Our New Physicians - WVU Children`s Hospital Development Office

Artist’s Conception
EXPANSION:
An Imperative
This is a crucial time for children’s healthcare
in West Virginia. Because more and more
families choose us to care for their children,
WVU Children’s Hospital is at or near capacity
nearly every day. Sometimes we’re too full.
Yet the need for our services —often lifesaving services—continues to grow.
We never want to turn away a sick child or an
expectant mother who seeks our help. That’s
why we simply must expand.
With enough support from generous donors,
we will be able to build an addition to the
existing hospital to provide crucial services.
Our goal in the Campaign for Expansion is to
raise at least $25 million to meet the medical
needs of our children—our future.
You can help. See the donor information on
the back page of the newsletter.
Expansion Campaign Committee
C. Brent Wilmoth, Chair
Kenneth Cole
Vickie Cole
James L. Estep
Kelly S. Gustafson
William A. Neal, MD
Stacy L. Shearer
Aaron R. Yost
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Many babies born in our hospital are premature or come into the world with serious
health problems. These infants spend days, weeks, and sometimes months in our
NICU until they are ready to go home. The NICU needs to expand to accommodate
additional isolettes and to provide space for modern medical technology.
Family Resource Center
This will be a place for parents to learn new skills to care for their child at home - everything from
wound care to insulin injections to CPR would be taught here. In addition, this center would
provide patients and families with a place in which they can explore research relating to their
illness or health problem.
Pediatric Clinics and Research
To provide the full scope of care our patients need, we hope to recruit 10 additional
pediatric specialists. More doctors means more space will be needed for exams,
treatment, therapy, and research.
Pediatric Infusion Center
This unit provides outpatient intravenous infusion for children with cancer, immune deficiency
diseases, or kidney problems. To meet current and anticipated demand for these services, we
need to double the size of this unit.
Maternal Infant Care Center
We care for children even before they’re born. Seven out of every 10 births in our hospital are considered “high risk.”
These expectant mothers come to us because we have the commitment and expertise to help them. We need
more space for these mothers and their families. We are in particular need of additional space for round-the-clock
monitoring of mothers with high-risk pregnancies, as well as an additional operating room for unexpected C-sections.
Why We Give
“We’re so fortunate to have WVU Children’s Hospital. When
I see what happened with my own family and I see the kids
that come in there and need help—if we can help children
across this state, we can’t do much better for people. I’m a firm
believer that the only thing you take with you when you leave
here, no matter how much you make, is what you give away.”
Mike Ross
Mike Ross, Inc.
Aaron’s
Luck
Acorns have long been symbols of good fortune. Lucky for
Aaron Connors that, in his time of desperate need, WVU
Children’s Hospital was there for him.
Born at 34 weeks, Aaron and his twin, Ryan, both spent days
in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with other premies, but
only Aaron arrived with a serious congenital heart problem,
Tetralogy of Fallot. He had open heart surgery just days after
his premature birth, when his heart, as WVU pediatric heart
surgeon Robert Gustafson, MD, told his parents, was “the size of
an acorn.”
Dr. Gustafson had wanted to postpone surgery until Aaron
was older and bigger. But with Aaron’s strength failing and his
weight down from four pounds to just three, surgery could no
longer be delayed.
Sarah and Jeremy Connors feared the worst for their son. “We
couldn’t get our minds around how they were going to operate
on such a tiny little person,” Sarah says. But as they watched
Aaron’s medical team prepare him for surgery, Sarah said, “They
haven’t given up, so we shouldn’t give up either.”
For more information please visit:
www.wvukids.com
West Virginia has only one pediatric heart surgeon, and it has
been the state’s good fortune that he is nationally renowned
for his exceptional skill and commitment. Dr. Gustafson has
operated on thousands of young patients, and in many of their
households his nickname, Doctor Gus, is near legendary.
Aaron’s surgery, the most delicate of procedures, was successful.
