aged kids, teenagers and young adults are the more likely suspects to have what’s called “walking pneumonia.”

It’s caused by Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), a bacterium that causes respiratory tract infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports test positivity for walking pneumonia increased in late spring of 2024 and remained high.

The term walking pneumonia was coined because it’s possible for someone to be walking around with the infection, and not even know it.

“They're walking around school and they're not feeling that sick. They do have pneumonia but it's not putting them in the hospital typically,” says Keith Hanson, MD, the medical director of the General Pediatrics Unit at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Dr. Hanson says every year some strains of illness, or a particular virus, are more common than others. Right now, it’s pneumonia.

"What's a little unusual about this year, is we're seeing that same bacteria causing pneumonia in kids that are younger than usual, and the severity of the illness is more. We're seeing more kids admitted to the hospital with pneumonia, and they're definitely younger than that typical age range like preschoolers and even some infants,” Dr. Hanson says.

Tracking cases nationally and across the region

The CDC is tracking the rise in cases, which have been seen both nationwide and locally in central Illinois.

Data from OSF HealthCare show a major increase in overall pneumonia cases for patients younger than 18 years of age this year over last, looking at the dates from August 1 through October 22.

In 2023, there were 171 patients with pneumonia and only three cases were reported to have come from the M. pneumoniae bacterium. In 2024, overall cases jumped to 641 with 143 having pneumonia due to M. pneumoniae. 81 of the cases in the 2024 range were reported from the hospital.

Signs and symptoms of walking pneumonia

"It's that cough, a prolonged cough especially, fevers and difficulty breathing in more severe cases," Dr. Hanson says. “They might be dehydrated and not able to drink as much, so they're not urinating as much. They can be sleepier and more fatigued, which is pretty common.”

Dr. Hanson says as is the case with bacterial infections, there are antibiotics to treat walking pneumonia. The hope of the antibiotics is to shorten the illness and make it less severe, while decreasing the chance of spreading the infection to others.

“This is one that would need antibiotics. Other respiratory infections like RSV or COVID-19 are viruses, where there's no particular medication to treat it," Dr. Hanson says. "So, if it is this Mycoplasma pneumonia, there is an antibiotic that can treat it. We want to make sure kids are staying hydrated and getting enough rest. You can do fever control with Tylenol and ibuprofen."

While most pneumonia cases don’t send kids to the hospital, it is possible for children with other medical conditions to be hospitalized. If they are admitted, they may need IV fluids for dehydration or oxygen to help with breathing. This is another reason Dr. Hanson recommends starting antibiotics right away, because if pneumonia goes untreated, there’s a higher chance you could end up in the hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU).

When pneumonia is connected to a viral infection

"We start thinking about bacterial infections after times that you're sick, you get better, then you get worse a few days later. That's because the virus was going on first, with a runny nose, low grade fever and some coughing. Then you feel better for a couple of days, and then it comes back. That's when we think there was a bacterial infection on top of the virus,” Dr. Hanson says. “That's because when we have the virus, we get mucus and secretions and we're not coughing things up very well. Things are settling there in the lungs and you're not very active. That increased inflammation and mucus is a setup for bacterial infections.”

Pneumonia prevention tips

- If you’re sick, stay home

- Make sure kids blow their nose

- Cough or sneeze in your elbow

- Wear a mask in the community if you’re sick. It could prevent respiratory droplets from spreading.

- Wash your hands

- Hydrate well

- Focus on good sleep

Video Interview Clips

Car seat safety: Rear vs. front facing

Mon, 16 Sep 2024 08:00:00 -0500

Is my child too tall? What weight should they be? What’s the safer option?

These questions run through parents’ minds when it comes to their child’s car seats. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer, but Cindy Hamilton, the Child Passenger Safety program coordinator at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, has some consistent guidelines parents can follow.

Pay attention to the car seat manufacturer’s guidelines

"The child wants to max out the height and weight for the seat they are using, which is going to be different for every seat based on the manufacturer. So, if this seat goes 40 pounds rear-facing; when they're 40 pounds, we want to turn them around then,” Hamilton says.

How do height and weight play a role?

"A lot of parents might say 'well my child is uncomfortable, their legs are long, but they're still not two,' or they're low in the weight range. Our best advice is that you can heal from a leg injury. A spinal cord, neck or brain injury, maybe not. So that's a key determiner of keeping them rear facing,” Hamilton says.

Illinois state law requires infants to remain rear facing until at least two years old. But Hamilton says, “rear facing longer is always best,” which is also advised by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which recommends keeping kids rear facing until they’re three.

"When you're in a crash, the shell of the body of a rear-facing seat will absorb the shock. It protects the head, neck and spine more than when you are forward facing," Hamilton points out.

When it comes to forward facing, Hamilton says you want to make sure your kids have full control of their head and neck. This is another “milestone” you can add to your list when you consider making the switch.

Steps to safely secure car seat

When you install the car seat rear facing, install with the seat belt or the seat’s anchors, but not both. Always check both the manufacturer guidelines and the vehicle owner’s manual which lists the locations of the car’s anchors and tethers for car seats.

Make sure the harness is fitted to the child securely.

Clip the chest clip at armpit level. The lower clip should be snug across the area where the diaper is.

You don’t want to be able to pinch any fabric around the child’s neck and shoulders, Hamilton says.

The rear-facing seat should have a recline angle indicator. You want to make sure that whatever the indicator is, it’s aligned and level with the seat.

If your child has made the switch to forward facing, make sure they can hold their head up and they’re sitting more upright. Connect the top tether to hold the seatback to the seat and install with either lower anchors or seat belt. If you do choose the seat belt, Hamilton says make sure the seat belt is properly locked, which can be done by pulling all the webbing out from the retractor. You can find these locations in the owner’s manual as well.

“We don't put coats or blankets under (the straps) for safety. With a child that's rear facing, we want the straps at or below (the child's shoulders) because that's how they're crash tested,” Hamilton says. “With forward facing, all the same with the harness, but we want the strap at or above (the child's shoulders).”

OSF HealthCare offers a low-cost car seat program. Families who need a car seat can call 1-877-277-6543. There are also community car seat checks and free car seat installation checks held throughout central Illinois.

Video Interview Clips

B-ROLL

Health Highlights: Trust your gut | Children's tummy aches

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0500

It's summertime.

Now that kids are off school for a few months, there's sure to be plenty of changes in their routines, including their eating habits.

Fast food, candy and fair food can all contribute to tummy aches.

Stomachaches are quite common in young children. It can be something simple that comes and goes quickly, or it could be something more severe.

According to a national poll, one in six parents say their child complains of a belly ache at least once a month.

“There are so many different reasons that a child could complain of a stomachache. It could be something easy, like constipation or something they ate, food allergies or indigestion. They could have come across a virus at school or on a play date or even in their own home," says Alissa Bartel, a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare.

Stomach pain, however, could also mean more serious problems such as appendicitis, bowel obstructions, urinary tract infrections or even hernias.

But the issue may not be physical. Bartel says it can also be related to stress or anxiety. She says to trust your own gut, and if you think something is wrong, take your child to be evaluated immediately.

Health Highlights Video Version

Health Highlights Video Version Without Chyrons

Trust your gut when it comes to your children's tummy aches

Thu, 20 Jun 2024 14:00:00 -0500

It’s summertime. Now that kids are off school for a few months, there’s sure to be plenty of changes in their routines including their eating habits. Fast food, candy and fair food can all contribute to tummy aches.

Stomachaches are quite common in young children. It can be something simple that comes and goes quickly or it could be something more severe.

According to a national poll conducted by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital at the University of Michigan Health, one in six parents say their child complains of a belly ache at least once a month.

“There are so many different reasons that a child could complain of a stomachache,” says Alissa Bartel, a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare. “It could be something easy, like constipation or something they ate, food allergies or indigestion. They could have come across a virus at school or on a play date or even in their own home.”

Stomach pain, however, could also mean more serious problems, such as appendicitis, bowel obstructions, urinary tract infections or even hernias.

“If your child is someone who does not complain about things, and they're complaining about a very bad pain that’s bringing them to tears, that serious,” Bartel says. “A fever is another serious symptom, and swelling of the belly can also indicate something more serious.”

But the issue may not be physical; it can also be related to stress or anxiety. Bartel says that if parents notice a pattern every time that they're getting ready to go somewhere, for example, whether it be school or an activity and it turns into a recurrent tummy ache, that's a sign that it may be anxiety related.

Bartel says parents can help their children develop coping skills and change their routine. Most children will eventually outgrow a nervous stomach.

“It's really about looking at patterns, knowing our kids and paying attention to the signs they give us,” she says.

Fortunately, there are ways to help our children overcome their tummy aches. If it’s food allergies, finding those trigger foods can bring relief. If it’s constipation, changing their diet or medications can help. And if it’s anxiety or nerves, Bartel says parents can help their little ones to relax by talking with them, teaching them breathing exercises or distracting them with activities they enjoy such as a game, movie or book.

Bartel says the best advice she can give any parent when it comes to tummy aches is to trust your own gut.

“If you think that something is wrong with your child, take them in to be evaluated immediately,” she says. “There is never anything wrong with erring on the side of caution.”

If your child experiences severe pain, fatigue, trouble breathing, dehydration or blood in vomit along with stomach pain, call 911 immediately or take your child to the emergency department.

Interview Clips

B-roll

There's nothing catchy about getting the measles

Thu, 04 Apr 2024 11:03:13 -0500

There’s a misperception that measles is a thing of the past.

Not so.

Measles was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000 but is seeing a resurgence in 2024. As of March 22, there have been 64 cases across the U.S. – compared with 58 in all of 2023. The cases have appeared in at least 17 states so far, including Illinois and Michigan.

The cause of the increase is two-fold – the number of people who are unvaccinated has increased and the rise in international travel to destinations such as Britain, Austria and the Philippines, where outbreaks have occurred.

According to Alissa Bartel, a nurse practitioner with OSF HealthCare, there’s no reason to be concerned yet. “I think it's always good for parents to be aware, be educated and not alarmed, but know that it is possible, especially in those kids who are at highest risk,” she says.

Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus. It spreads when an infected person breathes, coughs or sneezes. That person can spread measles to others even before knowing they have the disease — from four days before developing the measles rash through four days afterward.

Symptoms include a high fever, cough, runny nose and a rash that starts at the top of the head and travels down the trunk to the lower extremities. Complications can lead to pneumonia, swelling of the brain and even death.

Measles can affect anyone but is most common in children.

“The most vulnerable of developing measles would be those who are not vaccinated; so kids under 5 years old or any child who has not chosen to be vaccinated, also those who are receiving chemotherapy or any medications that might make them immunocompromised,” says Bartel. “Also, pregnant women are very high risk, not only for themselves if they haven't been vaccinated, but also for the child that they're carrying.”

The best way to prevent getting sick with the measles and spreading it to others is from the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine.

“We’ve had so many vaccines that have helped us to drive so many serious illnesses and diseases away,” says Bartel. “However, we are seeing a lot of them emerge again. It’s important for us to educate our patients on vaccines, not only for ourselves, but to protect others who can't receive vaccines.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend children get their first MMR dose between the ages of 12-15 months. The second dose is between ages 4-6. Teenagers and adults require only one dose and should get it as soon as possible.

According to the CDC, two doses of MMR vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles, and one dose is roughly 93% effective.

For parents experiencing vaccination hesitancy, Bartel recommends having a conversation with your family physician. Experts stress it’s important to eliminate potential barriers such as cost. Children can be vaccinated for free through private insurance or the Vaccines for Children Program, a federally funded, state administered program that provides free vaccines to eligible children ages 18 and younger.

Some parents may not realize the potential seriousness of their young ones contracting measles. The World Health Organization reports that the measles vaccination prevented 56 million deaths between 2000 and 2021. An estimated 128,000 people died from measles in 2021 – mostly children under the age of 5.

“Open the conversation about vaccines and vaccine hesitancy and then also know that you can trust your provider. They know what's best for your children,” she says. “They can also point you to really good resources, trusted resources. If you like to read about things and make really educated decisions, we can empower our patients to do that.”

For more information on the measles, visit OSF HealthCare.

Interview Clips

RSV vaccine finally available for some

Mon, 17 Jul 2023 14:56:08 -0500

After nearly six decades of research, experiments and testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has officially approved the first RSV vaccine.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a common respiratory virus that causes mild, cold-like symptoms. While the virus is normally mild in most people, it can be extremely serious for infants and some higher-risk older adults.

Douglas Kasper, MD, section head of infectious disease at the University Of Illinois College Of Medicine Peoria and an infectious disease specialist for OSF HealthCare, says, currently, the Arexvy vaccine is only approved for individuals 60 and older but the hope is to expand who can receive the RSV vaccine by the end of summer.

“There are ongoing trials looking at vaccinating mothers who are pregnant,” Dr. Kasper says. “This would be for potential protection of unborn children, but that has not been approved yet. There’s expected re-evaluation of that data coming this summer. Hopefully by August we get some updated patient groups.”

Dr. Kasper says if the RSV vaccine is successful in pregnant women, it could provide life-saving antibodies for their babies.

“We’re trying to use the mother’s ability to create an immune response, because the baby cannot do that on their own. So if we can vaccinate during pregnancy, which is the study group we’re awaiting data for, there would be a huge benefit for young children that currently does not exist,” Dr. Kasper says.

Dr. Kasper says this vaccine is much different than the COVID-19 vaccine.

“This is not an MRNA vaccine which is something we talked very commonly with COVID-19,” Dr. Kasper says. “This is more of a traditional vaccine. The person is being exposed to a protein from the virus and then they make an immune response that protects them if they were ever exposed to the virus. It’s much more akin to the influenza vaccine that most people are comfortable with.”

