Children's Mercy Kansas City

Congratulations to our August DAISY award winner, Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) Staff Nurse, Christy! 🌼 The DAISY award is given monthly to an extraordinary nurse whose clinical skill and compassion make an enormous difference in the lives of our patients and families. Christy was nominated for being compassionate, knowledgeable and attentive in difficult situations with our most critically ill children. Our PICU is lucky to have you, Christy! Thank you for your dedication to our patients and families. 💙

Tonight, our Children’s Mercy Research Institute lights up the Kansas City skyline gold for all children fighting a courageous battle with #Cancer and in memory of those who are no longer with us. Every day, our doctors and researchers work to find answers and hope for our patients and families, so that someday, cancer is no longer a diagnosis that kids have to face. Join us to lift up these children and shine a light on #ChildhoodCancerAwarenessMonth. 💛🎗️

We have made incredible advances in the care of patients born with single-ventricle heart disease. Thanks to the expertise of our heart, liver and transplant teams along with specialists like Dr. Ryan Fischer, Section Chief of Hepatology and Transplant Medicine, patients who have the Fontan heart-repair procedure often go on to grow and develop similarly to their peers and have a significantly better quality of life. Unfortunately, Fontan-associated liver disease, caused by stress and pressure on the liver, requires dedicated care. Our heart, liver and transplant teams work tirelessly to provide the best outcomes for our patients. Listen in as Dr. Fischer talks about the collaboration between our heart, liver and transplant teams on our podcast: https://cmkc.link/3zlB4xL

We are incredibly grateful to our amazing sponsors for their generous support in making Dream Big Day a success. Your contributions have truly helped turn dreams into reality! 🙏✨Thank you!! Ameristar Casino and Hotel Kansas City Anthony Plumbing Heating Cooling Electric Compass Minerals Constance M. Cooper Charitable Foundation Energy Transfer Hallmark Cards

🎉Today, we’d like to honor the incredible team on Floor 6 of the Paul and Betty Henson Tower at Children’s Mercy! The 6 Henson team is a dedicated group of professionals who provide exceptional care to our patients in Endocrinology, Pulmonology, and Neurology/seizure specialties. Their unwavering commitment and attentiveness to safety, quality and compassionate care make a world of difference every day. 🌟 Thank you, 6 Henson, for your tireless efforts and for being a beautiful heartbeat of our hospital. Together, we continue to make strides in patient care and bring hope to countless families. 💙

Big thanks to Annette, our Volunteer of the Month, who has given over 200 hours in the past year to volunteer in our Kreamer Family Resource Center! 🤩 Annette enjoys greeting kids who come by the center and easing the burdens of their caregivers through helpful supports. The Kreamer Center provides a workspace with computers, printers and other tools for parents to catch up on personal or work-related tasks. Kids can explore a play area full of toys and games, and those who are inpatient can check out iPads, laptops and movies to use in their rooms. There is even a library with both health information and books to read for enjoyment. Stop by and say hi 👋 to Annette and our other wonderful staff and volunteers the next time you’re at the hospital! #VolunteerOfTheMonth #FamilyResources #ChildLife #ParentSupport

⚽ 💙 We’re helping return a fierce competitor to the soccer field. ⚽ 💙 Annabelle is a college freshman who committed to play for Truman State University before being diagnosed with localized Ewing sarcoma, a bone/soft tissue cancer, her senior year of high school. “Sports have taught me a lot about resilience and optimism and courage,” said Annabelle. “I’ve taken that with me into this new fight with cancer.” Her team at Children’s Mercy formed an aggressive plan including chemotherapy and radiation with the goal of minimizing treatment complications. It was a success! The tumor has been completely removed, and Annabelle is now looking forward to playing soccer again soon! Watch Annabelle’s amazing story! https://cmkc.link/3BvbR4p

🌟 Help us celebrate our newest Shining Star of Patient Experience, Dr. Dani Wentzel! 🌟 Dr. Wentzel is a Developmental and Behavioral Health physician who received a 4.95 out of 5 star provider rating from 48 survey responses over the past year. “Dr. Wentzel is absolutely wonderful,” one parent said. “She is patient, kind and incredibly knowledgeable. We drove from out of state to meet with her and she went above and beyond to spend extra time with us to answer our many questions. We truly felt heard and she gave us hope in navigating our daughter’s diagnosis.” Congratulations, Dr. Wentzel! Thanks for all you do to help make each patient experience a great one! 👏

It’s about so much more than golf. ⛳💙 Help us give a heartfelt thank you to all the sponsors, donors and those who teed up for the annual Bill Mounkes charity golf tournament. Your generosity is a hole-in-one for our patients at Children’s Mercy and it warms our hearts to see everyone come together in memory of Bill, continuing to drive support for our children and their families. We appreciate you all for coming to the course each year to share in our mission of making a difference in the lives of children.

We are delighted to announce Dr. Kathryn Keeler as the new Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Keeler, a distinguished pediatric orthopedic surgeon, has led our Complex Movement Disorders & Spasticity Clinic and helped achieve Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center designation. Her extensive training and leadership at top institutions, including Washington University and DuPont Hospital for Children, underscore her clinical expertise. Join us in congratulating Dr. Keeler! Learn more: https://cmkc.link/keeler