COMMITMENT | to patients and the future
with McLane Children’s departments,
such as Patient and Family Support
Services and Jaylee Hilliard, RN, its
director. She says, “The council works
hard, and each member contributes
his or her unique perspective to the
process.” The Family Advisory Council
has helped develop the hospital’s
admission packet, participated in
governance committees, and provided
input on parent communication
materials. They’ve also extended a
hand to families by providing meals,
and have been a source of support by
helping them navigate some of the
hospital’s departments.
The council’s goal is for each family
who comes to McLane Children’s to
know it’s represented by the members
of the Family Advisory Council. “We
want them to know there’s someone to
call, a comment card to complete, or a
non-biased point of contact that they
can talk to,” says Angie Neas, Family
Advisory Council chairperson.
“Without the council’s valuable
input and shared experiences, we
couldn’t continue to pursue our
mission of providing exemplary care,”
says Ms. Hilliard.
Big plans for the future
As McLane Children’s continues
to evolve, Dr. Boyd has ambitious
ADVANCED PEDIATRIC
TRANSPORT SERVICES
plans to add more pediatric services
during the next three to five years.
Most importantly, he looks forward
to developing a cardiovascular surgical
program in collaboration with Texas
Children’s Hospital in Houston,
where McLane Children’s currently
sends its candidates for heart surgery.
Complementing that program would
be an interventional cardiac catheter
program to provide less-invasive heart
surgery. An interventional cardiac
catheter program that provides less
invasive heart procedures would
complement that program. He also
would like to augment the pediatric
neurosurgery program. “We have a
Quick access to pediatric emergency transport
services is critically important. Every pediatric clinic
and hospital in the system has a special phone
that provides a direct connection with the McLane
Children’s emergency transport center. “We can just
pick up that phone,” Dr. Berg says. “We don’t have to
worry about dialing or talking to an operator.”
The physicians are also assured that the emergency
transport their phone call will bring is specially
designed for pediatric patients, particularly premature
babies. In 2013 philanthropy efforts funded the
purchase of an ambulance custom-made for even
the youngest, most fragile children, those who need
care at the Level IV neonatal intensive care unit
(NICU) in Temple.
“Our transport program is maturing,” says Dr. Boyd.
“We’re bringing in patients from a wider geographic
area.” Dr. Ransom is even more effusive: “The transport
service is phenomenal. It has been a huge benefit to get
children the right care they need quickly.”
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THE CATALYST May 15 | sw.org