Dr. Kasper says most older adults who get RSV experience mild symptoms. But he says doctors have seen a change in RSV symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Particularly those with chronic lung disease, RSV can almost mimic COVID-like illness that brought some people to the hospital,” Dr. Kasper says.

Dr. Kasper adds that the late summer timing would be good to expand the RSV vaccine for other high-risk groups, since most cases are normally seen in the fall through spring.

Video Interview Clips

Tony Romo brings joy to kids at OSF Children's Hospital

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 16:02:27 -0500

Kids at OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois in Peoria got a wonderful surprise this week as some of their favorite sports heroes paid a visit.

Former NFL quarterback, CBS broadcaster and Eastern Illinois University graduate Tony Romo toured OSF Children's Hospital, spending time with some of the kids, sharing laughs, and learning about the services and care OSF Children's Hospital provides throughout central Illinois and beyond.

NBA Champion and Peoria's own Shaun Livingston joined Romo and UFC light heavyweight fighter Dustin Jacoby on the tour. Jacoby grew up in central Illinois and played football at Quincy University for four years.

The smiles were evident as the kids got to speak with the guys about what they love to do including talking about football and video games.

The visit was made possible through the partnership with Metamora Fields golf course in hosting the OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois Pro-Am tournament June 28 - July 1. More than 100 golfers and celebrities are taking part in the All Pro Tour (APT) event.

The APT is the largest developmental men's professional golf tour in the US. These events provide an avenue for professional golfers to hone their skills while preparing for a life on the PGA Tour.

Over the past 30 years, the APT has successfully graduated players to the PGA Tour. They include PGA Tour winners Andrew Landry, Brice Garnett, Cameron Beckman, Bubba Watson, and Ryan Palmer. Most recently the APT has seen Hayden Buckley, 2022 Masters Champion Scottie Scheffler, and runner-up Will Zalatoris find success at the highest level of golf. Over 35 players will walk the fairways of the PGA Tour in 2023 that began their career on the All Pro Tour.

B-roll: Tony Romo, Shaun Livingston and Dustin Jacoby visit OSF Children's Hospital

B-roll: Metamora Fields APT

A warning about water beads

Tue, 27 Jun 2023 08:00:00 -0500

A mother is speaking out about water bead safety after her 14 month-old daughter swallowed a bead and wound up in the hospital.

Hannah Reif of Iowa tells Good Morning America that her child was vomiting, and doctors later found a one-inch water bead in the girl's small intestine.

Water beads are tactile toys that are marble-sized and water-absorbing. They are often used to reduce stress and anxiety while helping to develop focus and attention. The National Poison Control Center and the American Academy of Pediatrics say water beads can expand inside a person and cause a life-threatening intestinal blockage.

This latest incident with Reif's family is a reminder to know the signs of poisoning and choking and the steps to reverse the effects of each, says Aminat Ogun, MD, a family medicine physician at OSF HealthCare in Champaign, Illinois.

“Make sure there are no loose coins around - no small toys they can pick up and swallow,” Dr. Ogun advises as a first step. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has a list of recalled products.

Food should be cut into small bites for kids. Chemicals, like bleach used for cleaning, should be capped and stored out of a child’s reach. Cabinet locks add an extra layer of protection.

If your child does ingest something they’re not supposed to, Dr. Ogun advises taking an ambulance to the Emergency Department of your local hospital. Health care providers will assess the child, consulting with the poison control center if necessary, and decide what to do. One option is to pump the poison out of the child’s stomach. If it’s a small object that doesn’t present a grave threat, Dr. Ogun says doctors may see if it will pass naturally in a bowel movement.

Some children may swallow a poisonous liquid and not say anything, perhaps because they don’t even know the seriousness of what they did. In this case, Dr. Ogun says to watch for changes in your child’s health, like vomiting and lethargy, and see a doctor right away.

If a child is choking, Dr. Ogun says there are life-saving steps you can take at home.

For children under one, Dr. Ogun says to lay the child face down on your lap and pat their back five times. Then turn the child over and repeat the pats on their chest.

For older kids, perform the Heimlich maneuver. Dr. Ogun says stand behind the person, wrap one arm around them and place your hand in a fist between their belly button and the bottom of their sternum. Lay your other hand flat on the fist. Then make upward thrusts.

If you’re alone, you can perform thrusts on yourself or thrust your upper abdomen against the back of a chair or the edge of a counter.

Local first responders or health care organizations may offer training on these life-saving techniques.

One word of caution: “Do not put your hand in the child’s mouth to try to get the object out,” Dr. Ogun says. “That could make it worse.”

If these steps don’t dislodge the object and get the child breathing again within a couple minutes, call an ambulance and get to the Emergency Department.

“If the person is turning blue, not able to speak or gasping, those are signs to go to the Emergency Department,” Dr. Ogun says.

Interview clips

B-Roll

Previous coverage

OSF HealthCare Library: Choking and abdominal thrusts

OSF HealthCare Library: Choking in an infant: What to do

OSF HealthCare Library: Poisons

OSF HealthCare Newsroom: Don't choke when planning for summer fun

Going Green for Babies

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 18:22:51 -0600

Every year, thousands of babies are born at OSF HealthCare hospitals.

At OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria alone, roughly 2,200 babies were born in 2022.

This means any day now, parents will be attempting to add solid foods to the breast milk or formula their baby only eats now. This can be a scary idea for new parents!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends not introducing solid foods to your baby until after they’re at least 4 months old, and there are signs to look for to see if they’re developmentally ready.

Your child should be able to:

Sit up alone or with support.
Control their head and neck.
Opens their mouth when food is offered.
Swallow food rather than push it back out onto the chin.
Bring objects to the mouth.
Try and grasp small objects, such as toys or food.
Transfer food from the front to the back of the tongue to swallow.

Anne Orzechowski, an Advanced Practice Nurse with OSF HealthCare who specializes in family medicine has some tips to help parents make a smooth transition.

“The best way to introduce your infant to greens is to pick one vegetable. Then if you have an infant that is above 4-6 months, you can puree it to a consistency that is safe for them to get down. Just give it a try with their rice cereal and see how they do. Pick one at a time, and make sure they aren’t allergic to it,” Orzechowski says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says most kids don’t need to be given foods in a certain order. By the time your baby is 7 or 8 months old, they can eat from a variety of food groups. This could be infant cereals, meat or other proteins, fruits, vegetables, grains, yogurts and cheeses, and more.

Orzechowski recommends steaming vegetables to reduce the risk of choking.

“You could do carrot coins!” Orzechowski says. “You can steam pretty much anything. As long as it’s cut up into tiny pieces that they won’t choke on.”

Not sure what food group to introduce to your child first? Orzechowski has some suggestions.

“I think introducing veggies before you introduce fruits is helpful. It’s exciting to them, they start to like it, they look forward to it. Then once you introduce a fruit, they’re like ‘wow!’ she says.

Orzechowski says vegetables and fruits have plenty of health benefits for kids, like fiber. She says the fiber from fruits and vegetables will help keep your child regular and benefit their digestive tract.

The CDC has additional tips for preparing food for your children.

Mix cereals and mashed cooked grains with breast milk, formula, or water to make it smooth and easy for your baby to swallow.
Mash or puree vegetables, fruits and other foods until they are smooth.
Hard fruits and vegetables, like apples and carrots, usually need to be cooked so they can be easily mashed or pureed.
Remove all fat, skin, and bones from poultry, meat, and fish, before cooking.
Remove seeds and hard pits from fruit, and then cut the fruit into small pieces.
Round foods like hot dogs, sausage and string cheese should be cut into short thin strips instead of round pieces that could get stuck in the airway. Grapes, cherries, berries and tomatoes should be cut into small pieces.

Anne Orzechowski interview clips

Social media and brain changes

Thu, 09 Feb 2023 09:10:45 -0600

The pros and cons of social media are well documented. It allows you to connect with friends and pursue passions, but bullying and misinformation can be rampant.

But can frequent social media use lead to changes in brain development during the formative adolescent years? A recent study suggests so, but much more investigation is needed, says Karna Sherwood, MD, a neurologist at OSF HealthCare in Alton, Illinois.

The study tracked 169 sixth and seventh graders and found those who habitually checked social media were more sensitive to rewards and punishments. To view it a different way, kids who constantly refresh Facebook hoping the likes on their post will go up may be more impulsive to seek out real-life recognition.

“At a certain point, 10 likes or 20 likes are no longer gratifying enough,” Dr. Sherwood says. “And then you have to find another way to get even more likes or more appreciation.”

That “another way” could lead to risky behaviors such as substance abuse. But Dr. Sherwood says more study is needed to conclusively make the link. Just how much does our life in the digital realm affect our life away from the device?

“A follow up study would certainly investigate if [frequent social media use] has an effect on rates of anxiety and depression,” says Dr. Sherwood. “Could this affect addiction? And what interventions could be taken to nullify those behaviors?

“As a society, if we want to raise happy and healthy people in an age where we are getting better technologically, what steps do we need to take?”

Until then, Dr. Sherwood has some good advice no matter your age or number of Twitter followers.

“Until you get the rest of the information, it’s better to have some degree of regulation,” and restraint with social media, Dr. Sherwood says.

Learn more about how the brain works on the OSF HealthCare website.

Interview clips

Previous coverage

Tackling pediatric mental health

Bullying and the era of technology

Is social media impacting your mental health?

Kids' screen time: How much is too much?

Tackling pediatric mental health

Tue, 31 Jan 2023 09:18:34 -0600

A new report from the Pew Research Center says children's' mental health is a top concern for parents. It comes as kids have been getting their first taste of a post-COVID, normal school year. But some pandemic habits – staring at a screen all day, lounging on the couch, snacking on junk food – may be hard to break. The physical concerns of these behaviors, like weight gain, are apparent. But experts say sloth-like behavior can impact your mental health too, leading to a lack of motivation and even full-on depression, self-harm, and even suicide.

Mia Harrier is the community health specialist at OSF HealthCare Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville, Illinois. She and fellow OSF Mission Partner (employee) Jake Ozier have been taking the OSF Care-a-Van to youth groups, advocating for activities that can improve a kid’s mental health. The youngsters leave with a prize like a bocce ball kit to continue recreation.

“As adults, we've been able to make our adjustments [to COVID] because we've been around for a long time. Our brains are through developing,” Harrier says. “However, with children throughout the pandemic, it kind of took some of those opportunities that you typically have away. So they're in this place where they've experienced a lot of confusion, a lot of fear, a lot of uncertainty. So their responses to that have been really varied, and it can go into some things like undue anxiety or some depression.”

Here’s what Harrier says kids and parents need to remember:

Aim for 60 minutes of exercise per day. Harrier says playing around other kids is better than playing alone so the youngsters can gain social skills.
For ages 8 to 18, limit recreational screen time (like television or video games) to two hours per day. For ages 3 to 7, it’s one hour. Kids under two should avoid screen time and media devices altogether.
Replace sugary drinks with a healthier option. Harrier recommends cutting up fruits or vegetables and placing them in a cooler of water. Mix it around, and you have a fruit or vegetable-flavored drink.

“If they have younger siblings, it's good for them to know and helps them to be a little bit more responsible for these things that we're teaching them,” Harrier says.

As a former teacher, Harrier knows all about short attention spans in children. So when it comes to getting that message about mental health care across, she advises parents and educators to make it a two-way conversation.

“Making sure that they're really engaged, that we're asking them questions for them to respond to,” Harrier says. “We're asking them questions like ‘what do you think about this?’ or ‘what's your opinion?’ So, making it very much about them and where they stand on all of this.”

Harrier adds that repeating the message about good habits as kids age reinforces that they’re the right things to do.

If a child you know is showing signs of a mental health issue, Harrier recommends talking to your primary care provider or a behavioral health navigator (BHN). BHN is free service in all the communities OSF HealthCare serves. It aims to get people on the right track to recovery and can provide advice on things like insurance and transportation to appointments.

If a child is in crisis, such as talking about or carrying out self-harm, call 9-1-1 or 9-8-8, the new digits to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Highly Contagious RSV hitting earlier for second straight season

Fri, 14 Oct 2022 10:17:40 -0500

Video with Mara Bessine, APRN, OSF HealthCare

RSV B-roll

Decline in Pediatric Immunizations Causing Concern

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 10:19:32 -0500

Well-child visits to the pediatrician and keeping up with recommended vaccines are the best things parents can do to protect their kids and communities from serious vaccine-preventable diseases that can easily spread or become life threatening.

Despite this, American children appear to be falling behind when it comes to routine vaccinations. According to data recently published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), national vaccine coverage among kindergarten children during the 2020-2021 school year dropped from 95% to lower than 94%. While that might not seem like a big decline at face value, the 1% dip represents more than 35,000 children.

Dr. Rebecca Sierra is an OSF HealthCare pediatrician in Bloomington, Illinois. She says the downward trend in inoculations is most likely a side effect of the pandemic.

“I think the problem has been with COVID just getting people into the office, keeping them up to date on their visits and up to date on their vaccines,” explains Dr. Sierra. “So I think because people were trying to stay away, or maybe not enrolling in school, we've kind of missed the opportunity to vaccinate some of those kids.”

Dr. Sierra says while her office has not seen a sharp decline in the demand for routine vaccinations, the CDC’s findings remain concerning. A decrease in vaccination rates could result in fewer communities maintaining herd immunity for preventable diseases like measles, mumps and whooping cough.

“We want a certain percentage of kids to be vaccinated in order to have herd immunity to keep those viruses out of the community. So as that number goes down, we're increasing the risk of those viruses like measles and things that we don't typically see making a comeback and circulating again,” says Dr. Sierra.

Dr. Sierra says the key to bucking this trend is for parents to keep up with yearly well-child visits. These visits are an important component to keeping up with routine immunizations, allowing pediatricians to remind parents about recommended vaccines and vaccination schedules and to address any concerns parents may have regarding their child’s health.