“Our family is complete because of Doctor Gus,” Sarah says.
While Aaron, now 3, continues to be followed by WVU Children’s
outstanding team of pediatric cardiologists, today his heart is
considered fully repaired. When he grows up, he may look at an
acorn a little differently than most people do, having heard from
his parents the story of his surgery – and of the good luck that
found him and his tiny heart at WVU Children’s.
Visit wvukids.com for more about Aaron’s story.
SAVING
YoungHearts
One of West Virginia’s under-appreciated medical
treasures is the Pediatric Heart program at WVU
Children’s.
Fetal echocardiography is a particular strength
of the program, enabling physicians to assess a
baby’s heart health before birth. Detection of a
serious problem may indicate the mother should
The program includes the state’s only pediatric
deliver at a hospital equipped to deal with high-risk
heart surgeon, nationally celebrated for his skill
pregnancies. At the other end of the age spectrum is
and dedication; a large team of exceptional
treatment for adults with congenital heart problems,
pediatric cardiologists with experience at the
which remains largely the province of pediatric
Larry A Rhodes, MD
nation’s best-known children’s hospitals ; talented
Pediactric Cardiology
specialists. One of Dr. Rhodes’s patients is 68 years
nurses and support staff; and facilities and
old. Thanks to the success of pediatric heart care,
technology that are second to none.
an increasing number of patients are reaching adulthood with
Larry Rhodes, MD, is chief of pediatric cardiology. He trained at
congenital problems that can be managed if not cured.
WVU and Harvard’s Boston Children’s Hospital, and practiced at
WVU until 1995, when he left to practice at Children’s Hospital of
Philadelphia. But Dr. Rhodes is a West Virginian at heart, and in
2005 the state called him home.
Beginning in the 1970s, pediatric cardiologist Bill Neal, MD, set
out to take heart services to children in communities around
“There are larger Children’s Hospitals and better known ones. I
West Virginia, rather than require them to travel to Morgantown.
worked at two of the best. But our standard of care is fully equal
The program continues to this day, with heart doctors from
to theirs. Speaking personally—if I didn’t know this to be true, I
WVU Children’s periodically visiting Martinsburg, Parkersburg,
wouldn’t be here.”
Wheeling, Lewisburg, Beckley, Princeton, and Charleston.
With seven pediatric cardiologists, a pediatric heart surgeon,
“We’re truly a hospital for all West Virginia’s children, and seeing
an anesthesiologist dedicated to pediatric heart surgery,
them in their home communities is a convenience for them and
perfusionists, nurses, and other healthcare professionals
a labor of love for us,” Rhodes says.
dedicated full-time to pediatric hearts, WVU Children’s heart
program is large enough to offer nearly all the services found
The same warm spirit of service and caring pervades WVU
anywhere (an exception is heart transplants, for which there is
Children’s itself.
limited need in West Virginia).
“There’s a family atmosphere that includes nurses, doctors, and
Within the state, some services are uniquely found at WVU
other staff. We get to know many of these children and their
Children’s, such as interventional procedures for children with
parents, brothers, and sisters very well, and after they leave the
arrhythmias.
hospital we often keep in touch,” Rhodes says. “Ask anyone who
works here—it’s incredibly rewarding.”
More Than a Hospital
Tracy Coup, CPNP, PNP-BC
Nurse Specialist,
Pediatric Cardiology
Arpy Balian, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Bryan Funari, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Robert Gustafson, MD
Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery
William Neal, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Stanley Einzig, MD, PhD
Pediatric Cardiology
John Philips, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Malek El Yaman, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
David Rosen, MD
Pediatric Anesthesia (Cardiac)
When
Pregnancy
Is a Risk
Dr. Hochberg with new parents in the MICC.
Although most women have relatively smooth
pregnancies, some may experience what doctors call
high-risk pregnancies. A pregnancy is considered high risk
when certain complications—such as diabetes, high blood
pressure, placental abnormalities, severe obesity, and
other issues—pose a health danger to baby, mom, or both.
