Children's Mercy

11/22/2024

🐾 She’s finally here!!! 🐾 Meet Patsy, our new facility dog – a 17-month-old Golden Retriever/Lab/Doodle mix! 🐶 Patsy will be joining our facility dog team at the Adele Hall Campus in Kansas City, Mo., bringing comfort, motivation and smiles to our patients in the behavioral health and dialysis units along side Child Life Program Coordinator, Amanda.

We’re incredibly grateful for the amazing philanthropic support that made this expansion possible. Welcome to the Children’s Mercy family, Patsy! 🍂

11/22/2024

🎉 We’re hiring! 🎉 Not only are we expanding our mental health facilities to support children and teens, we’re expanding our team! 🎉 Our Child and Family Mental Health Teams are searching for a Master’s level Clinician or Social Worker to support youth and their families through evidenced-based child and family therapy, consultation and outpatient crisis intervention.

Come join our team and be a part of our Illuminate initiative to tackle the youth crisis. Learn more and apply here: https://cmkc.link/4hXWfaA

Are you interested in becoming a part of an exciting new initiative at Children’s Mercy? We are looking for Mental Health Providers to join our PATH (Pediatric Access to Therapy and Healing) Team. PATH Providers will be trained and provide short-term outpatient therapy for patients who present wit...

11/22/2024

It’s been said the best things come in small packages – today, our patients found that to be true! Bella, Aryn and other patients had a great time making Shrinky D***s crafts with our Creative Art Therapy team this afternoon. 🎨 How cute!

11/21/2024

Is there anything better than the Kansas City classic, Topsy's Popcorn? 🍿 Only if you’re eating it out of an extra special version of their gallon popcorn tub featuring artwork by our patients! This special tub also gives back, and for every one sold, $5 will be donated to Children's Mercy. 💙 Shop in stores or online at https://cmkc.link/3CzqRyV

11/20/2024

🎉 We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our new Mental Wellness Campus in Olathe, KS! 🎉

This state-of-the-art, 72-bed hospital, created in collaboration with Camber Mental Health, is the first of its kind in the Kansas City metro area. It will provide essential inpatient care for over 3,400 pediatric and adult patients each year.

As part of our $150 million Illuminate initiative, this facility will feature interior and exterior courtyards, large dayrooms, dining and activity spaces and a calming design. It will be a beacon of hope for youth struggling with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, trauma and other mental health challenges.

We are incredibly proud to expand mental health treatment capacity and access in our region, offering a safe and healing environment for those in need.

Learn more: https://cmkc.link/3Ok7IDE

11/19/2024

When an athlete gets sidelined by injury, they usually can’t wait to get back in the game. 🏈 For Braedon, a multi-sport athlete who lived to compete, Children’s Mercy doctors and specialists were determined to get to the bottom of his neck and shoulder pain. Braedon underwent multiple surgeries to remove the non-cancerous, but still dangerous, tumor that was pressing on his spine.

Through it all, the Children’s Mercy team never gave up on Braedon — and he never gave up on his dream of getting back on the field. ⚾ Although contact sports are a no-go now, he is pouring all his energy into baseball and getting involved in the American Legion Boys State program, student government and student media to keep busy during his senior year.

Read more about Braedon and the first-of-its-kind surgical approach that finally tackled his complex condition. https://cmkc.link/3YUqS9z

11/18/2024

🐾 Our Friendsgiving table is almost complete! 🐾 But wait… Hunter, Jellybean, Litta and Dusty are still waiting for one more furry friend. Who could it be?! 🐶

We’re thrilled to announce that thanks to incredible donor support, a new facility dog staff member will be joining us soon to bring joy and comfort to our patients in the mental health and dialysis clinics. Follow along on our stories for clues and stay tuned for the official introduction later this week — it’s going to be a paws-itively amazing addition to the Children’s Mercy family! 🦃🍂

11/16/2024

It’s a small but mighty club: kids from the Kansas City area who have had a liver transplant. 💪 These kids and their families enjoyed connecting with each other in person during a recent meet-up at the library.

The day was filled with crafts, games, food and some very special prizes, including a football signed by Patrick Mahomes! 🏈 Thank you to the KC Liver Moms group, Midwest Transplant Network, our Liver Care team and The Kansas City Chiefs for making this event possible!

11/16/2024

There’s been a recent surge of walking pneumonia cases in children - and a rise in caregiver worry. Our Director of Infectious Diseases, Dr. Angela Myers, shares with KCTV5 News Kansas City more about this atypical bacterial infection that can cause pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infection.

● Symptoms can be mild: fever, fatigue, cough, sore throat, headaches, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea, sneezing.

● Infections can get better on their own, but some cases may need antibiotic treatment and may take weeks.

