Wolfson Children's Hospital

March is a big month for Family Support Services and today we're featuring Kara Williams! Kara has been a child life specialist at Wolfson Children's for over three years and you may have seen her around with our facility dog, Jude. ?? Q: What inspired you to become a child life specialist? A: I always knew I wanted to help people in some way and I had a passion for the pediatric population. Once I heard about the role of a Child Life Specialist in college, I knew I had found my dream job. Q: How do you help children and families cope with the hospital experience? A: I meet them where they’re at. I empathize with them, provide active listening, emotional support, and come up with a plan to best meet their needs and minimize stress while being in the hospital. Our education background is in psychosocial support, so we specialize in the developmental needs of the patient. It could look different day to day – one day I could be providing a therapeutic intervention to a patient that just got diagnosed with a chronic illness, or providing emotional support to a mom who has a newborn with RSV, and the next I’m providing procedural support for a patient who is getting a chest tube removed at the bedside. It’s difficult being in the hospital, especially when as a child. My job is to make it a little easier and provide coping skills along the way. Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about Child Life Services? A: I wish people knew it’s more than what meets the eye. It’s more than us just bringing toys to a patient or distracting during a procedure. We’re assessing everything the patient is doing – nonverbal cues, affect, tone, along with their medical history and background info, and we take that into account when creating a coping plan and providing services. We also are in charge of admin work like scheduling donations, student precepting, special events, creating lists for appropriate patients for our Art With a Heart artists, Wolfie Wagon, Wolfie Mascot, etc., and referrals to our nonprofit organizations. Q: What are some challenges you face, and how do you overcome them? A: When a patient doesn’t cope well, that doesn’t mean we did a bad job trying to help them. Sometimes kids don’t cope well and that's okay. It doesn’t mean we are any less of a child life specialist. Q: Do you have a favorite activity or tool you use to comfort children? A: My favorite activity to use for my preschool or young school age would be a water wow. But the one tool I love to use is my facility dog Jude when patients need coping or procedural support! Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a career in Child Life? A: Do it! This is the best job EVER. If this is something you truly are passionate about, don’t give up. It is a long process, especially when applying for practicums and internships, but it will be worth it. Keep working hard and you will get to the finish line to become a CCLS!

March is Social Work Month, and we’re celebrating the incredible team members who make a difference in the lives of our patients and families every day. Today, we’re shining a spotlight on Amanda Nowlin, one of our dedicated social workers, whose compassion and commitment help provide vital support to our tiniest patients! Q: What inspired you to become a social worker? A: In my undergrad program, I had a minor in Child Welfare. Our class went on a "field trip" of sorts to a child advocacy center for kids in foster care, and I fell in love with the idea of social work and supporting kids during their toughest times. I then went to grad school for a master's degree in Social Work! Q: How long have you been in this role, and what do you love most about it? A: I have been at Wolfson Children's for three years, specifically in the PICU for over a year. My favorite part of working in the PICU is being able to support families and patients in their scariest and sickest moments. I not only get to make bonds with the children but also with their families. Q: What’s one thing you wish more people knew about social work? A: I would like for more people to understand that social work does not automatically mean DCF. Social workers are clinically trained to support families and serve as a resource for many things. Social workers strive to make a positive impact on the community. Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a career in Social Work? A: My biggest piece of advice would be to remember that our job is to meet people where they are and provide them with the tools to get through whatever obstacle they may be encountering. Q: What do you like to do outside of work? A: Read and hang out with my wife and son.

Happy Social Work & Music Therapy Month! ???? Here's how our incredible social workers and music therapists provide comfort, care and healing to our tiniest #NICU patients.

Happy Music Therapy Month! ???? During March, we're celebrating our dedicated music therapists who transform patient experiences through personalized musical interventions that address emotional and physical needs. Meet Russell, a music therapist working on our Pediatric Behavioral Health unit! Q: What inspired you to become a music therapist? A: My love and passion for music and helping people. I've always been around music growing up, playing a variety of instruments ranging from piano, to the viola, the French horn and percussion. I was a part of several music groups, such as the high school band and the youth symphony orchestra. I have been a professional music therapist for about a year and a half and have been in this role for six months. Q: How do you help children and families cope with the hospital experience? A: By providing support and education on the Behavioral Health floor through listening to music, discussing lyrics to songs, and playing instruments with the children. All of these exercises help them relax and get their minds away from negative issues. A lot of the patients I see have anxiety or depression that affects their daily lives. So I educate the patients on different coping strategies and social skills that they can use outside the hospital through music and different music interventions. Q: Do you have a favorite activity or tool you use to comfort children? A: I really enjoy an intervention that involves drumming to music with light-up drumsticks. In this intervention, I lead different movements that the patients will follow, and the patients have the opportunity to lead in the movements as well. In this intervention, we discuss the importance of physical movement and how to incorporate music into physical movement to help improve both physical health and mental health. Q: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone considering a career in Music Therapy? A: Be yourself. Sometimes being yourself can help patients with their experience in Music Therapy because you are being authentic with them. This could lead to patients opening up and being able to show the humanism that we have in our profession. Q: What do you like to do outside of work? A: I love to travel whenever I can! I love to see the world and experience different cultures. Some of the places I have visited have included Italy, China, the Philippines, and most recently, Japan. #MusicTherapyMonth

During #ChildLifeMonth, we're highlighting how our specialists help kids navigate medical challenges. From play therapy to procedure prep, child life specialists transform scary hospital moments into opportunities for courage and healing. Watch Taylor Endicott share about her work in this video from Children’s Hospital Association. https://lnkd.in/eTBh5m9Z

Meet Russell! ???? As a music therapist at Wolfson Children's Hospital, he brings the power of music therapy to our Behavioral Health unit, helping patients find comfort, connection & self-expression through song. Follow along for a day in the life.

Our Island Babies are back! ? This week, every baby born at a Baptist Health hospital or admitted to one of our Wolfson Children's Hospital NICUs will receive a special edition onesie from THE PLAYERS Championship. Each onesie will be accompanied by a card with safe sleep practices, courtesy of THE PLAYERS Center for Child Health at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. To learn more about how we're collaborating with THE PLAYERS Championship, visit https://lnkd.in/epJdkrvW. #BaptistBabies

Join us for this year's Systemwide Grand Rounds: “Updates in Bariatric Medicine and Surgery Treatment Options in 2025!" Click below to register and learn more.

Congratulations to Frankie Boyer on his recent LOTUS Award!???? Frankie is on our materials management team at Wolfson Children's and was nominated by a fellow team member: "Frankie has helped me track down so many packages it is hard to count. He never fails to deliver. Whenever I have a lost package from receiving, Frankie is my go-to. He will not stop looking until he finds the package/s or what happened to it. He is proactive in ensuring my packages get delivered to all departments in the Borowy Tower that I order for. He does all this while keeping a professional attitude and lots of determination. He is truly one of the nicest young men. Thank you, Frankie, for always going above and beyond to help make each day run smoother." Help us congratulate Frankie on this well-deserved recognition! His dedication and determination make a difference every day, and we’re grateful to have him on our team.??

TODAY vs. THE FUTURE ??? Check out how our new emergency tower will transform Baptist Jacksonville & Wolfson Children's Hospital. Soon, our downtown campus will house 100 new emergency rooms, advanced imaging facilities, and expanded heart care services. This four-story, state-of-the-art facility will revolutionize how we deliver life-saving care to adults and children. ?? Don't worry - our adult and pediatric ERs will remain open 24/7 during construction. The future of health care is on the horizon, and we can't wait to bring this dream to life!