It is important for high-risk mothers to be monitored and
given the right care throughout their entire pregnancy.
MICC, these patients are advised on the type of care they
should receive and then return home to receive that
care from their local providers. The MICC also sees local
high-risk patients who prefer to be seen in the high-risk
clinic throughout their pregnancies. Also, patients who
encounter a high-risk situation during their pregnancy and
need care that’s not available locally come to the MICC –
some for extended stays in the hospital.
The Maternal Infant Care Center (MICC) at WVU Children’s
has the medical expertise and resources to provide the
best care possible for pregnant women at high risk.
One relatively new high-risk factor is drug addiction in
expectant mothers. Unfortunately, drug addiction is an
increasingly common complication among pregnant
women in West Virginia. Although these women are often
denied care at other institutions, the MICC treats women
with these issues.
“Many of our patients start off a pregnancy thinking things
are going smoothly, and then everything turns poorly
quickly,” said Charles Hochberg, MD, associate professor of
obstetrics and gynecology. “That’s when we step in.”
The MICC accepts high-risk patients from other providers
across West Virginia and the surrounding area. At the
With both normal and high-risk pregnancies, the MICC’s
goals are the same: healthy moms and healthy babies who
are given a good start on life.
Why We Give
“I support WVU Children’s personally because it’s the right thing to do.
The care they give to the children of our communities is world class.
The financial status of the family doesn’t matter—the child gets that
care. If you don’t believe it, go visit. It’ll bring tears to your eyes and
warmth to your heart.”
Harley Sanders
District Manager, Kroger
Injured Dancer
Is Back on Her Feet
In a matter of seconds on April 13,
2012, the life of Meg Throckmorton of
Waynesburg, Pa., changed completely. In
one moment, she was a healthy 16-yearold practicing for an upcoming dance
competition. In the next, she couldn’t feel
her arms or legs and was struggling to
breathe.
The trick she was rehearsing in her
mother’s dance studio—a standing back
tuck—was one she had done a thousand
times. “There was one other girl in the
room with her at the time, and she said
it was almost like Meg was suspended in
the air and then she came down on her
head,” Meg’s mother, Dolly, said.
Meg was airlifted to Ruby Memorial
Hospital’s Jon Michael Moore Trauma
Center, where it was determined
that she had suffered a high cervical
spine injury. She was admitted to the
pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) at
WVU Children’s. The next morning, she
underwent neck surgery, performed by
orthopaedic surgeon John France, MD.
In addition to being quadriplegic as a
result of the injury, Meg was unable to
breathe on her own, which meant she
needed a ventilator to breathe for her.
Jennifer Knight, MD, was the trauma
surgeon on call the evening Meg
arrived at Ruby and was brought in to
consult on her case. Dr. Knight is also
the first surgeon in the state to implant
a diaphragmatic pacemaker in an adult
patient.
The device, NeuRx DPS, is currently being
used in fewer than 35 cities nationwide,
according to its manufacturer, Synapse
Biomedical. WVU is the only center using
the device in West Virginia.
An upper spinal cord injury breaks the
connection between the brain and the
diaphragm – the brain can no longer
tell the diaphragm to contract, which
is essential for normal breathing. But
for some people who suffer this type
of spinal cord injury, a pacemaker for
the diaphragm can be put into place
to help them breathe. Just as the more
familiar pacemaker for the heart helps to
control the heartbeat, a diaphragmatic
pacemaker stimulates the diaphragm to
contract.
“They say you’ll go to the ends of the
earth for your child, and when something
like this happens, you don’t really have a
choice,” Dolly said. “We are very thankful
for the care Meg received at WVU
Children’s.”
The pacemaker is approved by the U.S.
