No parent wants to consider that a child may have to contend with a debilitating illness or injury. But it’s an unavoidable fact that some children’s days are filled with medical treatments and procedures rather than playing with friends or going to school. Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital is dedicated to making the transition between traditional hospitals and home as smooth as possible. It’s the area’s first and only pediatric bridge hospital, and its model of care allows young patients to play, grow, learn and interact with others.
The hospital refers to its treatment model as ‘Care Beyond the Bedside.’ “When you think about hospital stays, you picture a solitary experience of being confined to a bed,” says Dr. Nick Holekamp, chief medical officer at Ranken Jordan. “We get children out of their rooms and into play spaces, activity areas, therapy rooms and the hospital grounds. It allows them to heal and recover while still having normal childhood experiences.” According to Holekamp, this type of care takes a lot of planning and innovative approaches to accommodate various medical restrictions. “Medical support and monitoring are important, but we want to focus on the children first,” he notes. “We make it a priority to ensure that no matter what patients’ needs are, they all get to experience being a kid.”
The benefits of such care, however, outweigh potential logistical difficulties. It allows for experiences that more closely mirror school or daycare. “Doing more together is better for kids than being sedentary and alone,” Holekamp says. “Playing and interacting with family, staff and other patients can aid their development and healing.” Another advantage is that families get to engage with their children in a less restrictive environment, better preparing them for in-home care. “Many parents only see their children in intensive care while they’re at the hospital,” Holekamp explains. “Working with traditional hospitals, we optimize patients’ outcomes to get the family home together and healthy.”
One patient the hospital recently helped is Sammy, who was born with a rare heart condition. During the first 7 months of her life, Sammy required four open heart surgeries and came to Ranken Jordan with many specialized needs, including a ventilator and feeding tube. Holekamp says Ranken Jordan gave Sammy and her family the opportunity to recover and prepare for the transition home. “She was done with her surgeries, so it was time to let her body grow and heal,” he explains. “We were able to help her continue to improve physically while also providing a sense of normalcy to aid in her developmental recovery.”
Despite having opened in 1941, Ranken Jordan may not be a household name for many St. Louisans. “We’re largely invisible to the community because we take care of about one percent of local pediatric patients,” Holekamp notes. One of the ways the hospital raises public awareness and important funds is the annual Ranken Jordan Beyond Gala. The 2019 event will be held Jan. 19 at the Four Seasons. Guests can look forward to an evening of cocktails, dinner, live and silent auctions, and a celebration of the children the hospital has served. “It’s always an uplifting and touching occasion,” Holekamp says. “It’s an opportunity to share stories about the lives we’ve changed through the care we provide to kids in the worst of circumstances.”
Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital provides care between traditional hospital treatment and home for children from birth to age 21. The Ranken Jordan Beyond Gala is Jan. 19 at The Four Seasons. Pictured on the cover: Janet Joseph, CNA, with Ranken Jordan patient Serenity. For more information, call 314.872.6476 or visit rankenjordan.org.
Cover design by Allie Bronsky
Cover photo by Colin Miller of Strauss Peyton Photography
Pictured above: Ranken Jordan provides ‘care beyond the bedside’ to help young patients like Serenity recover.
