This 2010 photo was taken early in
Tyler’s treatment at Kadlec.
are able to receive a moderate sedation
(
also called conscious sedation) rather
than full anesthesia or having to endure
the procedure.
“
We are able to do many procedures
under pediatric sedation including minor
surgery, fracture reduction and certain
radiological procedures that require a
child to be still,” said Dr. Marsh.“Having
it available here improves care.”
It is particularly helpful for children
under 4 years old and some children
who are developmentally delayed.
Because pediatric sedation is
administered by Kadlec’s pediatric
hospitalists, not the hospital’s
anesthesiologists, special training was
required. Both Dr. Marsh and pediatric
hospitalist Stacey Hedlund, MD, have
undergone the training as have pediatric
nurses who assist with the procedure.
Other members of the pediatric
sedation team include the child life
specialists and respiratory therapists.
The team also coordinates care with
Kadlec’s Emergency Department, as
needed.
The center the community built
When Kadlec’s River Pavilion opened in
2008,
the lower four floors soon became
filled. It became evident that the then
shelled in fifth floor was the right place
to locate the pediatric unit.
Just 18 months later, the Don and
Lori Watts Pediatric Center opened. The
25,000-
square-foot center was made
possible by community support through
a fundraising effort led by Kadlec
Foundation Board of Trustees.
In all, over $7.4 million was raised in
two years to support the creation of this
specialized unit for children’s medical care.
“
It truly is a center built by the
community, which recognized a need
and met the challenge to fund it,” said
Sam Volpentest, campaign chair. “This
Pediatric Center is testimony to the
support and trust given by donors in
our community.”
The next challenge
Kadlec Foundation has now
undertaken a new challenge — the
long-needed expansion of the neonatal
intensive care unit (NICU).
Since 1982, Kadlec has provided
NICU care, and now has the region’s only
Level III NICU with the ability to care for
babies as small as one pound. When
this NICU exceeds capacity, babies are
transferred to hospitals hundreds of
miles away.
According to national statistics, the
rate of premature births in the United
States has increased by 36 percent since
the 1980s — and this region keeps up
with those statistics. This phenomenon
crosses all socio-economic lines. Some
contributing factors are obesity, diabetes,
women waiting longer to have children,
increase in multiple births, greater use
of in-vitro fertilization, a rise in cesarean
procedures and poor dental hygiene.
Some are for no apparent reason — it
could be a mom who did everything
appropriately, but things just didn’t turn
out right. Regardless of the reason, every
baby who comes to Kadlec is precious.
For more information regarding a
tour of the NICU and the project plans,
please contact
Kadlec Foundation
at
(509) 942-2026
or
foundation
@
kadlec.org
.
—
Continued from page 1
“
Because we want to optimize safety
in everything we do, we spent two
years preparing to implement this new
service,” said Dr. Marsh.
Continuing to expand
The young patients are coming to the
Pediatric Center with medical issues
that are, said Dr. Marsh,“becoming
more and more complex, because we can
care for them. We are recognized as the
center for pediatric care in Southeastern
Washington and Northeastern Oregon.
“
While we care for the children
medically and physically, we also care for
the families, including their emotional
and physical needs,” said Dr. Marsh.“We
have a facility that makes a stay with us
as comfortable as possible; when you
have a sick child that’s important.”
For families such as the Jacksons,
having trusted, quality pediatric care close
to home made a significant difference.
And, according to Dr. Marsh, there is
more on the horizon as medical services
for the region’s children continue to
expand at Kadlec’s Pediatric Center.
Expanding value
2
www.kadlec.org