Food and Drug Administration for use in
patients 18 years old and older. While Meg
was just 16, Dr. Knight and her team were
convinced that she would greatly benefit
from the pacemaker. The procedure won
swift institutional after it was determined
that the two-year age difference did not
put Meg at any significant risk.
“Meg fortunately was taken to one of the
few trauma centers that use the device,”
Dr. Knight said. “We started planning for
the surgery immediately after she arrived.
Everyone involved in Meg’s care worked
very hard to make this happen as quickly
as possible. It worked perfectly.”
When Meg left WVU Children’s, she
spent several weeks in Atlanta, Ga.,
at the Shepherd Center, a private
hospital specializing in treatment and
rehabilitation for people with spinal
cord injury and brain injury. While in
Atlanta, Meg was able to come off of the
pacemaker and breathe completely on
her own. She also began learning to walk
again. She returned home in time to start
her junior year of high school.
Our New Physicians
Pediatric Anesthesiology
Charles Honsinger, MD
Pavithra Ranganathan, MD
Pediatric Cardiology
Bryan Funari, MD
Pediatric Endocrinology
Brian Ely, MD
Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Ofelia Crombet, MD
Hospitalist
Yemisi Jones, MD
Chickajajur Vijay, MD
Pediatric Nephrology
Oulimata Grossman, MD
Pediatric Neurology
Jodi Lindsey, MD
For more information please visit:
www.wvukids.com
Pediatrics
Michelle Ruda, MD
Pediatric Urology
Osama Al-Omar, MD
Protective
New
Environment Rooms Open
WVU Children’s Hospital opened
three new protective environment
rooms specially designed for
pediatric cancer patients in 2012.
Dr. Stephan Paul with Brock
Yeater, first patient in one of
the new rooms.
In protective environment rooms,
air pressure inside is greater than
it is outside the room. Air flows out
instead of in so that germs in the air
will be kept away from the patient.
Such an environment is especially
important for patients being treated
for cancer because their immune
systems are often compromised.
The rooms are private, single-bed
rooms with a sleeper sofa for family
members. There is a curtain in each
room that can be used to separate
the patient’s space and the family
space so that each side can have
privacy. Because the patients who
will use the rooms are generally
those who spend a significant
amount of time in the hospital, the
rooms have their own bathrooms
with showers and provide families
with ample storage space for clothes
and other belongings. Each room is
also equipped with a television and
video game station, which was made
possible through a donation from
the Fringe Little League Association.
Charles and Kelly Helmick of Weston,
whose 3-year-old daughter Claire
passed away in August 2010 after
a six-month battle with leukemia,
provided input on the design of the
rooms so they would best meet the
needs of both the patients and their
families.
One two-bed patient room was
eliminated to construct the three
single-bed rooms. With this addition,
the general pediatrics unit at WVU
Children’s Hospital now has 29 beds.
Why We Give
“Just about everyone in our group has had someone, or knows
someone, who has been in WVU Children’s, so it hits close to heart
and home for us. WVU’s Children’s is an amazing place, with wonderful
doctors and nurses and programs that benefit the entire family. When
you have a sick child, you want to take them to the best place you can,
where you know they’ll be well taken care of—it means everything.”
Sharon Sisler
Log-a-Load for Kids
Mountain Loggers Cooperative Association
Reaching Out
As the state’s only neurosurgeon
specializing exclusively in pediatric
cases, John Collins, MD, makes it his
mission to be sure all the children of
West Virginia have access to the highquality care he provides. To that end, Dr.
Collins conducts clinics with patients
in Wheeling, Lewisburg, and Elkins,
in addition to the patients he sees in
Morgantown.
Once a month, Collins travels to
Wheeling, where he holds clinic
hours and operates. He also holds
monthly Medical Doctor Television
(MDTV) appointments with patients
in Lewisburg and Elkins. A nurse
practitioner is on hand at both locations
to gather patient histories and conduct
neurological examinations. Those
patients then come to Morgantown for
surgery.
