Wolfson Children's Hospital

No one wants to spend their birthday in the hospital, but thankfully, our amazing team members are here to make our #WolfsonWarriors feel cherished and celebrated. Despite spending his 4th birthday with us, Jr still felt the love! ???? Jr's mother, Jasmyn, shared: "I wanted to take the time to thank Wolfson Children's Hospital for the care given to my son during his stay. Special shoutout to his nurse Makenzie who went out of her way to make sure Anthony had birthday decorations, a balloon and a gift when he woke up on his birthday. I am forever grateful." At Wolfson Children's, we believe that every child deserves to feel special, regardless of their circumstances. It's not just about medical care - it's about bringing joy to our young patients, one celebration at a time. ??

PAWSITIVELY JUDE! Our first and favorite Wolfson Children's Hospital facility dog, Jude, was recently featured on a WNEMTV5news segment - check it out to learn more about the awesome work that Jude and his handler, Kara, do for our #WolfsonWarriors. ?? https://bit.ly/3XZk34w

SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS: Our Kids Kare Helicopter turns 4 this month! In October 2020, our highly skilled Kids Kare critical transport team added a state-of-the-art helicopter to its fleet. Since then, we've been able to safely transport more than 1,300 infants and children a year from across the entire North Florida/South Georgia region. In an emergency, every second counts. Our helicopter allows our trauma team to deliver critically ill kids to the specialized care they need - fast. Packed with cutting-edge pediatric equipment, advanced life support systems, and a direct line to our expert physicians, this state-of-the-art chopper is ready for anything. Cheers to four years, and here's to many more life-saving flights! ????

Repost from Beth, the mother of one of our #WolfsonWarriors, Isaac: "A lot of parents have to put their child under sedation because they don't have a team like this one. This shoutout goes out to the Interventional Radiology Team at Wolfson Children's Hospital! Through the use of a continuous x-ray, this team ensures that Isaac's surgically-placed GJ feeding tube that bypasses the stomach and can only be placed in a hospital setting is done. They've come in on holidays and weekends due to an emergency for our family and countless others. They are always (ALWAYS) pleasant to deal with, even when I'm making that dreaded holiday emergency phone call. We are so grateful to have them in our home city!"

A Letter from Dr. Eric Sandler (Pediatric Hematologist Oncologist) to Mongolia Mission Trip Supporters & the Community: Greetings all - our 2024 Wolfson Children's mission trip to the National Center for Maternal and Child Health (NCMCH) has come to an end. Some of us returned on Saturday and the rest of the team is returning this week from a trip to the Mongolian countryside. I would say that this year's trip was not only the largest team but also the most successful trip we have had yet. It is so nice to see evidence of the impact we have had on the hospital and our colleagues there. Dr. Aldana and his NOF team are helping with the creation of a new pediatric neurosurgery service at the children’s hospital. This means that children in Mongolia will now be able to get the quality surgical treatment they need for neurosurgical issues. I can’t thank Phil, Carmina and Eylem for the hard work and amazing support they are providing the children of Mongolia. Dr. Fox continues his mission to improve the care that children with endocrinopathies and particularly diabetes are able to receive. We were so fortunate this year to have Dr. Trapane, a geneticist with us this time around. Our surgeons, Drs. Skinner and Gurien were able to both learn and teach helping with laparoscopy procedures and seeing cases they had never seen before. Dr. Gurien even took a night call one day! And Dr. Sparks worked so hard to enhance the knowledge of the pediatric pathologists there to some of the new approaches he uses here in the U.S. As for Carrie Murphy and I - we kept incredibly busy consulting on patients, reviewing nursing and oncology protocols, and teaching a chemotherapy and biotherapy education course. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the amazing translators who assisted us. They were all physicians or medical students who probably spoke better English than I do (and definitely better Mongolian) and volunteered their time. Dr. Altantuya, the General Director, Dr. Enkhmaa, Deputy Director for Research and their entire team welcomed us, worked with us, planned with us and committed to our ongoing relationship. To our supporters and donors, I often get asked: how can I help and be involved? Well, my answer is to keep looking at our blog posts, which encourage us, and keep up donations of whatever feels right for you, to the Jonathan Soud fund at Wolfson Children’s Hospital. I often think about Jonathan and his legacy. Through this effort, I know we are making Jonathan proud. The Soud family, Wolfson Children's Hospital and Nemours have been so amazing with their support of our activities, but the more we can raise, the more we can do to help the children of Mongolia! Already looking forward to next year, Eric ?? Read about Jonathan Soud & the Soud Family's endowment: go.baptistjax.com/47waSNn ?? Donate to support the next trip: go.baptistjax.com/3R2dqga ?? Read past & future trip updates: https://lnkd.in/ei7DpQiJ

?? 16 days until Halloween! ?? Help spread some spooky holiday cheer in your neighborhood while also donating to your favorite children's hospital! Wolfie BOO! signs are available for purchase online & can be picked up at our hospital or any #WolfsonRehab location. Get yours at go.baptistjax.com/boo before they vanish!

In honor of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, we're highlighting Nurse Jennifer Sirls, BSN, RNC-NIC, C-ELBW, who works on NICU 3, for her compassion and dedication to developing a program that supports families who are facing loss. "Jennifer has set the standard in the NICU in upholding and exceeding the values of being a truly exceptional nurse in her 10 years of practice. She shows these values daily at the bedside to her patients, families and coworkers and in her tremendous effort to transform the bereavement care that our NICU has to offer. Jennifer made it her mission to transform our bereavement care and shift the focus to the patient and their family to celebrate life. She founded our NICU bereavement program in 2017 and named the program Evelyn's Embrace in honor of a neonatal nurse who lost her daughter at 19 weeks. Since its inception, this program has accomplished its goal of giving honor and legacy to the lives of many lost too soon. Jennifer has collaborated with our music therapist, chaplain, child life therapist, NICU team, Bioethicist and Palliative Care team to create a united mission that is family-centered. The program supports families in a number of ways such as creating hand and foot molds, heartbeat recordings to place inside stuffed bears, as well as religious and emotional support. In addition to being a leader of this program, she is a constant face of compassion and professionalism in everything she does. Many family members are often so thankful to Jennifer for the kindness, compassion and sensitivity she has shown to their child and their family in such a difficult time. Jennifer exhibits a unique compassion for these families undergoing loss and is always willing to step in to help create a lasting memory for the families. Our entire culture and practice surrounding honoring life in the NICU has been transformed because of Jennifer. Jennifer deserves to be honored as the exceptional nurse she is and the incredible legacy she has created for so many." Congratulations, Jennifer, on your second DAISY Award! We are grateful for all you do for our patients, families and team members.

While many of us were with loved ones at home during Hurricane Milton, we want to recognize the incredible team members who spent their time at our hospitals and Emergency Centers, caring for our patients. To our facilities, clinical and support staff who worked tirelessly through the storm - thank you for your dedication and selflessness. We are #BaptistProud to have such amazing individuals leading the way at Baptist Health. To everyone feeling the full impact of Hurricane Milton, please know that our thoughts are with you. ??

We're honored to be recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the 50 Best Children’s Hospitals in the nation in four specialties: Cancer, Diabetes & Endocrinology, Neurology & Neurosurgery and Pediatric & Adolescent Behavioral Health. Thank you for trusting and choosing us for top-rated care.??

Celebrating Health Care Food Services Workers Week! At #BaptistJax & Wolfson Children's, our incredible team downtown goes beyond just serving meals—they bring energy, warmth and joy to everyone they meet. We’re shining a light on these unsung heroes who nourish our patients, staff and families with love and dedication. Thank you for all you do! ?? #BaptistProud