“If they haven't had a routine physical within the last year they definitely need to check in and make sure that there's nothing that we're missing,” she urges. “I know a lot of offices do go through and try to contact some of those patients, but we don't always have up to date contact information. So definitely, if they haven't been seen by a provider within the last year, I would definitely reach out and make sure that we're not missing anything for them.”

If you have questions about your child’s vaccination schedule or about vaccines in general, Dr. Sierra recommends reaching out to your child’s pediatrician. You can also check for overdue vaccinations, ask questions or schedule an appointment on OSF MyChart.

If your child doesn’t have a pediatrician you can find one at osfhealthcare.org.

Interview Clips - Dr. Rebecca Sierra

A little device making a big difference

Wed, 22 Jun 2022 12:20:18 -0500

Journey Lindstrom weighed barely over three pounds when she was born prematurely at 34 weeks gestation. Among other complications, she had a patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), which meant there was a hole that didn’t close between her aorta and the pulmonary artery. All babies have a PDA at the time of birth, and it typically closes in full-term babies. But in preterm babies, it's still there until they've reached term and then it's supposed to close. When it doesn’t, these babies are fighting an even bigger uphill battle.

“It can cause them to have respiratory distress, be on a ventilator for a long time. It can cause feeding problems, necrotizing enterocolitis, it can cause chronic lung disease, it can cause - at times - pulmonary vein stenosis because of increased flow to that particular lung from the PDA itself,” explains Priti Patel, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Journey’s PDA did not close on its own and that caused her heart to start failing when she was just two weeks old. She had difficulty feeding and breathing and was facing other challenges. It was a scary time for her parents.

“After that we found out she had more holes in her heart than we originally had known about but they were really small. We had stayed in the hospital for 10 weeks. She had the PDA which was still not closing, they tried two weeks-worth of medication to try to close it - it didn't close. Then Dr. Patel had told us about this Piccolo device,” remembers Heather Lindstrom, Journey’s mother.

The Piccolo device was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2019 for use in premature babies. Less than the size of a pencil eraser at four millimeters, it's one of the smallest devices that can be used to close a PDA. It doesn’t require surgery but is fed through a vein in the leg into the heart. After thoroughly vetting it to make sure it was safe, doctors at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria used the Piccolo device to fix Journey’s heart in 2021 when she was less than two months old.

“Because their heart is so small, it's almost the size of a peanut trying to get through there. And doing the procedure would run the risk of damaging the tricuspid valve. So I wanted to make sure that they were not reports of too many problems or complications with it before doing it here,” says Dr. Patel.

“Almost immediately after she had the surgery, you'd notice the difference of her feeding and stuff like that. She was breathing easier and wasn't as tired and she went from eating just a couple of mils to eight to 10 and then all sudden just kept going up from there. I can't believe this little thing did all this for us,” says Lindstrom.

Adds Dr. Patel: “We were able to successfully close her PDA using the one of the smallest devices that we have. And then after that she was able to feed by mouth did not need the NG and she went home and she's doing well and she's doing great. We were able to do it through the vein, we did not even access the artery in her case, because of the risk of causing a clot or anything in the artery. So that's why we did it with just the femoral vein.”

OSF Children’s Hospital is one of a limited number of centers – and the only one in downstate Illinois – to offer the Piccolo device (Journey and her family live in East Moline, Illinois and make the trip to Peoria.). Doctors have performed five such procedures to date, one on a baby weighing just over 1.5 pounds. It takes an entire team of caregivers for the procedure to be successful.

“It's definitely not (something) you can get anywhere in the country. It has to be a good setup like we have here. You have to have cardiologists who are trained with the procedure and we certainly do have that at OSF,” says Subhrajit Lahiri, M.D., also a pediatric cardiologist with OSF Children’s Hospital.

“The procedure is actually very safe. In fact, what the studies have shown that if you're using a Piccolo device, the smaller the child is, the safer it is. And the reason being this PDA the one we close, get short with age. So the longer the duct is we have more room to put the device in and when they get bigger, they actually get smaller.”

In the past doctors would have to use a surgical option to treat neonates with PDAs, and that can come with other potential complications. Doctors say placing the Piccolo device is a quick procedure with a fast recovery getting the baby back on track and growing.

“When I started my career, we didn't have this device. So it was always a struggle for the child for the team what to do now because we have a PDA it's bothering the child we can’t move on. We can get surgery, but you of course think about the consequences of recovery. And now when I see the device and being able to use it in the small children, I think it makes a big difference for not only for the child of course for the child and also for us in having this option easily available and as a safe option,” says Dr. Lahiri.

“We can help those babies so that they can come off the ventilator sooner be able to feed sooner, because the PDA does cause a lot of complications from that standpoint. So it is very exciting for us and for the parents,” add Dr. Patel.

Journey is now 15 months old and her mom says she is a typical toddler. She says nothing slows her down and Journey is as silly, fun and loving as they come. Although she is still tiny, Heather says Journey epitomizes the saying "big things come in small packages!" She enjoys being in the pool, playing fetch with the family beagle, chasing her big sister around, and will soon become a big sister herself.

As for other parents who might be facing a similar situation or might be hesitant to try the Piccolo, Heather has this advice:

“100% do it, I mean, she's just doing so great and it was so fast. I was really losing hope that we would ever get to leave the NICU, but it was just such a quick turnaround. And she's doing amazing!”

Learn more about the congenital heart program at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Heather Lindstrom, mother, interview clips

Dr. Priti Patel interview clips

Dr. Subhrajit Lahiri interview clips (pronounced Sue-bra-git La-hear-ee)

Journey Lindstrom Broll

Piccolo device Broll

Baby Formula Shortage: A Pediatrician’s Advice

Thu, 19 May 2022 10:38:08 -0500

Across the United States, parents of formula-fed infants are being met with empty store shelves, as a nation-wide shortage of baby formula continues.

In February there was a massive baby formula recall from a major supplier in the U.S., Abbott Nutrition, after reports of infant hospitalizations and two deaths were linked to a bacterial infection stemming from formula. The Michigan-based plant has been shut down since – adding fuel to an already volatile situation, as formula availability was previously strained by supply chain issues.

Dr. Terry Ho is an OSF HealthCare pediatrician. He says he and his peers are getting questions daily from parents wondering what to do if their formula supply dries up completely.

“Definitely it has been an issue, and we're getting a lot of phone calls and contacts from families about what's the next step and what to do. And that's really what we recommend families to do, is contact us. Contact your pediatrician and we can hopefully help guide you on how to manage, and what we can do to help you through this,” says Dr. Ho.

Some parents concerned about their formula supply have resorted to stockpiling formula – buying as much as they can, no matter the brand or type. Many retailers are putting purchase limits in place to discourage formula hoarding. Dr. Ho applauds this effort, as certain specialty formulas are the sole nutrition option for thousands of babies with special medical needs, making an empty formula shelf especially problematic for their parents.

“Some kids with some different medical conditions require a specialty formula, so we don't want to just run out and buy whatever formula is on the shelf. We want you to follow the recommendations, the limitations that are that are being set at stores. I think a lot of stores right now have some limits as to what you can get. And we also want you just to get what you need, because ultimately what we've seen through the pandemic is that a lot of times stockpiling leads to excess anyway, and there are, again, families out there that may need that formula,” he says.

Also concerning - as parents have become more desperate, some are turning to outdated advice or formula recipes they get from family members or find online. Dr. Ho strongly recommends against this. Not only are the at-home recipes lacking in needed nutrition, creating your own formula concoctions could be dangerous.

“Right now we're getting a lot of questions from families about different posts they're seeing on social media. We're seeing a lot of different old recipes for formula that used to be a thing. What we know is that those aren't exactly the best methods and safe methods to feed your child,” warns Dr. Ho. “Formula is a complex blend of nutrients, proteins, minerals, vitamins that are really difficult to duplicate at home. In addition, the formula recall really stemmed from a bacterial contamination that was found in the formula. We run that risk by making formula at home as well. There's a lot of chance that you may contaminate the formula as you're preparing it, and so we really want to shy away from making your own formula.”

Watering down formula to make it last longer can also be a dangerous decision. Too much water in baby formula not only changes its nutritional profile, but also changes the composition of the formula, increasing the risk of causing a harmful electrolyte imbalance in a child.

Cow’s milk is a viable option for some children, but Dr. Ho recommends talking to your child’s pediatrician before introducing it as part of your child’s diet.

“That is something that we want you to contact us with because there is a little bit of a gray zone. We normally recommend holding off on starting milk until your child turns one. But in a situation like this, there may be some children that actually can get that milk a little bit earlier, but we want to help walk you through that and make sure that your child would do well with that and wouldn't have any issues,” says Dr. Ho.

While the Abbott plant is expected to reopen and start production in the coming weeks, a noticeable change to supply could still be months away. Until then, both the Illinois Department of Human Services and Michigan’s Health and Human Services Department have resources on their websites for parents in search of formula, including specifics for WIC program participants. Dr. Ho says pediatricians are also available to help guide parents through accessing services. The bottom line, he says, is to keep an open line of communication with your child’s doctor.

“We want to be your contact for questions about health for your child, both when they're sick or ill, but also on their day-to-day health, which includes their general diet. And so if you have those questions, we want you to reach out. You should be able to reach out to us whether through a phone call or through our MyChart or through the internet, or if you are in the office. These are questions that we receive daily from families, and we want to be able to help guide you through these difficult situations.”

If you don’t have a pediatrician, you can find one at osfhealthcare.org.

Interview Clips - Dr. Terry Ho, OSF HealthCare Pediatrician

Multi-Nation Child Hepatitis Outbreak Investigated

Fri, 13 May 2022 10:52:50 -0500

Health officials are working to learn more about a concerning outbreak of serious liver disease in children in Europe and the United States.

Reported cases of “acute hepatitis of unknown origin” in young children continue to climb. According to the latest data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, there are 450 reported cases worldwide, which is nearly double the 228 cases the World Health Organization reported last week. This includes three cases in Illinois. So far this outbreak has resulted in dozens of hospitalizations around the globe and has required liver transplants in some children, while 11 have died. The children’s ages range from one month to 16 years old.

In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is currently working with health departments across the country to identify children with hepatitis of unknown cause.

Researchers are scrambling to find the cause of this illness, and while it hasn’t been confirmed, it is believed a common virus among children, adenovirus, could be involved. Many of the children impacted have also tested positive for a variation of the virus called adenovirus 41.

“I definitely think it's a major concern and something that we all need to be alert and be aware of,” says Dr. Rebecca Sierra, an OSF HealthCare Pediatrician. “It seems like most recently, the cases that we're seeing may be linked to a common cold virus called adenovirus. We see adenovirus all the time; it's a little bit surprising that we're seeing this major side effect from that virus.”

Hepatitis, or severe liver inflammation, is indicated by excessively high liver enzyme levels and can be caused by a number of viruses. While the most common types include hepatitis A, B, C or D, this infection – often affecting previously healthy children – is not related.

“Hepatitis just means inflammation of the liver,” explains Dr. Sierra. “A lot of people associate hepatitis with the hepatitis viruses like hepatitis A, B or C, but it can be from any virus. Recently, the increase in hepatitis that we're seeing is not linked to one of those common hepatitis viruses. It's linked to potentially a different, more common virus.”

According to the CDC, standard symptoms of hepatitis include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain and jaundice.

Many of those symptoms, however, mirror the symptoms of other, less harmful illnesses. So how do parents know when it’s time to seek medical help? Dr. Sierra says to pay close attention to your child’s symptoms, and don’t hesitate to call his or her pediatrician if it seems their illness is beyond the scope of a normal cold or flu. She adds - trust your gut.

“If a parent’s mom-gut or dad-gut is telling them, ‘something's not right with my child,’ you know, ‘I think they're acting off. They're more tired than they should be,’ or ‘the other kids had a similar illness and got over it much quicker,’ I would definitely encourage those parents to at least call and have us triage that, and we're always happy to take a look at the child if they feel anything just isn't normal,” she says.

Parents should also encourage their children to practice good hand hygiene and to cover their coughs and sneezes with a tissue or their upper sleeve instead of their hands. Children who have a fever or are feeling ill should stay home from school, daycare and activities to avoid spreading illness.

Anyone with questions or concerns about their child’s illness shouldn’t hesitate to call his or her pediatrician. To find a pediatrician near you, visit osfhealthcare.org.

Interview Clips - Dr. Rebecca Sierra

OSF Innovation childhood vaccination effort recognized among best in the nation

Tue, 15 Feb 2022 15:48:26 -0600

A project led by the OSF Design Lab that leverages data and artificial intelligence to improve childhood vaccination rates has received national recognition as well as $25,000 in funding.

The US Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), recently announced 20 winners of the Promoting Pediatric Primary Prevention (P4) Challenge, a nationwide competition to increase pediatric vaccination rates and well-child visits.

Design Lab Director Scott Barrows says teams at OSF Jump Simulation and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) are using machine learning algorithms to build artificial intelligence (AI) models to accurately identify geographic locations with the biggest need for childhood vaccinations and mobile clinics. The University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria (UICOMP) is supporting community outreach while Illinois State University’s School of Information Technology is building a vaccine management system that will help expand vaccination efforts for children in underserved communities.

“To be selected as one of the top 25 pediatric vaccination innovations in the U.S. is a testament to the commitment and collaboration of our Mission Partners working to improve community health,” said Barrows.

OSF Innovation has also developed digital tools to systematically collect information during mobile clinics to help address social determinants of health – barriers outside of a medical office that affect access to care and vaccinations including food, transportation, and income among others.