“My philosophy of care is Star Wars
technology delivered in a Mr. Rogers-inyour-neighborhood sort of way,” Collins
said. “I’m trying to extend my availability
to everyone in the state.”
Collins believes the greatest strength of
WVU Children’s Hospital’s neurosurgery
program is the people who help him
treat the kids and families that come to
him for care.
“It’s very rewarding to work with
such excellent people,” he said. “WVU
Children’s Hospital is the people.”
Beckley Sam’s Club Is Country’s Top
Children’s Miracle Network Fundraiser
When it came time to kick off the 2012
Children’s Miracle Network fundraising
campaign, the employees of the Sam’s
Club in Beckley, WV, decided to “go big
or go home.” Little did they know that
they would go bigger than any other
club in the country when all was said
and done.
Between January and October, the club’s
employees raised $60,095 for WVU
Children’s, which is the only Children’s
Miracle Network hospital in the state.
To raise those funds, the Sam’s
employees and the community came
together for all sorts of events. They
kicked off the campaign with a 1980s
themed celebration. They played “cow
chip bingo.” They held a shopping cart
race with their store manager to see how
many carts he could push in 30 minutes.
They threw “Cheeseburger in Paradise”
events every Friday and Saturday during
the six-week campaign.
They also teamed up with Beckley Motor
Speedway for “Racing for Miracles,” from
which a portion of every ticket sold was
donated to Children’s Miracle Network.
The drivers took up a boot collection
during their breaks.
Club members donated at the registers,
and several charity nights were held at
restaurants in the Beckley area. There
were also hot dog, barbecue, and bake
sales, as well as an Earth Day 10K race.
For being named the top fundraiser in
the country, the Walmart Foundation
donated an additional $25,000 to WVU
Children’s Hospital, bringing the total
raised to more than $85,000.
Consider Making a Planned Gift
Remembering WVU Children’s in your will is a wonderful way to ensure that the goodness in your heart
continues to help children after you’re gone. A commitment to WVU Children’s is a gift of life, health, and
faith in the future. Learn more at wvukids.com
Make a Gift That Makes a
For many of us, nothing is more precious than the lives and health
of children. Your gift to WVU Children’s Hospital is a way to help
children when they’re most vulnerable.
You can learn more at wvukids.com.
Difference
Complete this gift form and send to:
WVU Children’s Hospital, PO Box 8200, ROC117, Morgantown, WV 26506
Step #1 Fill in Your Personal Information (Please print clearly)
Name ___________________________________________________________________
Address _________________________________________________________________
City________________________State ______ Zip __________ Phone:_______________
Step #2 Make Your Gift
(Gifts are tax deductible as provided by law.)
Monthly Pledge
I want like to make a monthly pledge over the next 3 years:
[] $10 a month [] $25 a month [] $50 a month [] $_____ a month
One-Time Pledge
[] Enclosed is my one-time $______gift payable to WVU Children’s Hospital
Step #3 Method of Payment
[] Check or Money Order Enclosed
[] Credit Card – please visit wvukids.com OR call 304-598-4346 to arrange
[] Stock Contribution – please call 304-598-4346 to facilitate
Step #4 Please Use My Donation to Support:
[] Building Expansion
[] Greatest Needs
[] Other ________________
Thank you for making miracles happen.
WVU Children’s Hospital Leadership
Larry Rhodes, MD
Interim Physician-in-Chief
Interim Chair, Department of Pediatrics
Michael Vernon, PhD
Chair, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Cheryl Jones, RN, MSN, Director
Executive Editors
Andrea Parsons
Dee O’Palko
Writers
Angela Jones-Knopf
Rebecca Diehm
Jay Coughlin
Questions or comments:
[email protected]
Inpatient and most outpatient services of
WVU Children’s Hospital are operated by
West Virginia University Hospitals, a member
of the West Virginia United Health System.
WVU Children’s Hospital,
PO Box 8200, ROC117,
Morgantown, WV 26506