● Pneumonia is spread through respiratory droplets, so practice good hand hygiene like washing your hands, not sharing drinks and utensils and coughing into your elbow.

Learn more about walking pneumonia from Dr. Myers here:

Children’s Mercy Hospital reported 22 positive cases over the last week and nearly 30 the week before.

11/15/2024

Today is International Stand Up to Bullying Day and we've teamed up with Sporting Kansas City all season to make a real difference in the community. Along with our experts, Drs. Ram Chettiar, Darren Olsen, Kathy Worland and social worker Sean, we’ve shared bullying prevention awareness to more than 4,000 kids across Kansas City, empowering them to stand up and speak out against bullying. 💪

A huge thank you to everyone who participated, supported and took the pledge to "Call It When You See It" to create a safer, kinder environment for all our children. 🌟

Southeast Elementary School - Park Hill School District, Timber Sage Elementary, Wolf Creek Elementary, Comanche Elementary, Trailwoods Elementary, New Stanley Elementary KCK, Rosehill Elementary, Rising Hill Elementary, Renner Elementary and Rising Star Elementary

Let's keep the momentum going! Visit RedCardKC.com to learn how you can Call It When You See It! 🙌

11/15/2024

🎉 A beautiful birthday present for Leona – being able to hear! 🦻

Leona and her family were eagerly anticipating her cochlear implant, but persistent ear infections delayed her surgery twice. Despite these setbacks, the dedicated team at Children’s Mercy was determined to help Leona hear before her first birthday. They collaborated tirelessly with suppliers, audiologists, surgeons, schedulers, Leona’s family and many other teams to ensure her cochlear implants were activated just in time for her special day. 🎂

We’re so happy for Leona! Thank you to all of our team members for going above and beyond to deliver exceptional patient care. 💞

11/14/2024

Thank you to our incredible Legacy of Care donor group for hosting a heartwarming lunch for our families in the NICU! Your generous act of kindness provided over 35 patient family members with a comforting meal from Jack Stack Barbecue, easing the stress of their day and bringing a moment of relief during such a challenging time. Your support means the world to us and to the families who are navigating these difficult moments. Your compassion makes a meaningful difference in their lives. ❤️

11/14/2024

Look how far we’ve come! 😄 This past week, our Ward Family Heart Center celebrated a decade of excellence, marking the 10th anniversary of our Heart Transplant Program at Children’s Mercy. Our dedicated team gathered to reflect on 10 years of delivering some of the best outcomes in the nation for patients here at Children’s Mercy. 🎉

"It has been such a joy and privilege to be part of the program’s growth and evolution initially as a transplant cardiologist and now as its medical director. We have evolved over these 10 years to become a model of what heart failure management and heart transplant care should be, and it gives me such great pride and joy to be a part of that kind of team," said Dr. David Sutcliffe, Co-Director, Brendan Tripp Elam Solid Organ Transplant Program; Director, Pediatric Heart Transplantation.

Please help us celebrate the team on this incredible milestone!

11/13/2024

Dusty is feeling young, wild and THREE! 🥳🐾🎂 Rilynn, Darius and other patients had so much fun at Dusty’s 3rd birthday paw-ty! Dusty dedicates so much time to helping patients who are fighting cancer and in our Bone Marrow Transplant unit. Dusty’s gentle, caring nature makes her so easy to celebrate. We woof you, Dusty! Happy birthday! 🩷

11/13/2024

Some things just go together – peanut butter and jelly, cake and ice cream, fries and ketchup – and babies and milk! 🍼

We’re looking for parents and newborns to help us understand how feeding choices impact child development. Join our Sweet Baby Milk research study with your 1 to 3-month-old baby. Participants can earn up to $750 by answering questions and having your baby wear a device that monitors blood glucose and sleep for 4 days.

Learn more and register here: https://cmkc.link/3CgaI19

11/12/2024

There isn’t much our doctors won’t do for their patients – including pushing them in a wheelchair up Hospital Hill!

Pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. David Garcia and patient Bliss have such a special relationship that he sent her mom a message offering to push Bliss in her wheelchair on Dream Big Day. Every day leading up to Dream Big Day, Bliss would ask her mom, “Is THIS the day Dr. G. takes me on a walk?!” Bliss, we’re so glad you were able to make the 2 hour trip so you and Dr. Garcia could celebrate Dream Big Day together! It’s one we’ll all remember for a long time. 🫶🥹

11/12/2024

Parents often get concerned when their child gets a cough...and keeps coughing...and keeps coughing. Our latest Parent-ish blog talks about the common causes of coughs, when to get care and how to ease symptoms at home:

As a pediatrician, I understand how alarming persistent coughs can be for parents. Although many coughs are harmless and resolve on their own, some do require medical attention. Let's go through the common causes of long-lasting coughs, when to get professional care and how to ease symptoms at home....