Barrows says the additional funding will help provide refrigerators for vans supporting mobile clinics, helping boost the number of vaccinations that can be given. Additionally, the new federal funding can supplement support for a vaccine coordinator position based at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois

Latest Jump ARCHES awards focus on medical tech solutions to address vexing health care challenges

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:46:00 -0600

Twenty research projects are sharing slightly more than $1.4 million in funding through the Jump ARCHES research and development program to address a variety of vexing medical challenges including neurological testing for children and athletes (such as concussions), migraines, and stress among nurses enduring pandemic challenges at home and at work. The Jump ARCHES program is a partnership between OSF HealthCare and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I) and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria (UICOMP).

The funding supports research involving clinicians, engineers, and social scientists to rapidly develop technologies and devices that could revolutionize medical training and health care delivery. Many of the awards represent new projects, while some will build on previously funded efforts.

“These projects highlight areas where OSF HealthCare and our partners are committed to making advancements, including: COVID-19 recovery, personalized medicine, data security, health literacy to underserved populations, support for those giving bedside care, as well as improvements in neurological diagnosis/treatment, according to Dr. John Vozenilek, vice president/chief medical officer, OSF Innovation & Digital Health. He adds, “We know digitally connected health systems, powerful data analytics, and new innovative approaches offer the promise of universal standard care and health knowledge for everyone we serve.”

“The grant awards reflect areas of tremendous research success on the U of I campus at the intersection of engineering and medicine, which began at our very own Health Care Engineering Systems Center,” said T. Kesh Kesavadas, director of the Health Care Engineering Systems Center at U of I Urbana-Champaign. “The Center has established itself as a leading innovator on campus where researchers solve problems faced by real clinicians in hospital settings with technology such as AI-based intubation and IoT sensor-based masks.”

Meenakshy Aiyer, MD, interim regional dean of UICOMP stresses collaboration and innovation are the key to advancing healthcare. “These Jump ARCHES grants showcase the exciting possibilities that exist when the best and brightest minds from across disciplines unite for the greater good.”

Highlight Project- Assessing Concussions in Two Minutes

Assessing concussions in both children and adults has been a challenging problem which relies on self-reported symptoms. Adam Cross, MD, FAAP is a pediatric hospitalist and clinical informaticist, and an assistant professor of Clinical Pediatrics at UICOMP. He also directs the Jump Simulation and Education Center’s Children’s Innovation Lab. Cross and his team have come up with a smart device application that uses a phone-based mixed-reality game to detect performance impairments such as those commonly seen in concussion.
Read the full story here.

Here is a full list-description of the latest Jump ARCHES-funded projects.

Video Clip with Dr. John Vozenilek, vice president/chief medical officer, OSF Innovation & Digital Health

OSF Innovation preparing to test concussion diagnosis gaming app

Wed, 19 Jan 2022 14:34:00 -0600

All too many times, high school, college or even pro athletes push to be able to stay in play after a hard hit during a game, or they push to get back on the field after they’ve been held out due to a concussion. While sideline testing is done, it has limitations.

The so called FlightPath application being developed by researchers at the Jump Simulation and Education Center’s Children’s Innovation Lab is a game that takes only two minutes to complete, so it can be used on the playground or the sidelines to easily confirm a suspected traumatic brain injury. Adam Cross, MD, FAAP is a pediatric hospitalist and clinical informaticist who directs the lab. Dr. Cross, is also an assistant professor of Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria. He says unlike typical exams, his app does not rely on someone being truthful about their symptoms, such as an athlete who downplays their symptoms to stay on the field.

“Because they want to keep playing - we term that ‘sandbagging.’ And the current tests that we have really don’t protect against sandbagging. They’re so reliant on people being honest with their symptoms that if somebody doesn’t want to tell you, there’s not a whole lot you can do. But this application that we’re using is meant to test all of the different ways in which a concussion can manifest, and there are many.”

Eventually the app could be downloaded for an Apple or Android device and will measure the physical, perceptual, and visual impairments caused by a brain injury. The game asks the user to capture a virtual hummingbird within the user’s actual environment – which is how the “mixed reality” is created.

Dr. Cross explains, “We have a set of complex algorithms that determine how the bird should fly in that space to better test your abilities. If it detects you’re having trouble in a certain way, it actually will go back and test that kind of movement to get a good sense of what’s going on with that particular impairment.”

The mixed reality system also requires the individual to move around physically to follow the hummingbird which tests the user’s coordination and balance.

“That actually requires you to not only move your hands and arms up and down but also reqires moving throughout the room (or location). You have to walk, you have to turn, you have to look up and down and all that requires vision; it requires reaction time to move with the hummingbird. It requires balance and it also requires a little bit of memory as you watch the bird leave the screen and figure out where it was going if it goes very quickly. It adapts itself to your performance in order to best test that threshold where you start having trouble.”

The game app creates thousands of data points every minute which are analyzed using machine learning techniques. Those results can speed up time to diagnosis which improves treatment and recovery. It also helps a person’s care team understand how impairments are improving over time. While current tests can be memorized after a few sessions, the FlightPath app has randomized but constrained paths that are never identical, which prevents the user from simply memorizing the hummingbird’s flight pattern.

Dr. Cross has applied for additional federal grants, to supplement grant funding through the Jump ARCHES program, speed up development and testing, which will include offering free downloads and small incentives for individuals with no symptoms of a concussion to play the game. That data will provide a necessary performance baseline for comparison against other users with known manifestations of concussion.

While the app could be ready for pilot testing within six months, Dr. Cross says it could take a few years for the federal Food and Drug Administration to approve for clinical use.

Video Clips with Dr. Adam Cross, pediatrician hospitalist and informaticist, OSF HealthCare

B-roll of FlightPath app in use

Forging the Path – TAVR for Congenital Heart

Fri, 10 Dec 2021 08:07:55 -0600

Two teams of OSF HealthCare heart specialists worked together to give a 30 year old congenital heart patient a new lease on life, without the need for open heart surgery. The route they took put Kayla Pepmeyer on the map – she is now one of the only adult congenital heart patients in the world to receive a new heart valve via transcatheter aortic valve replacement, or the TAVR approach.

TAVR is typically a procedure for patients with severe aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve opening). It uses a balloon-expandable aortic heart valve – placing it into the body via a catheter-based delivery system. The valve is designed to replace a patient’s diseased aortic valve while the heart continues to beat – avoiding the need for open heart surgery which requires stopping the patient’s heart.

In Pepmeyer’s case, a heart valve that was surgically replaced several years ago was beginning to fail, and it now needed to be replaced as soon as possible.

“One of her valves, the tricuspid valve, did not form. So half of her heart didn't form, including the right ventricle, which pumps blood to her lungs. She was left with one single pumping chamber which only pumped blood to her body, so she required several surgeries to redirect the blood flow to her lungs,” said Dr. Marc Knepp, pediatric cardiologist and director of the Adult Congenital Heart Program at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Usually TAVR is performed on high-risk and intermediate-risk patients with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis. While randomized TAVR trials for low-risk patients are underway, using the approach for adult congenital patients is a new procedural frontier. Pepmeyer was willing to forge the path.

“I've always been the one where they say, ‘we’ve never done this before, but we're going to do it, and if it works, awesome. If not, we'll figure something else out.’ So I've always been that guinea pig, per se. It's a little more terrifying now that I'm older, but it's cool to say, ‘okay, this can be done,’” Pepmeyer said.

Dr. Knepp has been working as part of Pepmeyer’s care team, and felt strongly that TAVR was the right move for her case. The numerous surgeries Pepmeyer has endured in her lifetime puts her at greater risk during large, invasive procedures.

“By having multiple surgeries, that increases the amount of scar tissue in the chest wall, the difficulty of getting into the heart to operate on it, and we know that multiple surgeries is not good for someone's kidneys, their brain, their liver, or even their heart function long-term. As patients with a single ventricle age, doing repetitive surgeries becomes more and more dangerous with more complication risk, and more risk for even death,” explained Dr. Knepp. “So trying to do things minimally invasive, or less invasive, are the ways to look ahead and to develop our field.”

The adult congenital heart team at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois worked closely with interventional cardiologists, surgeons, valve coordinators and other care specialists at OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute to create Pepmeyer’s surgery plan.

“Her case had a lot of complexities,” explained Dr. Marco Barzallo, an interventional cardiologist with OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute. “Her aorta is extremely tortuous. We normally try to go through the femoral artery, which is the easiest procedure, but in her case she had some other complications, so that made the easier way not very feasible. So we came up with a second, better option which is going through her carotid artery, which is the second-most, less- invasive procedure. In her case, this worked very well for us. So coordinating with them, getting all the studies read, getting to understand the physiology and what is at stake, and play all the potential options was actually a great experience for all of us.”

“Having that teamwork - that's so necessary for adults with congenital heart disease. Having providers who talk to each other, who want to help take care of patients like this is very important,” added Dr. Knepp.

The TAVR surgery was successfully performed in October of 2021, and Pepmeyer was on her way home to St. Louis after just two days in the hospital – a marked difference from her last valve replacement, which required open heart surgery and a lengthy recovery.

“I was up the same day and surprised – very surprised – about the amount of pain I was not in, honestly. I'm so used to having to hold my chest to cough and everything, and it was not that. It was easy. Up the same day and they were telling me I was leaving the next day,” reflected Pepmeyer.

Now the 30 year old mother is fully recovered, happily living life with her fiancé and six-year-old daughter. Both Drs. Knepp and Barzallo say outcomes like Pepmeyer’s are the success stories that keep them going.

“It's just amazing. It encourages us as we watch babies sometimes struggle a little bit after the their cardiac surgery, to know that later on they're going to be doing well. I think pioneers like Kayla help us actually prepare for the future and to make sure we're doing all the good things that we need to do when the babies are small.”

“It's one of the feelings that you live for,” Dr. Barzallo agreed. “It's not that you just do a procedure, but when you see someone come back to your office, and not just for Kayla, but every patient that has TAVR. It's very rewarding when you have someone, even the same day after the procedure saying, ‘I feel good.’ Normally after an open heart surgery, you'll have many tools and a wound to heal that takes a longer time to heal. But someone who has instant results and feels the difference right away is actually very rewarding.”

Learn more about the Congenital Heart Center at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, including conditions treated and services available here. For more information about TAVR, or to see if you are a TAVR candidate, visit OSF HealthCare's TAVR information page here.

Interview Clips - Dr. Marco Barzallo

Interview Clips - Dr. Marc Knepp

Interview Clips - Kayla Pepmeyer

Exam B-Roll

COVID-19 vaccine reduces trick or treating concerns

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 09:35:02 -0500

Halloween won’t be as scary this year compared to last year for one big reason: COVID-19 vaccinations for those who are 12 and older. Federal officials who discouraged trick-or-treating a year ago now say it’s OK as long as you take COVID-19 safety precautions.

Anyone 2 years old and older who isn’t fully vaccinated should wear a mask in indoor public places, including Halloween gatherings. However, Lori Grooms, OSF HealthCare director of Infection Control and Prevention, says that since COVID-19 is spread through the air, kids attending outdoor gatherings with others outside their own household should wear more than a Halloween mask, which isn’t designed for protection against COVID-19 transmission. But because wearing a medical grade or cloth mask under a costume mask could make it hard for a child to breathe, Grooms suggests finding a way to incorporate it into their costume.

“Let’s say your child is going to be a cat, get a mask on which you can draw the cat’s nose and whiskers. Or if they’re going to be an angel, get a white mask. Somehow, try to incorporate it into the costume,” Grooms suggests.

Community trick-or-treating events, or “trunk or treats,” are great because they’re outside and allow for droplets from someone’s mouth or nose to dissipate in the air. But Grooms warns that kids should stay within their smaller group of friends and keep a three-to six-foot physical distance from others.

“If there’s a group of kids at the door step, you may not want your kids going up to the door, especially if you don’t know who the children are. You might want to step back and wait for them to exit before you go up; again avoiding those big, cluster groups.”

Kids often find it just as much fun handing out candy rather than doing their own trick-or-treating. Grooms says those encounters are typically brief, so the risk of exposure is minimized. She suggests additional precautions if there’s someone at home who is immunocompromised.

“If you’re comfortable with your child handing it (candy) out, another additional level of safety is having them wear a mask or have the treat set out but off to the side where they can interact and talk to the people as they come by.”

Grooms says infectious disease control experts have learned much since the start of the pandemic, including the fact that the COVID-19 virus doesn’t live on surfaces long, so candy wrappers are not considered contagious. There’s also no need to quarantine candy before eating it. However, kids should still wash their hands before they eat their candy.

“Eating Halloween candy is no different than eating a candy bar you pick up at the grocery store. You want to make sure your hands are clean because your hands are going to have more bacteria or viruses on them than you would pick up from the wrapper itself,” advises Grooms.

The bottom line – there’s no one-size-fits-all approach. Parents should make decisions based on their family’s individual circumstances, such as the vulnerability of children and others in the household, including older individuals and those who are immunocompromised and could be more severely impacted by COVID-19.

As with any virus, children who are showing signs of illness should be kept at home to rest and avoid exposing others to their germs.

Video and audio clips with Lori Grooms, OSF HealthCare director of Infection Control and Prevention

A preventable problem: Kids and the need to vaccinate

Fri, 06 Aug 2021 09:45:37 -0500

The American Academy of Pediatricians says COVID-19 cases among children and teens jumped 84% in one week’s time with more than 72,000 kids acquiring the disease between July 22 and July 29. That’s alarming pediatricians and medical providers including Dana DeShon, an APN for OSF HealthCare who specializes in Pediatrics.

DeShon’s office and others across the Peoria, Illinois based OSF HealthCare Ministry are now vaccinating children 12 and older against the COVID-19 virus. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently advised that the vaccine can be given at the same time children and adults receive other vaccinations.

