UW Health Kids

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Madison, WI
UW Health Kids

Through every stage of life, our pediatric experts help you create your child's healthier future.

Our pediatric experts have served the special needs of children for more than 100 years. From immunizations and well-child visits to rebuilding little hearts and creating new treatments for kids with cancer, we focus on each child’s unique needs and offer social and emotional support to help you and your child face even the most complex condition. Our long history includes the creation of medical

advances that save lives around the world. UW Health Kids includes:
- 17 primary care clinic locations
- 70+ regional service locations
- 40+ specialty care programs
- Research funded by the National Institutes of Health and multiple clinical trials
- World class American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, WI with Level l Pediatric Trauma Center,
Level l Pediatric Intensive Care, verified Pediatric Burn Center and Level lV Neonatal Intensive Care
- Women and Children’s Hospital in Rockford, IL

04/17/2026

Thank you to Luke Musgrave and Lukas Van Ness for making yesterday a day to remember for these Packers fans.

04/16/2026

Big smiles and some big news.💚💛

Today, Lukas Van Ness and Luke Musgrave stopped by American Family Children’s Hospital to spend time connecting with patients and add a little extra excitement to their day.

Their visit also helped announce something we’re proud to share: UW Health Kids is the Official Pediatric Partner of the Green Bay Packers, bringing together two teams dedicated to supporting kids and families across Wisconsin.

04/15/2026

In this final week of Notes from the NICU, Sarah reflects on what it meant to finally go home — to be together as a family outside the hospital walls.

For families who’ve made that journey, what did your homecoming look and feel like?

04/12/2026

When the Wisconsin Softball team takes the field today, they'll be wearing something extra special — visors designed by kids at American Family Children's Hospital. Both players and patients enjoyed getting creative during their recent visit.

04/10/2026

In this week’s Notes from the NICU, Sarah reflects on preparing for the transition from hospital to home — a milestone filled with hope, but also uncertainty. NICU families often leave with more skills and knowledge than they ever anticipated needing.

For families who have experienced this transition, what helped you feel ready to bring your baby home?

04/07/2026

When she was having 10, 20, 30 seizures a day, our pediatric neurosurgery team created a plan to give Gloria the best chance at life free from seizures. Dr. Raheel Ahmed performed her complex brain surgery in two stages, partially disconnecting the left hemisphere during the first operation, then completing the disconnection two days later, keeping Gloria as safe as possible during her time in the operating room.

04/03/2026

In this week’s Notes from the NICU, Sarah shares what it’s like to be immersed in the daily rhythm of the NICU — where the pace can be fast and unpredictable, leaving one feeling overwhelmed. The phrase "it takes a village" is never more apparent than in the NICU, because every detail matters when caring for our most fragile patients.

For families who have experienced the NICU, what helped you navigate and cope in this environment?

04/01/2026

“Cash is such a bright light every time with meet with nutrition. It’s like Cash knows Ezra is having a really hard time and he just snuggles right up.”

Cash, one of our CHAMPs dogs, works specifically with our nutrition team at American Family Children’s Hospital. Cash helps a wide variety of patients with complex feeding and swallowing concerns. One group of patients Cash meets with are children who are admitted to the hospital for restrictive eating. These admissions are usually stressful and can be triggering for the patients. His presence helps reduce anxiety and improve communication while challenging topics and interventions are being discussed.

Another group of patients that Cash works with rely on feeding tubes. Many of these patients experience anxiety or are triggered from sensory stimulations around certain foods and textures. Cash can help children feel safer trying new foods which can help them wean from their feeding tube. One patient who was only taking purees fed Cash a crunchy texture, then took a bite themselves of that crunchy texture for the first time!

03/30/2026

Child life specialists are often known as the “fun ones,” and while they do bring a lot of fun to the hospital experience, their work goes far beyond that. They are also the ones standing with families through some of the hardest moments of their lives.

Brittni Jegerlehner is a child life specialist in surgical services, supporting patients and families in pre-op, the operating room and recovery. Surgery for children requires a constant flow of collaboration between all disciplines. Brittni works with nursing staff, anesthesia providers, surgeons, techs, nursing assistants and many others to create the best care plans for each child.

She says the most meaningful part of her work is witnessing children discover their own strength and bravery during moments that feel very scary and overwhelming. Using interventions like medical play, she prepares them for what to expect, and sees their anxiety decrease and confidence grow as they feel better equipped to cope with the tough situations they may face.

Brittni especially loves to see a child using those coping skills independently, knowing that the support child life provides extends beyond the hospital and can have a lasting impact.

03/27/2026

Meet some kids who grew up to change the lives of children — we're so proud to call them our Pediatric Hematology and Oncology team! 🧡

03/25/2026

In this week’s Notes from the NICU, Sarah reflects on the emotional complexity of becoming a parent in an environment that feels anything but natural. The NICU can make even the most familiar part of early parenthood feel a little different than expected.

For families who have experienced the NICU, what helped you feel connected to your role as a parent during that time?

03/23/2026

Rylan’s annual checkup took a turn from routine when the nurse practitioner noticed an abnormal curvature in his spine, what she believed could be scoliosis. His parents, Ali and Eric, were referred to Dr. Blaise Nemeth, a UW Health Kids orthopedist, who scheduled an MRI to get a clearer picture.

The MRI showed that Rylan had a Chiari malformation, an abnormality in which part of the cerebellum, the bottom section of the brain, pushes down into the spinal canal, almost like a wine stopper. Rylan was born with this condition, though it was not discovered until this 6-year checkup. Some children who have a Chiari, including Rylan, also develop a fluid-filled cyst, known as a syrinx, in their spinal cord.

Once Rylan and his parents had a chance to sit down with Dr. Andy Stadler, a UW Health Kids neurosurgeon, everyone began to feel more reassured.

Dr. Stadler explained that Rylan’s Chiari malformation and syrinx were obstructing the flow of cerebral spinal fluid, which is the fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord. To correct the problem, Rylan would need decompression surgery to create more space for the fluid to flow freely.

For a 6-year-old about to have brain surgery, Rylan impressed many at the American Family Children’s Hospital with his inquisitiveness and engagement with the surgery process.
After about three hours, Dr. Stadler emerged to say the surgery was over and successful. Rylan spent just two nights in the hospital, experiencing some expected nausea, which quickly settled down.

Just 10 days after surgery, Rylan returned to school on a shortened schedule. A few days later, he resumed a full-time schedule at school.

Rylan, now 8, is a happy third grader who enjoys reading, dinosaurs and sports like soccer, baseball and basketball. When he hears about anyone else who had surgery, his competitive instincts perk up and he asks if it was brain surgery.

Address

1675 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI
53792

Telephone

+16088905437

Website

http://uwhealth.org/kids

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