Kimball, Mitchell, Morales, and Ogden Receive Family-Centered Care Awards of Excellence
Tom Kimball, Debbie Ogden, Joanne Mitchell, Edna Morales, Patty Wells and Lee carter August 3, 2006, celebrate at the special Award of Excellence in Family-centered Care reception.
Patty Wells congratulates Tom Kimball, MD, staff recipient of the 2006 Family Advisory Council Award of Excellence in Family-Centered Care Award.
Chairman of the Board Lee Carter congratulates Joanne Mitchell on receiving the Family Advisory Council Excellence in Family-Centered Care Award.
Debbie Ogden poses with her Excellence in Family-Centered Care Award and daughter Ashley.
Family Advisory Council Excellence in Family-Centered Care Award recipient Edna Morales joins her family for a photo.
Tom Kimball, MD | Joanne Mitchell, RN | Debbie Ogden | Edna Morales
The Family Advisory Council recognized two parents and two staff members on Thursday, August 3, 2006, with its Award of Excellence in Family-centered Care.
A special reception was held in the Sabin Center prefunction area to honor Tom Kimball, MD, Cardiology, Joanne Mitchell, RN, Gastroenterology, Edna Morales, Family and Community Relations, and Debbie Ogden, a Family Advisory Council member and mother of the late Robbie Ogden, who was a patient at Cincinnati Children's for over 16 years.
Winners of the Award of Excellence must demonstrate all of the core concepts of family-centered care, including:
- Family strengths
- Respect
- Choice
- Information Sharing
- Support
- Flexibility
- Collaboration
- Empowerment
Kimball Takes Family-Centered Care to Heart
Tom Kimball, who has worked at Cincinnati Children's for 21 years, promotes family-centered care in a variety of ways -- by serving on the Family Advisory Council, giving presentations as a faculty member at the Institute for Family-centered Care's national seminar in Miami, Florida, and implementing "Point of Service" care in his outpatient clinic.
With "Point of Service" care, patients come to one room and receive all their care there. In many cases, it expedites the testing process and shortens the clinic visit. Kimball introduced the concept based on family input, and it has gotten favorable reviews.
Says Kimball, "I began to see that family-centered care was the way to go when a few events coalesced in my mind. First was the sudden, unexpected death of my father, which hit me hard and put me in the role of a family member instead of a health professional. I will never forget the comforting hug of an ICU nurse as I withdrew my father from the ventilator.
"Second was my interaction with the other members of the Family Advisory Council. I saw how passionate they were about family-centered care. They taught me a lot about it and gave me ideas to incorporate it into my own practice.
"And finally, I've listened to friends who have parents with chronic health problems and their frustrations with getting health information. In contrast, I see the satisfaction of the patients and families since I've incorporated family-centered care into my practice."
Mitchell Goes the Distance with Family-Centered Care in Gastroenterology
Joanne Mitchell, RN, Gastroenterology, has worked at Cincinnati Children's for 20 years, and she's been promoting family-centered care for most all of them.
Says Patty Wells, RN, Family and Community Relations, who nominated her, "Joanne is one of the most diligent and hard working professionals I have ever had the pleasure to work with.
"She spends countless hours at the medical center, sacrificing personal time and energy to advocate for patients and families," Patty said. "She is earnestly interested in what people have to say, and when she is present with a child, family member or staff, they know that they have her undivided attention."
Mitchell believes family members should have all the information they need to make informed choices. To that end, she challenges herself to learn more so she can better explain to families what their choices are and to answer their questions.
Says Mitchell, "When I started my nursing career, I thought the hardest part would be learning about the equipment and the medicines, and all the technical stuff. But I learned the hardest part is working with families who are going through the hardest time in their lives. They all have stories, and I am honored to be part of that."
Ogden's Mission of a Lifetime
Debbie Ogden promotes family-centered care with a tireless energy and a heart that understands the pain, frustration and sense of helplessness families often feel in the course of a child's illness.
Ogden's son, Robbie, was born with Partial Trisomy #4, a chromosomal disorder that results in chronic, complex health issues, including heart defects, as well as physical and developmental disabilities. He died last year at the age of 16.
Amy Clawson, outreach coordinator, Developmental Disabilities and Behavioral Pediatrics and former Family Advisory Council member, writes in her nominating letter, "Robbie's diagnosis led Debbie down a different life path. With the support of her family, she not only became her son's advocate and caregiver, she became a true partner with the medical care team and a knowledgeable team member in school and at home.
"Throughout her son's illness, Debbie had to make decisions every day. Sometimes when she was not given any choices, she had to ask for them. She is able to think through all the muck and help others do the same," Clawson wrote. "She offers clarity and control to parents who are lost and stressed. Until I met Debbie, I never knew anyone whose son had had over 30 surgeries, and she still smiled every day."
Says Ogden, "I am very honored to receive the Award of Excellence in Family-Centered Care. But it's really Robbie's award. He's the one who inspired this in me. It's every child in this hospital that drives me to do what I do."
Morales Bridges the Culture Gap
Edna Morales, a medical interpreter in Family and Community Relations, first came to Cincinnati Children's from Puerto Rico as a parent of a chronically ill child in 2001. Her son Alvin needed a liver transplant, and she was told Cincinnati Children's was one of the best places to come to for treatment.
Says Joanne Mitchell, RN, Gastroenterology, "Edna's was one of the first Hispanic families our division worked with, and she taught us a lot about recognizing cultural issues and differences. I nominated her to be on the Family Advisory Council several years ago, and she has been one of the most involved members we've ever had."
In fact, Morales leads the Hispanic Advisory Committee and has been instrumental in changing hospital signage, as well as educational handouts for Hispanic families. She has also taken many families from other countries under her wing.
"Once I knew I had put my son in the hands of the best medical team in the world," says Morales, "I knew I didn't have to worry. I felt I had to something to try to help other families who were going through the same thing we were. So I help them set up bank accounts, do grocery shopping, and I invite them to my home for dinner to give them a social break from all the medical stuff."
Morales recently appeared in a FOX 19 TV special, called Change the Outcome. She has also appeared in several videos used to educate Cincinnati Children's staff about family-centered rounds and resident education, and she is the first voice you hear when you call Cincinnati Children's as she offers instructions in English and Spanish.
"Edna's dedication and compassion in working with families is relentless," Mitchell said. "She works tirelessly to recognize each family's strengths, then works to build upon those strengths to find the resources they need to be successful. To me, that is the true message of family-centered care."
08/06