The Pfizer vaccine is the only one approved for use in children 12 and over, and it requires two doses. DeShon recommends getting pre-teens and teens vaccinated now so children can be fully vaccinated in time for the new school year.

“Now is the time we should be getting that vaccination to make sure that those kids that are 12 and older are protecting not only themselves and their family and those who they are around, but also their peers and younger kids who have not been able to get that vaccination because they’re not eligible or old enough to get that.”

Research indicates the delta variant is associated with an estimated 60% higher risk of household transmission than the alpha variant, which was already much more transmissible than the original version of the virus. There are also suggestions the delta variant could carry a much higher risk of hospital admission in unvaccinated individuals.

DeShon says children can get very sick or suffer long-term complications, particularly if they acquire multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS) – a serious condition related to COVID-19 in which different body parts become inflamed, including the heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, skin, eyes or gastrointestinal organs. In the United States, nearly 4,200 children have been diagnosed with it.

DeShon also points out more than 400 children have died from COVID-19. She says as a medical provider, it’s frustrating to learn about those deaths because kids are dying from a preventable disease.

“It is definitely not as high of a percentage as what we would see in the older population, but I still think 400 is way too much more than we would see. It’s double the amount we would see in an influenza season.”

DeShon says if your child has had COVID-19 and plans on playing sports, they need a medical clearance due to concerns the virus may have damaged the child’s lungs and heart.

Falling Behind on Other Childhood Vaccinations

As an ambassador for a United Nations Foundation campaign called Shot@Life, DeShon and others lobby Congress to fund vaccine support for children in low-income countries. She’s concerned about children missing all necessary vaccines because the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted many parents to avoid wellness check-ups which also include vaccinations.

Parents are skipping vaccinations that should be given according to a schedule recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). DeShon says globally, the number of missed vaccinations is staggering.

“Statistically, I think we’re still about 23 million doses behind for missing those vaccinations. We haven’t seen anything lag like this since about 2009, so it’s been a long time since we’ve seen any problems with this. And it’s not just a United States problem, it’s a worldwide problem.”

There are 14 diseases that can be prevented through childhood immunizations.

“Those prevent about a million deaths in children per year. It also helps to prevent hospitalizations. Up to 8 million hospitalizations are prevented when we get those vaccinations.”

DeShon says more than 400 million illnesses are also prevented by giving those childhood vaccinations. The impact of not vaccinating children has been seen with outbreaks in areas with low vaccination rates. For example, two years ago there were measles outbreaks in areas of the U.S. with resistance to vaccinations against the highly contagious disease.

Diseases that have been mostly eradicated, such as polio and meningitis, could return, DeShon says.

“That’s always the concern – that if we are not catching up those kids in those areas that we should get those levels of vaccination rates, that we will definitely see surges of those diseases that have been far off for a long time, now coming back.”

DeShon is also concerned delayed wellness visits could allow parents to miss developmental delays or medical problems that require intervention.

She also advises, if you have concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine or any other immunizations, do your research and then speak with your child’s pediatrician or primary care provider.

Video clips with Dana DeShon, APN at OSF HealthCare

B-roll Childhood vaccinations

OSF Children’s Hospital ranked by U.S. News & World Report

Thu, 17 Jun 2021 11:14:03 -0500

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois has been recognized as a Best Children’s Hospital for 2021-22 by U.S. News & World Report.

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois was recognized among the top three children’s hospital in Illinois and among the top 25 in the Midwest region which includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

In addition, this is the second year in a row the nephrology program, led by Dr. Vimal Raj, has been nationally ranked.

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings highlight the top 50 U.S. pediatric facilities in cancer, cardiology and heart surgery, diabetes and endocrinology, gastroenterology and GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology.

“OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois has a long standing commitment to excellent care for children. We are honored to be recognized nationally for the care our specialists and care teams give our patients every day,” said Mike Wells, OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois president.

The Best Children's Hospitals methodology factors objective measures such as patient outcomes, including mortality and infection rates, as well as available clinical resources and compliance with best practices. RTI International, a North Carolina-based research and consulting firm, collected and analyzed data from 118 children’s hospitals and surveyed thousands of pediatric specialists. More than 100 pediatric specialists and other experts provided input through methodology working groups.

This year’s rankings will be published in the U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals 2022” guidebook in October.

For more information, visit Best Children’s Hospitals and use #BestHospitals on Facebook and Twitter.

Pandemic fuels regressive behavior in children

Fri, 21 May 2021 11:02:12 -0500

Parents with young children are seeing a variety of regressive behavior that pediatricians and therapists are tying to the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic. These behavioral changes are taking a variety of forms depending on the age of the child and the circumstances in the household.

For example, formerly happy-go-lucky toddlers are now clinging to parents or whining and 6- and 7- year-olds who used to sleep through the night are now climbing back into the bed of their parents or they’re having problems falling asleep. Kaleena Williams, MSW, LCSW, a psychotherapist at OSF HealthCare in Monmouth, Illinois, says some regressive behavior is expected when children experience change such as the introduction of another sibling or a caretaker change.

But pediatricians, as a well as parents, are reporting high levels of stress and anxiety that seem to be driving an increase in regressive behavior in children of all ages. Williams says in some cases, 7- and 8-year-old children, who used to be pretty agreeable and had no problem following rules, are now acting like they’re going through the ‘terrible twos.’

“So some other regressions might also be extreme on the other end of that – having those tantrums, having that breakdown, not being able to get back into the swing of daily and normal routine.”

According to Williams, the brain is impacted by stress, including unexpected change. Increased stress hormones (adrenaline, cortisol) can target certain areas of the brain that influence behavior. For example, the area that acts as the brain’s alarm center can cause children to become more reactive, anxious and scared. This can also heighten responses in children who already have been diagnosed with anxiety or attention deficit disorder.

“You’re also going to see irrational thinking or a lot of difficulty processing what’s actually going on in our environment,” she explains.

When the brain is in overdrive, the ability to remember what’s been learned can also lead to regressive behavior. For example, older children may start using “baby talk” or they can’t follow simple instructions. It’s the same kind of effect some adults are reporting as they refer to having brain fog or not being able to experience time the same way during the pandemic as they once did. So, Williams suggests modeling self-care by eating well, exercising and going to bed at the same time every night.

Parents working from home need to build in breaks and have a schedule kids can see. Williams says it helps kids know when they’ll be able to engage parents to ask for help, share a snack, or even to take a quick walk down the block and back.

Keeping a routine is equally important.

Williams emphasizes, “When we have all the inconsistencies and the unknowns about how the environment outside of our homes is looking, that is one thing we can implement within our homes – keeping that consistency with our structure and our routine so that we have that sense of security and stabilization for our kiddos during this timeframe.”

Build a toolkit for yourself and your kids

Regressive behaviors are a signal that children may be in need of additional support. That can be hard when parents themselves have their own struggles. Williams believes it’s OK to acknowledge personal struggles, using age-appropriate language. After that, she suggests talking to children about how together, they are going to build a toolkit to take better care of themselves.

“That can be done with progressive muscle relaxation. That can be done with deep breathing. That can be done with grounding exercises just to make sure we’re staying in the here and now. What are some things we’re seeing around us? And when we’re doing those things, it’s a great time to also be bonding with our children.”

Journaling, creating a gratitude jar and finding time for a creative outlet such as drawing, painting, dancing, or crocheting can also help. In her office, Williams has her own art on display and she thumbs through a sketch pad she uses when she needs a brief respite from work. Drawing, she says, can transport her briefly to another, less stressful environment.

Strategies for coping with regressive behavior should include using empathy, increased physical touch and comforting hugs, and other positive reinforcement. Williams says good communication will be important as we transition to more relaxed measures and children are reintroduced to a different type of pandemic-era school and social situations. Children should know what’s expected as far as masking, distancing and other behaviors.

“Even though we’ve had holidays before, we’ve had school before, we’ve gone to the doctor before, we’ve done all of these things – everything right now as we transition back, as we transition into the ‘new,’ it’s a new experience and it’s full of new expectations for them.”

Increased social anxiety is one of the most reported issues. Ease children back in slowly. Williams says start now. Include kids on social Zoom sessions with far away relatives and invite fully vaccinated friends or relatives for an in-person visit that includes some type of fun activity that can include children.

Most kids are resilient, and supportive parenting should be able to mitigate any lingering effects from the trauma of the pandemic. However, Williams says if regressive behavior or learning doesn’t resolve itself within a reasonable time, reach out to your pediatrician or a licensed therapist.

Video Clips with Kaleena Williams, psychotherapist, OSF HealthCare

B-roll-self care for when kids regress

A Wave of Well-Wishes

Thu, 06 May 2021 13:22:42 -0500

Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, visitor restrictions and other limitations have been challenging for loved ones and those who have been hospitalized during this time. While necessary to limit any exposure to or potential spread of the COVID-19 virus, limiting hospital visitors can lead to feelings of isolation for patients.

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois and OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in Peoria put out a community call to help bring a smile to the faces of their patients – even if only for a brief moment.

Using inspiration from what spectators do at University of Iowa football games when they “wave” at patients in the children’s hospital, the professional nursing congress at OSF Saint Francis decided to form a wave of their own on May 5.

Several hundred people including The Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis, Bradley University cheerleaders, law enforcement officers – including K9 units, firefighters, OSF leadership, OSF Mission Partners and other community members were on hand to spread some cheer to patients.

“The Sisters were here to show that the Mission is alive and well. They are supportive of everything that we do here and are supportive of those within our community also,” said Chris Karpowicz, coordinator of Mission Services for OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center and lead organizer for the event. “People want to be together, people want to be united. We've been away from each other for so long and we have been able to see each other to say thank you and to just show appreciation for each other and I think, hopefully, we come out of this a little kinder and a little bit more collaborative.”

While the actual ‘wave’ was just a few minutes, it’s hoped the impact will be long-lasting.

“I think this really boosted morale for those that are up there doing the care, but it also created a unified network of people right here that are working together to do that same thing and impact the lives of those to come to us for service.”

Chris Karpowicz video clips

Wave video Broll

OSF HealthCare welcomes Meridian Medicaid members

Fri, 23 Apr 2021 10:00:00 -0500

OSF HealthCare is pleased to announce that effective May 1, patients who are enrolled in Meridian Medicaid will be able to access OSF HealthCare hospitals and physicians as part of their insurance plan. The coverage applies across the state and includes access to OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, the only comprehensive children’s hospital in Illinois outside of Chicago.

“Medicaid is an incredible asset in the communities we serve as many of our patients count on this program for medical coverage assistance,” said Bob Sehring, chief executive officer, OSF HealthCare. “We are glad to partner with Meridian in addition to Molina and Aetna Better Health to provide options for Medicaid beneficiaries.”

Medicaid helps ensure that the health care needs of vulnerable patients are met. Every year, OSF HealthCare works hard to serve children, parents and caretakers, persons who are disabled and others with the greatest care and love.

“Last year, nearly one and a half million children in Illinois were enrolled in comprehensive benefit programs funded by our state and federal government,” said Michael Wells, president of OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “As a destination center that provides the highest levels of pediatric and neonatal intensive care, it’s critical that patients’ insurance carriers support and ensure members’ access.”

Meridian Medicaid members will have access to a wide range of health care services through OSF HealthCare beginning May 1. In addition to primary care services, members will benefit from in-network inpatient admissions as well as laboratory tests, x-rays, medical equipment and more.

For more information, members can contact Meridian Member Services at (866) 606-3700 (TTY: 711). The call center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Information is also available by visiting the OSF HealthCare website.

A Rare Child – Beau’s Story

Wed, 14 Apr 2021 14:21:43 -0500

To look at him now, you would never guess 22-month-old Beau Kientzle was different than any other energetic and curious toddler. But flashback to June 1, 2019 – the day Beau was born – and it’s a different story.

The first child of Trianna Stark and Brandon Kientzle of Morton, Illinois, Beau was born by cesarean section with no indication anything might be wrong. But just 12 hours after he was born a nurse heard a murmur in his heart. Beau was admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria where the search for answers – and solutions – began.

Tests revealed Beau was born with severe mitral regurgitation which means the valve on the left side of the heart was malformed and leaking badly. This was affecting the proper flow of the blood through the left side of his heart, causing heart failure. His doctors wanted to give Beau some time to get bigger and stronger before considering surgery to fix his failing heart.

“In most scenarios with this type of defect they can be managed medically, and surgery or intervention can be postponed until they're a little older and a little bigger. So it is unusual to have to operate this early in life for this particular problem,” explains Mark Plunkett, MD., Pediatric Heart Surgeon at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Turns out, Beau’s condition was fairly rare, especially how severe it was. For his parents, it was a time of asking a lot of questions and processing information from a variety of sources, including people who thought Beau might be better served at a larger facility in a bigger city.

As they weighed their options, each question and concern was addressed by the congenital heart center team at OSF Children’s Hospital, which was having its own conversations with other programs across the country. Turns out, it’s a well-connected network which benefits children across the country.

“Not only do we have the input from these individuals that are here in Peoria but we also have easy access by a quick phone call to any of these other centers to run the case by them or see what they would do. So I think we have a collective expertise that is as good as you're going to find anywhere,” says Dr. Plunkett.

“I think the most important thing for us was how comfortable they made us feel and how readily available everybody was. When we had a question, the cardiologist was there,” according to Beau’s father Brandon Kientzle.

Adds his mother Trianna Stark, “We are so grateful that was in our backyard, we don't even know what we would've done if we had to travel and be far away from home - it would've been a completely different experience. It was obviously terrible and hard to go through, but I can't imagine not being at home doing it.”

Following a week of discussions and planning, and just 28 days after he was born, Dr. Plunkett repaired Beau’s heart during a five hour surgery. After two-and-a-half months mending and getting stronger, Beau came home from the hospital. His parents say doctors continue to be impressed with his progress at his regular follow-up check-ups, and Beau’s parents know that somewhere down the road he might need another surgery.

But for now, Trianna says they are enjoying what they consider to be a typical childhood.

“It's just been great to kind of just sit back and enjoy him, finally going to be able to act like a normal childhood. It's been great to just kind of hang out and play with him.”

Learn more about the congenital heart program at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Dr. Mark Plunkett interview clips

Beau's parents interview clips

Beau Broll - 22 months

Beau Broll - 7 months

Driving to Increase Childhood Vaccination Rates

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 12:08:39 -0600

Despite the availability of free routine immunizations for low-income families through a federal program, many children are not vaccinated, vaccinated late for their age, or don’t complete the course of the immunization schedule. OSF HealthCare wants to change that.

Through a nearly $75,000 grant available through its Jump ARCHES program, and nearly $30,000 in state grant funding through the Illinois Innovation Network, OSF Innovation and partners are using artificial intelligence (AI) tools to design, develop and deploy a mobile child vaccination program for underserved communities in Illinois.

The grants leverage the resources of OSF HealthCare’s Innovation Design Lab where solutions can be developed, tested, and refined for practical use. Design Lab Director Scott Barrows says teams at OSF Jump Simulation and the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Peoria (UICOMP) will use machine learning algorithms to build artificial intelligence (AI) models designed to accurately identify geographic locations with the biggest need for childhood vaccinations.

OSF HealthCare is also developing digital tools to systematically collect information during mobile clinics to help address social determinants of health – barriers outside of a medical office that affect access to care and vaccinations including food, transportation, and income among others.

“We will be both gathering information, anonymous information, plus applying new apps and new ways to gather information about what are a community’s needs and some of them are quite dramatic," according to Barrows.

He emphasizes solving the root causes that influence why kids aren’t vaccinated is an important aspect of the mobile vaccination clinics.

Barrows stresses, “The social determinants of health impacts everything really and that is involved in almost every app and technological intervention we create. It is critical. That is something OSF has really focused on."

Another partner, Illinois State University in Normal, will use AI to create heat maps that identify geographic areas with the most concerning rates of under-vaccination, while also predicting the supply needs in high risk zip codes. By building on already existing data, Barrows believes the project can make a case for future funding to expand resources within communities. For example, the project could include a reminder system for families who visited a mobile clinic – to keep them on a routine vaccination schedule.

Elise Albers, Population Health manager for OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois (CHOI) says a significant number of children they see at OSF Children’s Hospital are not vaccinated or they’re under vaccinated. She acknowledges vaccination rates were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in the months where some primary care and walk-in clinics were temporarily closed.

Albers says a federal government program to provide free vaccines for kids saw a decline.

“Vaccines for Children ordering took a significant drop after March 13 (2020) when COVID-19 was declared a national emergency. So, if there’s a drop in the ordering of these vaccines that means there’s a drop in the administration of the vaccines.”

Low Vaccination Rates Pre-Pandemic

Even before the pandemic, certain populations saw lower vaccination rates, in part, caused by challenges for busy, working parents.

“Typical office hours for doctors’ offices and clinics, they may not be open on the weekends or into the evening and we know our families work various hours, various shifts, have different schedules so it can be hard to get your children to the doctor to get vaccines,” according to Albers. “It is something we expect to see continue even after the effects of the pandemic so it’s not going away.”

Mary Stapel, MD, an internal medicine pediatrics physician and OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center director of Community Care-Clinics, says the 2019 National Immunization Survey, the latest year for which data is available, shows nationwide and in Illinois, those who are more likely to be vaccinated are those who live above the poverty line and have private insurance.

“Those less likely to be vaccinated are those who have public insurance like Medicaid, those who are under the poverty line, Blacks and Native American Indian. So we do definitely see that health disparity within immunization,” says Dr. Stapel.

Data from OSF HealthCare medical group and multi-specialty offices shows for example, a clinic in Peoria aimed at serving neighborhoods with the highest poverty has vaccination rates 30% lower than in zip codes covering more affluent areas.

According to Dr. Stapel, there could be other factors beyond cost and access contributing to lower vaccine rates in rural communities.

“It does seem from the literature that there may be more cultural belief components that come into the rural health disparity but yes, rural areas, according to the National Immunization Survey data, have up to a 20% lower vaccination rates, especially looking at specific vaccines such as adolescent vaccines.”

Research shows mobile clinics improve preventive services, bridge people to care and help address social determinants of health obstacles. These grants will build on work already done by OSF Faith Community Nurses, the OSF Care-A-Van, and street medicine teams which have partnered with churches, community centers, schools and harm reduction agencies to address the unique issues within a neighborhood.

Albers says mobile clinics also increase vaccination rates because they allow kids to receive their shot in a setting where they are comfortable, familiar and where there are trusted leaders who have paved the way.

“We really are cautious when entering a new community and we know that there are trust issues, especially with vaccines and we really focus on making sure that we built trust with a community before we come in and offer services like vaccines.”

Flu vaccination clinics have also provided education to counter misinformation, and Dr. Stapel believes that has laid the foundation to help communities be “more vaccine ready.”

Barrows also thinks the grant work could provide a roadmap for dealing with COVID-19 vaccinations once they become available for children. The end goal is to have enough mobile clinics to positively impact kids’ health which, in turn, could ultimately lower health care costs by reducing care delivered at its costliest point – the hospital emergency department.

Scott Barrows, director of OSF HealthCare’s Jump Innovation Design Lab

Elise Albers, Population Health manager for OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois (CHOI)

Mary Stapel, MD, an internal medicine pediatrics physician and OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center director of Community Care-Clinics

B-roll of childhood vaccination

OSF Children's Hospital NICU part of nationwide read-a-thon

Thu, 10 Sep 2020 08:46:56 -0500

Even the smallest child can benefit from someone reading to them, including babies born prematurely. Reading helps babies with neuro-development and language skills and is a positive experience for families, helping to give a sense of normalcy of being a parent, even when their child may be facing medical challenges.

“That really is a great bonding moment, not only for them to get neuro-development, but also for families to be able to bond and interact with their baby, even for the most premature babies,” explains Kristopher Rosburg, MD, neonatologist with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria.

September is Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Awareness month. As part of the observances, the NICU at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois will be joining approximately 45 other NICUs across the country participating in a nationwide read-a-thon from September 14 – 24.

The ultimate goal of the friendly competition is to encourage reading by families and staff to the smallest patients at OSF Children’s Hospital with an expectation of reading to each infant in the unit each day.

“There're numerous opportunities for the staff here to be reading as well as for the families, and our hope is that over the course of this read-a-thon every baby would be able to go home with a book, as well as have families bring in their own favorite book to read to their child as well,” says Dr. Rosburg.

Donations by physicians and neonatal nursing staff have funded the initial purchase of books. Organizers hope to collect enough books from throughout the community so that every NICU infant will go home with a book as a reminder for families of their positive experience in the NICU at OSF Children’s Hospital.

“The family, even though being in the NICU was a very hard time and very stressful for a lot of families, that they could have something to reflect on that was a positive - ‘when you were so tiny I read you this book.’ And that can be part of that child’s life forever as a thing to remember Children’s Hospital and their NICU.”

Due to COVID-19 infection concerns, all books donated must be new. Members of the community can learn more about making a donation by calling (309) 624-0629.

Dr. Kristopher Rosburg interview clips

Kids Get Arthritis, Too

Fri, 10 Jul 2020 11:00:00 -0500

It’s not uncommon for a child to have an occasional swollen ankle, high fever or just a rundown feeling. But put these symptoms together and it may be signs of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), formerly known as juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

According to the Arthritis National Research Foundation, about 300,000 children have arthritis; JIA affects more than 50,000 children in the country. It is the most common type of arthritis in children 16 and under and usually causes joint pain and inflammation in the hands, knees, ankles elbows and wrists.

“Unfortunately, there is no cure for juvenile idiopathic arthritis," said Dr. Nuha Shair, pediatrician, OSF HealthCare. "It is an autoimmune condition and it’s a chronic disease. However, with early aggressive treatment the disease can be put into remission. There are ways to control the progression and the symptoms of the disease so that you can go into remission.”

According to the Arthritis Foundation, it’s not known what causes JIA in children. Researchers believe that children with JIA have certain genes that are activated by a virus, bacteria or other external factors. Some of the symptoms include fatigue, morning joint stiffness, blurry vision and appetite loss.

“One of the most common symptoms for juvenile idiopathic arthritis is joint pain, redness or swelling," said Dr. Nuha Shair, pediatrician, OSF HealthCare. "You have children that the parents are concerned about the way they walk, they’re not moving their joints the way they should be. Some kids have spiking fevers once or twice a day around the same time, some kids can present with different rashes, some kids have what look like psoriatic lesions on their skin, and some kids will come in with weight loss, decreased energy.”

Once diagnosed, the family is typically referred to a pediatric rheumatologist, a doctor who specializes in treatment and diagnosis of autoimmune and auto inflammatory diseases. A treatment plan includes medication, complementary therapies and lifestyle changes, including a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables and grains and less processed foods, sugars and foods rich in fat that can worsen inflammation. Exercises such as swimming, biking and deep stretching are also encouraged. In rare cases, surgery may be necessary.

“Management depends on the severity and the type of the juvenile idiopathic arthritis," said Dr. Nuha Shair, pediatrician, OSF HealthCare. "There are different types and the types are broken down based on symptoms and physical findings. So based on the type of disease that you have, that plays a big factor into management.”

While there is no cure, Dr. Shair says that being proactive and having the right attitude are keys to living with JIA.

“If you suspect your child is showing any signs of joint pain, joint swelling, joint stiffness or anything like that, get it checked out," said Dr. Nuha Shair, pediatrician, OSF HealthCare. "JIA is something that if caught early, if treated early, can have a very good prognosis. Staying positive is very important, staying active, eating healthy, are important takeaway messages.”

For more information, visit the Pediatric Rheumatology Clinic at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Video Interview Clips

Video B-Roll

Don’t Delay Pediatric Rehab

Tue, 07 Jul 2020 14:14:57 -0500

Parents always want to do what’s best for their children. Sometimes that requires a little extra help, particularly if a child has a developmental delay.

Abigail Harper, 8, has cerebral palsy due to a brain abnormality and receives physical therapy in school and though OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. She works on strengthening her legs, ankles, core muscles, and balance, which helps her overall mobility.

When COVID-19 forced schools to close, Abigail lost an important resource. Couple that with outpatient medical providers being forced to stop what were deemed non-essential services for a couple of months in an effort to stem the potential spread of the virus, it’s not surprising Abigail’s mother saw a regression in her physical abilities.

“It's just sad to see her legs get tighter because now she does have to get some serial casting done where they’ll put casts on her legs to stretch her, and I feel like if we had been getting therapy through school and outside through OSF that we would not have to do that, because we've never had to do that before. Even just the limited amount I can do at home is just not enough, she needs that extra boost of therapy,” said Sarah Harper.

“We challenge them a little differently than they are challenged at home, making them do a little bit harder things. So that keeps them on their toes and working harder.”

Saundi Pugh is Abigail’s physical therapist at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois. From March until early May, Abigail received no therapy services because of the COVID-19 pandemic. When she returned, her muscles were significantly tighter, which caused other trickle down effects such as her falling more, because of a loss of range of motion.

While there may have been some initial hesitation to return to therapy, Pugh says her team has reassured parents that they have always had a higher level of cleaning standards since they work with children and are doing everything they can to keep them safe, like thoroughly cleaning between patients and wearing a mask.

Pugh says a return to therapy has also been a plus for parents.“It's been positive for the parents, too, because it's really stressful for a parent and the parent with special-needs it's even more so. So they're having to do not only all the stuff they normally do but then extra stretches and extra stuff to make up for the activity they're not getting so it’s nice for them to have a little bit of coming in and getting reassured.”

Pugh admits the therapists have missed seeing their “kids” and have also benefitted from the emotional boost of them returning to therapy.

For Sarah Harper, the extra safety precautions are evident, and seeing Abigail’s continued improvement is worth it.

“It's very clean and everyone always has their mask on, they take your temperature. I like that the waiting room but there's not a lot of people in the waiting room it's like spaced out so you don't feel like you're sitting like right on top of other people.”

Additionally, the pediatric therapy team at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois has expanded its use of telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic for a variety of services, including video technology for follow-up visits with babies born prematurely and early intervention evaluations and sessions.

Pugh says telehealth has increased parental involvement in some cases, particularly in rural areas or for those who may be immunocompromised where travel to a center with the services they need may be difficult. Pugh says they are able to offer the reassurance or support a parent needs online.

Learn more about the pediatric rehabilitation services at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois.

Sarah Harper Interview Clips

Saundi Pugh Interview Clips

Pediatric Physical Therapy Broll

Keeping Babies Safe in the Sun

Thu, 02 Jul 2020 13:39:03 -0500

From BBQs to beach time, plenty of families are planning on some outdoor fun this summer. During their time in the sun, parents need to make sure their kids are covered, and there are plenty of SPF options available. But for parents of infants under six months, sun protection isn’t that simple. A majority of sunscreens made specifically for kids or even babies aren’t recommended for babies under six months of age.

“A baby’s skin is thinner and more delicate than an adult’s and burns and irritates more easily,” explained Dr. Ameera Nauman, a pediatrician at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony’s Health Center in Alton. “Because babies have thinner skin, it is thought that they may be able to absorb more of the chemicals leading to rashes and other side effects from the sunscreen.”

So what should parents of young infants do when they can’t avoid the sun? According to, Dr. Nauman, planning ahead is your best bet.

“Try to avoid sun exposure by dressing them in light outerwear clothing that covers their arms and legs, as well as hats, to shade their neck and face,” she said. “If unable to do this, a minimal amount of sunscreen with at least 15 SPF can be applied to small areas, like the baby’s face and the back of his hands.”

The risk for skin damage and skin cancer is directly related to the sun exposure a person experiences throughout his or her lifetime, and the risks add up over time. Because of this, skin irritation from sunscreen beats a burn on your child. Dr. Nauman recommends applying the sunscreen of your choice to the infant’s back 48 hours before applying it to more sensitive areas like the hands, feet or face.

“This way, if a rash develops, a discussion can be had with the pediatrician about special sensitive skin formulas to protect against the sun. For sensitive skin babies, it is worth it to check for ingredients like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide which are hypoallergenic ingredients that top the skin instead of be absorbed by the skin,” she said.

OSF Children’s Hospital Ranked among the Nation's Best

Tue, 16 Jun 2020 09:54:56 -0500

U.S. News & World Report has ranked OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois - in the new 2020-2021 Best Children’s Hospitals rankings. OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois Nephrology, led by Dr. Vimal Raj, was ranked one of the top 50 U.S. pediatric facilities.

“OSF Children’s Hospital has a long standing commitment to excellent care for children. We continuously improve those critical pediatric services and it is rewarding to have this significant recognition of our efforts,” said Michael Wells, President, OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “We are proud of our dedicated faculty and clinical staff, who play a major role in achieving the good outcomes we are being recognized for. Their compassion and devotion to our patients led to this honor.”

Introduced in 2007, the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings highlight U.S. News’ top 50 U.S. pediatric facilities in cancer, cardiology & heart surgery, diabetes & endocrinology, gastroenterology & GI surgery, neonatology, nephrology, neurology & neurosurgery, orthopedics, pulmonology and urology. Eighty-six ranked in at least one specialty.

The U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals rankings rely on clinical data and on an annual survey of pediatric specialists. More information can be found online in the Best Children’s Hospitals rankings and will be published in the U.S. News “Best Hospitals 2020” guidebook.

One Mother’s Mission: Why Every Parent Should Know CPR

Wed, 27 May 2020 12:22:50 -0500

Becket Neeley is like many 3-year-old boys, he’s full of energy and never seems to stop moving. He loves everything dinosaur and can cite multiple characteristics about the various species. Hard to imagine, but if not for the swift action of his mother – and a CPR class she took – Becket might not be here or running around with boundless energy.

The Neeley family, including Becket and his younger sister, lives in Bloomington, Illinois. In the fall of 2017, they were visiting family friends in Chicago. In a moment of miscommunication, Sarah Neeley thought her husband was keeping an eye on Becket and he thought she was. When they realized he was missing – they weren’t sure exactly how long but probably only a matter of minutes – they ran outside calling his name and getting no answer. When they pulled back the cover of an above ground pool, they saw Becket’s lifeless body at the bottom.

Without hesitation, Sarah jumped in and pulled her son from the water. As her friend called 9-1-1, Sarah started doing CPR on Becket, alternating between chest compressions and breathing. Sarah had taken a child CPR class just a month prior as part of a moms’ support group.

"It wasn’t a very step process. It wasn’t we do this and then we do this," Neeley recalled. "It was just there, the knowledge was just there and I think had I not taken the class I would have been a lot more lost and I wouldn’t have had a clue of where to start or even what to do."

Cassi Adkins is the CPR instructor who taught Sarah’s class. As the birthing center supervisor at OSF HealthCare St. Joseph Medical Center in Bloomington, she knows the importance of parents being CPR trained in case of such an emergency. She says she was proud of Sarah for doing something, a point she stresses in all the classes she teaches.

"Most important don't be afraid - you know your skills. I taught that that was the key point I wanted my moms to go home with and my dads to go home with that night. They were all like ‘I can't do this I can't do this’ and I'm like yes you can," said Adkins. "In the situation don't be afraid to jump in and do it because there may not be anybody else who knows how to do it so don't be afraid and then get help there as quickly as you can."

By the time the first police officer arrived and ran with Becket to a waiting ambulance, the toddler was crying – a good sign. He spent the night in the hospital. His mom says there’s been no residual effect, Becket even loves to run and jump in the pool wearing his water wings and tells his mom he needs to hold his nose if he’s putting his head under.

For Sarah, putting the incident behind her has been a little harder.

"There's a lot of mom guilt that comes with it, I didn't know where my son was and there he was at the bottom of the pool," she said. "Also there was a lot of had I done this, had I just followed him or been watching him more closely this wouldn't have happened. And there was a lot of self-blame. And everybody said, well, you're a hero mom. Just keep in mind had you not known what to do then he might not be here or he might not be awake now."

Sarah makes sure anyone who cares for her children is CPR trained, and she’s on a mission to spread the word about getting trained to as many people as possible. Cassi Adkins plans to offer the CPR class to parent groups on a regular basis.

"We come to work every day as nurses and we teach the same skills over and over again and sometimes don't think about the impact we have on the community as a whole and to know that a skill you taught a family in turn went and saved a little boy's life is pretty incredible," reflected Adkins.

"You never think you’re going to use it until you do. I couldn’t be more thankful that I did," added Neeley.

Learn more about the benefits of CPR training here, and to find a class near you click here.

Community Advocacy Award Winners Announced

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 12:55:39 -0600

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois cares for patients from throughout Illinois and annually recognizes those who are making a difference in the lives of children. The 29^th annual Community Advocacy Awards were recently presented to the following:

There were two winners of the Bill Houlihan Professional Award:
Gail Eaton from Goodfield. Gail Eaton was instrumental in the initial development of the Congenital Heart program at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois in 1980. She has provided care, education, emotional support, and coordination of services for children with congenital heart disease. The team has performed over 7,800 surgical procedures. Gail founded The Organization for Understanding Congenital Hearts (T.O.U.C.H.), an educational and support network for CHD patients and families. In 1985, Gail was instrumental in bringing Family House to Peoria. The driving force behind Gail’s success is commitment, passion, and dedication to the complex care of CHD patients. Recently retired, Gail still leads with her heart for all CHD patients.

Shelley Lee from Peoria. Shelley Lee has been the “glue” of the St. Jude Midwest Aﬃliate for 30 years. Her career began as a Child Life Specialist and evolved into the Patient Care Service Coordinator. She oversees all aspects of patient services for children with cancers and blood orders. Shelley is Administrator for the Heller Center for Kids with Cancer and helped start the Dax Locke Foundation Camp Hope. Shelley navigates for newly diagnosed patients and their families, then works with their long-term care program. The outpatient clinic averages over 4,000 visits annually.

This award recognizes a professional who advocates for children through their work, going over and beyond the daily expectations to improve the lives of children.

Christine Zak-Edmonds Volunteer Award given to Rev. James DeLoatche from West Peoria. The Rev. James DeLoatche is a retired Army Captain who received two Purple Hearts and three Bronze Stars. He now serves as senior assistant pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Peoria. For 20 years he has sponsored a basketball program, established in memory of his son, Julius, for approximately 50 boys and girls in 5th through 8th grades. For eight weekends each summer, players receive instruction, equipment, food, and support. James uses sports for young people to promote the healing of body and spirit.

This award recognizes adults who embrace children and their issues, offer their time and talents as a volunteer to improve the lives of children.

Joey Stowell Youth Award given to Kaden Moore from East Peoria. Kaden Moore, 12, has severe allergies and asthma and has been an OSF Healthcare Children’s Hospital of Illinois patient. Because of this, he has a heart for hospitalized kids and is an advocate for OSF Children’s Hospital. Kaden participates in fundraising through Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Extra Life Game Day, The Drive for Miracles Radiothon, and “Cookies for Kaden,” where he raises nearly $800 in four hours at a lemonade stand to purchase gifts for patients. Kaden’s humble personality and compassionate heart makes him a unique young man and a grateful patient that has the children who need OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois services and programs in his heart.

This award recognizes a person or group, 18 years or younger, whose unique accomplishments have improved the quality of life for children and/or teens in central Illinois.

Children’s Advisory Board Group Award given to the New Beginnings Worship Center from Peoria. In the past 10 years, New Beginnings Worship Center has worked to impact the lives of unserved children on the Southside of Peoria. Their annual Back-to-School Festival provides physicals, dental, wellness checks, and other medical services. This fun family event coordinates public services and distributes school supplies sponsored by 20 businesses. New Beginnings has donated more than 50 bikes to kids who have never had one. New Beginnings is planting “Parks on the Southside of Peoria” with the first one planted two years ago. A second park will be planted in 2020 to give children a safe place to play. New Beginnings Worship Center is a young church that has a heart for the city and the 500 - 1,000 young people it serves annually.

This award recognizes a company or organization that works continually over time, in a variety of ways, to improve the lives of children.

Dr. Mary Schultz Physician Award given to Dr. Sally Jo Winek from Peoria. Dr. Sally Jo Winek is board certified in Child Neurology and Pediatrics, and works with the youngest children to older teens who have a wide range of diagnoses, abilities, and needs. Dr. Winek leaves no stone unturned to get the necessary information to make an accurate diagnosis, and to mobilize the best services for her patients and families once the diagnosis has been made. For example, when a new OSF Children’s Hospital treatment for babies who sustained brain damage from low oxygen levels during a diﬃcult birth process was initiated, Dr. Winek volunteered to get the additional specialized training needed to assess and follow these babies. In the last five years, she has completed 985 patient visits - including 358 unique patient encounters - within the Child Development Clinic.

Dr. Mary Schultz was a champion for children throughout her lifetime. She was well respected by all who knew her. The Dr. Mary Schultz award was created to carry on Dr. Schultz’s legacy as well as honor other physicians who spend their life bettering the lives of children.

OSF Children's Hospital now part of National Genomic Medicine Research

Wed, 04 Sep 2019 08:50:26 -0500

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois is now collaborating with Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine (RCIGM) on a research protocol to more effectively diagnose and treat critically ill infants with unexplained illnesses.

This commitment to clinical innovation and research collaboration will enhance patient care and further the scientific understanding of rare genetic diseases in children. The goal of genomic medicine is to personalize precise care for a child based on the root cause of their specific disorder.

“As the only full service children’s hospital in Illinois outside Chicago, it is right for us provide this kind of care for families,” says Mike Wells, President, OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois. “We have a history of being pioneers in children’s medicine, and we are pleased to be the first to bring this testing to Illinois and to collaborate with such a world-renowned institution. We believe children, and families, should have this care.”

The team at Rady’s Children’s Institute in San Diego has pioneered use of rapid whole genome sequencing (rWGS) to diagnose infants in intensive care and provide doctors with the most complete information available about the child’s condition.

RWGS is the most comprehensive and advanced genetic test available. Just a few drops of blood are needed to scan a baby’s entire genetic code for disease-causing errors. RCIGM swiftly communicates the results to attending doctors, typically in less than three days. Traditional diagnostics test just a few genes at a time and results can take weeks or months to come back. For babies with a rare disease, the wait for answers can lead to a lifelong disability or even death.

“In the past, we just looked at the big chromosome picture, but, now, with this growing technology we can detect even the slightest deviation in the genetic makeup of a baby that causes a problem,” said Susan Ramiro, MD, neonatologist and principal investigator, OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria. “We always want to look for an answer why a baby is sick, and the biggest advantage for this technology is for those babies who are very sick and we don’t know why.”

“The best way to think about it is when you are standing outside of a forest and you see a bunch of trees in front of you, the chromosomes are essentially each individual tree and you’re able to identify each tree and see if there is one that’s different than another. What we’re able to do now with the technology is not only look at the trees, but we’re able to go deep into the forest and look at a single branch and what part of the branch – if it’s closer to the leaf, is it closer to the trunk – and where those defects lie within the forest themselves,” explained M. Jawad Javed, MD, Medical Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois and Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

OSF Children’s Hospital’s participation in this initiative with RCIGM will not only help individual patients, but also help advance the science of precision medicine. With each new baby diagnosed, the pool of knowledge about rare genetic diseases and how to treat them will grow and be shared with participating institutions around the world.

“The only way we could make this available to our local children and families is because of the generosity of our donors. The impact on families cared for at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois who will benefit from this is immeasurable,” said Tom Hammerton, President, OSF HealthCare Foundation.

The first year of the program is funded, in part, by an anonymous gift of $200,000 to OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois. It is expected that more than a dozen babies will be tested during the first year of a two-year clinical trial in Peoria.

“It’s our privilege to team up with our colleagues in Illinois to make genomic medicine available to the children and families in Peoria and all of Illinois,” said Stephen Kingsmore, MD, DSc, President and CEO of Rady Children’s Institute for Genomic Medicine.

Since the collaboration between OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois and Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine began, two babies have been enrolled for testing. The results for the first baby turned out negative. The second baby in the study had several clinical findings where standard genetic tests were unrevealing. The whole genome sequencing (WGS) conducted at Rady's found a variant that could explain most of the differences seen in the baby. At this point, WGS is assisting in providing a more focused strategy in pursuit of further information that may help the medical team understand the infant’s rare genetic condition.

NBA Star Shaun Livingston Visits OSF Children's Hospital

Fri, 26 Jul 2019 15:42:12 -0500

He may be a 3-time NBA Champion, but Shaun Livingston never forgets where he came from.

Livingston, recently released from the Golden State Warriors, was in his hometown of Peoria, IL for one of his annual basketball camps and took time out of his busy schedule to visit patients at OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois.

Livingston says visits like these are important, just spending time with the kids and seeing the looks on their faces when he comes in the room. It also adds balance to his life and helps him appreciate all of the blessings he's been given.

Comprehensive Care for Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Thu, 25 Apr 2019 14:25:45 -0500

In recognition of its expertise in serving adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), structural heart conditions present at birth, the OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois Adult Congenital Heart Program earned accreditation as a Comprehensive Care Center from the Adult Congenital Heart Association (ACHA), the highest level possible.

Individuals with CHD, the most common birth defect diagnosed in one in 100 births, are living longer. There are 1.4 million adults in the U.S. living with one of many different types of congenital heart defects.

The OSF Children’s Hospital program is the first in the state of Illinois to earn accreditation and one of only 30 ACHA ACHD Accredited programs throughout the United States.

“There are now more adults with congenital heart disease than there are children in the United States and the ability to care for these adults takes a very robust specialized team approach. At Children's Hospital of Illinois, we have worked together with all of the experts it takes to make sure these patients are getting great care,” said Dr. Marc Knepp, Co-Director of the Congenital Heart Center at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois and Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria.

“Patients need to follow someone who understands their unique plumbing or their unique heart. Patients aren’t always the same four heart chambers that an adult has or the adult cardiologist is used to seeing. So someone who understands the surgery, the history of what has happened to this patient, and what the long-term problems could potential be,” added Dr. Knepp in explaining the importance of such a program for adult CHD patients.

Dr. Knepp was one of the first doctors in the United States to receive certification in Adult Congenital Heart Disease from the American Board of Internal Medicine.

As a hospital-within-a-hospital, the team at OSF Children’s Hospital works collaboratively with OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center and the OSF HealthCare Cardiovascular Institute for a team approach to care.

Dr. Knepp says that collaboration was key to earning accreditation as a Comprehensive Care Center.

“Not only do we have to understand the congenital part, but the adults with congenital heart disease can actually get acquired problems. So that same problems that you and I can get - coronary artery disease, heart attacks - things along those lines, arrhythmias, we need the adult cardiologist and their expertise to help us work and take care of these patients.”

The ACHA is a nationwide organization focused on connecting patients, family members, and healthcare providers to form a community of support and a network of experts with knowledge of CHD.

The OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois Adult Congenital Heart Program received accreditation by meeting ACHA’s criteria, which includes medical services and personnel requirements, and going through a rigorous accreditation process, both of which were developed over a number of years through a collaboration with doctors, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and ACHD patients.

Physicians Honored with Congressional Recognition

Thu, 07 Mar 2019 15:47:54 -0600

Three OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois physicians have been presented with a Congressional Record, honoring their careers dedicated to transforming the landscape of pediatric care in the Peoria community.

Dr. Stephen Bash, Dr. Richard Pearl, and Dr. Jitendra Shah were recognized by Rep. Darin LaHood (R-18^th Dist.) and Rep. Cheri Bustos (D-17^th Dist.) who presented them with an official Congressional Record, which recognize distinguished constituents for outstanding service. With over 75 years of service collectively, the physicians, who recently announced their retirements, cared for countless children and pioneered medical breakthroughs in central Illinois.

“An opportunity to recognize and congratulate these three exemplary physicians could not go overlooked, which is why I was more than happy to celebrate with Dr. Pearl, Dr. Bash, and Dr. Shah to wish them well into retirement. All three doctors have had a tremendous impact on the development of quality health care in central Illinois. Being able to highlight their work for the Congressional Record is simply a small token of appreciation for these physicians and I wish them all a happy retirement,” said Rep. LaHood.

“Having worked for a decade in health care administration, I know firsthand how important it is to invest in medical research and education. Every day, Dr. Pearl, Dr. Shah and Dr. Bash worked to improve the lives of Peorians and our community. On behalf of Illinois’ 17^th Congressional District, recognizing them with these Congressional Records shows our gratitude for their many years of service to the people of Peoria and Illinois,” added Rep. Bustos.

The three physicians transformed the face of OSF Children’s Hospital, patient care, and the community by advocating for the expansion of services for children and, later, the JUMP Simulation and Education Center. Their efforts were instrumental in the construction of the new OSF Children’s Hospital building, which opened in 2010, and was largest construction project in the history of Peoria. In 2013, the $51 million JUMP Center opened, redefining clinical training and revolutionizing patient care.

Video of the retirement celebration for the physicians is included below.

H1N1 Flu: No Reason for Alarm

Thu, 10 Jan 2019 15:08:05 -0600

2019 brought with it widespread incidence of influenza across the United States, with the majority of states reporting regional or widespread flu activity.

There have been reports of people diagnosed with H1N1 influenza, the strain identified in the pandemic of 2009. But this time around, there’s no reason to panic because the H1N1 virus that caused that outbreak is now a regular human flu virus and continues to circulate seasonally worldwide.

It’s also part of the standard flu vaccine along with H3N2 and Influenza B.

“Since 2009, H1N1 has been in the annual vaccine for influenza. This year we’re seeing the predominant circulating strain is H1N1 again, which was what the predominant strain was in 2009. So it is a strain that a lot of people haven’t seen, however, if you’re getting vaccinated, the vaccine’s very accurate for H1N1 this year,” said Dr. Brian Curtis, a physician with Peoria, Illinois-based OSF HealthCare.

Dr. Curtis says flu season, which typically runs until early March, is still in the early stages. Since the season is still young, he says the best line of defense is to get a flu shot – for yourself and those you love.

It takes a week or two to build up your immunity after getting vaccinated.

Flu usually starts with a quick onset of fever and chills with a typical bout lasting one to two weeks. While severe symptoms usually subside in two to three days, weakness, fatigue, and a dry cough can linger for up to a week.

There have already been reports of deaths associated with this year’s flu, including a child in Illinois. Most of the cases are those who fall into what are considered high-risk categories: those over 65, young children, and those with chronic health issues like asthma or COPD.

What’s alarming to Dr. Curtis is the increased number of people dying who either won’t or didn’t get a flu shot.

“When we look at some of the data, over 80% of the people that are dying have not been vaccinated for it, which makes sense with the H1N1 being the predominant strain – which is a strain that really hasn't been seen in the communities a lot,” explained Dr. Curtis. “And so you have a strain that really hasn't been seen and the people that are at highest risk are people who have chronic medical conditions – so the old, young, and now people that aren’t vaccinated.”

Dr. Curtis acknowledges there are a small number of people who cannot get the typical influenza vaccine because of a severe anaphylactic reaction to eggs. But he stresses that number is very small, and there are other options of the vaccine for those people.

Anyone who is concerned about their risk should speak with their medical provider.

Learn more about symptoms and treatment of flu here.

Bringing Christmas Joy to Kids

Mon, 10 Dec 2018 16:15:26 -0600

We are in the midst of the season of giving, and on Monday, the Livingston County Anglers brought that spirit to OSF HealthCare Saint James – John W. Albrecht Medical Center in Pontiac.

The Anglers brought in dozens of toys for kids at the hospital - toys the group has been collecting for months. Pediatric rehab patients swarmed the gifts, picking their favorites out of the pile.

This is the second year the group has collected toys for kids - something both the Livingston County Anglers and OSF HealthCare Mission Partners hope continues to be a Christmas tradition.

Evan DuPrey is an exercise physiologist at OSF Saint James Medical Center. He has helped organize the toy giveaway the last two years.

"We are a great venue to be able to give back to the folks we serve," said DuPrey. He continued, "I think that it's gotten bigger and better every year. We've got some cool decorations for it, so the kids love it, which is why I love it."

The Livingston Anglers have a rich history of giving back to Livingston County’s youngest residents. The group often hosts fishing trips and other outdoor activities for local area children.

The group will do a second giveaway for pediatric rehab patients at OSF Saint James on Thursday evening at 4:00 PM.

Grant Sparks Creative Child Health Efforts

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:48:29 -0600

Mark and Jeannette Kleine believe a life of good health begins in childhood and two years ago, the Galesburg, IL couple invested $1.5 million dollars into efforts to advance good health for kids in their community.

OSF HealthCare St. Mary Medical Center President Jennifer Junis says the local business owners were not interested in bricks and mortar but rather programs that would build a community culture of improved fitness, nutrition, and mental health, particularly for children.

The Kleine Pediatric Wellness Center, which is the name for programs to support better pediatric health, is tapping a steering committee with representatives from across the community, which has set goals and is now executing strategies. The most recent effort provided free flu vaccines to some elementary school children in Galesburg and surrounding rural areas.

“By starting a small pilot of giving flu immunizations last school year and then expanding that this school year, we felt that by doing that we were putting money and resources where we needed to to keep the pediatric population healthy and well and in school so they could continue to grow and develop,” according to Junis.

The committee has a goal of reducing school absenteeism by two percent in the next couple of years.

Director of Educational Resources at OSF St. Mary’s Connie Wessels, a registered nurse, says flu immunizations targeted fourth and fifth graders – a population for which the vaccine can be effective with just one dose. Parents were alerted early in the school year and were asked to sign consent forms.

Wessels said she worked to educate parents about the need.

“Kids can get very, very ill from the flu … very, very ill so whatever we can do to prevent that from happening, that’s what we want to do.”

A born educator, Wessels, also occasionally seizes the opportunity during the immunizations to deliver some other health-related messages to her captive students.

“The hand hygiene … hand-washing with the kids. Then, you can also even talk about ‘Hey do you want to be a nurse some day? What a great job as far as a career opportunity.’ I can do that as well,” she offered.

Other Kleine-supported Efforts

OSF Galesburg Clinic and OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois are also providing input on programs that have a track record of successful outcomes. For example, the steering committee also launched a pilot “Walking School Bus” that included recruiting and screening volunteers to walk students to school from one of two bus stops where parents dropped off children.

Junis said it helped adults and children get in a lot more steps every day.“We had our stop sign and our vests and we played games with the kids and we got really great feedback from the teachers that by kids walking … getting that first morning activity, they were able to focus and the kids really enjoyed it,” she said.

OSF St. Mary’s is also providing expertise to school leaders who want to create their own wellness teams. The community collaborative will partner with organizations such as the YMCA and Bridgeway, a non-profit in several Central and Western Illinois communities that works to remove barriers to community services.

In an effort to make sure children’s mental health issues are diagnosed and treated early, the Kleine Pediatric Wellness initiative includes making sure all primary care doctors and pediatricians screen every child for behavioral health issues.

In a recent Knox College Alumni profile, the Kleines said they believe Galesburg is making all the right investments: in education, infrastructure and the arts. With the couple’s help, that list grows to include better health and wellness for children who represent the future of the community.

Community Advocacy Award Winners Announced

Fri, 07 Dec 2018 12:26:40 -0600

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois cares for patients from throughout Illinois and annually recognizes those who are making a difference in the lives of children. Community Advocacy Awards were recently presented to the following:

Bill Houlihan Professional Award given to Katie Henderson from Bloomington. Katie is a licensed educator and founder of Music Connections Foundation Inc. (MCF). MCF provides Kindermusik - the leader in early childhood music and movement education - to children and families in central Illinois. Children receive an introduction to music education that fosters and stimulates emotional, social, physical, language and cognitive development. Katie partners with organizations and churches to oﬀer music education to underserved populations, including special-needs children, families facing challenges, at-risk early learners, and senior citizens. MCF received the Conductors Circle Maestro Award given to the top 1% of Kindermusik programs internationally. Over 370 children participate annually, adding up to more than 9,000 central Illinois youngsters served in the last 25 years.

This award recognizes a professional who advocates for children through their work, going over and beyond the daily expectations to improve the lives of children.

Volunteer Award given to Rose Gates from Danville. Rose is 83 years young, has worked for more than a decade to feed hungry children. She created Feed the Children which works with all the elementary schools in Danville to supply nutritious food for the weekends. A nurse by training, Rose developed the program, organized the volunteers, secured the food and raised all necessary funds. More than 400 children are fed weekly equaling more than 14,000 servings during the school year.

This award recognizes adults who embrace children and their issues, offer their time and talents as a volunteer to improve the lives of children.

Joey Stowell Youth Award given to Summer Nagele from Champaign. Summer advocates for those with and without disabilities as a volunteer for multiple causes including the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Special Olympics, Wishes on Wheels and Regulators Run. She helped start the Bunny Bash for MDA which raises funds to send kids to MDA Summer Camp. The Bunny Bash has raised $85,000 to date which has sent hundreds of kids to camp. Summer knows how important such an opportunity is because she has congenital myasthenia syndrome - a very rare neuromuscular disease. Summer is Illinois MDA Ambassador 2018-19 and was Illinois Miss Amazing Preteen 2017.

This award recognizes a person or group, 18 years or younger, whose unique accomplishments have improved the quality of life for children and/or teens in central Illinois.

Children’s Advisory Board Group Award given to the Small Wonders Miracle Walk Committee. This group plans and holds the Small Wonders Miracle Walk each September which raises about $75,000 each year to beneﬁt the OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. This 100% volunteer-led group is comprised of devoted NICU graduate parents, NICU Family Advisory Board members and NICU parent mentors. Funds raised have provided parent support and educational items, as well as purchased critically necessary medical equipment. Small Wonders Miracle Walk Committee has contributed over $500,000 to beneﬁt NICU babies and their families during the past dozen years.

This award recognizes a company or organization that works continually over time, in a variety of ways, to improve the lives of children.

Dr. Mary Schultz Physician Award given to Dr. Rick Pearl of Peoria. Dr. Pearl recently retired as Surgeon-in-Chief of pediatric surgery at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois after 20 years. Dr. Pearl continues to impact the lives of children by advancing pediatric surgery through simulation. During his tenure, his surgical group performed more than 1,200 procedures annually, the second busiest group in Illinois. Dr. Pearl was instrumental in establishing the Jump Trading Simulation and Education Center; opening the new Children’s Hospital building; bringing pediatric general surgery satellite clinics throughout Illinois; and participating in the American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program. Dr. Pearl continues to serve children as part-time Director of Surgical Simulation at Jump Simulation and Education Center.