Annual Report 2012 6 Caring for 100% of Our Future Upholding Our 100-Year-Old Mission

2012 Annual caring Report for 100% of our future Social Worker Mabel Weed and Bertha Wright, rn, founders of children’s Hospital oakland caring for a word from 100% Bertram of our future Lubin, MD Back in 1912, Alameda County nurse Bertha Wright, social worker Mabel Weed, and a group of similarly civic-minded women founded the “Baby Hospital” that later became Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland. They believed that every child—regardless of race, gender, or financial circumstances—deserved quality healthcare. That 100% commitment to helping make 100% of kids 100% healthy has been the mission of Children’s Hospital for the past 100 years. The practice of medicine has changed dramatically from when we first opened our doors, with remarkable advances in technology and improved delivery of healthcare services. Yet the moral and philosophical foundation of the founders’ mission has remained the same for every member of the Children’s Hospital team ever since. The year 2012 was one of 100 that shows our commitment to children in our community and beyond. I hope you enjoy these reflections on another remarkable year for this wonderful Bay Area treasure. Thank you for supporting Children’s Hospital Oakland and joining our staunch efforts to make the world a better place for our kids. Sincerely, Bertram H. Lubin, MD President and CEO caring for upholding our 100% 100-year-old of our future mission In 2012, Children’s Oakland continued to pursue in myriad ways its mission of ensuring the health of our community’s children. For example, we expanded the services provided through our community health clinics. We enhanced our asthma treatment programs, earning national recognition from the Joint Commission as a “Top Performer.” We also extended our leadership role in minimally invasive pediatric surgery procedures. These stories illustrate some of the ways we lived out our mission in 2012. Children’s Oakland Annual Report 2012 6 caring for 100% of our future upholding our 100-year-old mission PULMONARY CARE Children’s EARNS ‘TOP Performer’ AWARD FOR ASTHMA CARE In September 2012, the Joint Commission named Children’s Hospital & Research Center Oakland one of the nation’s Xolair shots at Children’s Day Hospital “Top Performers on Key Quality Measures” for its asthma care program. The Joint Commission is the leading accreditation agency for U.S. healthcare organizations. Only 620 hospitals in the United States earned the distinction of being a “Top Performer.” Children’s Oakland was one of only seven pediatric hospitals to receive the designation. The award recognizes exemplary performance in using evidence-based “best practices” for certain conditions. Asthma is the only condition assessed for pediatric hospitals. “We exceeded a 95-percent performance score on various quality measures established by the Joint Commission,” says Children’s Director of Pulmonary Medicine Karen Hardy, MD. The measures included the use of asthma relievers for inpatients, the use of systemic corticosteroids for inpatients, and the provision of a “Home Management Plan of Care” to patients and caregivers. “Part of the reason why we were recognized was our development of comprehensive home management plans for every patient,” Dr. Hardy explains. “We used to have home management plans on paper, but it was a logistical problem to keep track of all the patients’ data. So we decided to develop electronic records of all action plans, which would be available throughout the hospital. rachel “With the invaluable assistance of Information Systems Management Coordinator Susan Hohl, we started with a Rachel Edwards says she has suffered from asthma “ever pilot project in the Pulmonary Medicine Asthma Program,” since I can remember, at least since I was a toddler.” Dr. Hardy adds. “Then we expanded it to other areas Now a 16-year-old who just completed her sophomore throughout the hospital, such as Respiratory Therapy. year in high school, Rachel notes that her asthma symptoms Now we can provide a customized plan for each patient, are usually triggered by allergies. “I’m allergic to dust and including all possible ‘triggers’ for an asthma event as well smoke and trees and pollen and cats—and probably lots of as recommendations for medications and other treatments.” other things,” she says. “When I was little, we didn’t have The customized home management plans are provided pets at home, but if I went to other people’s homes where they had cats, I would have asthma attacks.” to patients and caregivers upon discharge from the Unfortunately, during early childhood, Rachel did hospital. Plans are updated every time a child is seen at not always receive appropriate treatments to manage Children’s Oakland. “It’s a great example of how a large her asthma. Consequently, her lungs were substantially interdisciplinary effort throughout the hospital resulted in a weakened by 2007, when she suffered a serious asthma terrific outcome,” says Dr. Hardy. “We’re always looking for attack after spending a couple of weeks in a house with better ways to care for the children in our care.” cats. “I ended up in Intensive Care at Children’s, spending four days in the ICU and another couple of weeks in the Children’s Oakland Annual Report 2012 caring for 100% of our future 7 upholding our 100-year-old mission Rachel’s medications hospital,” she recalls. “Ever since then, I’ve “For example, since last June, Rachel glad to have Dr. Hardy helping me with my seen Dr. Karen Hardy at Children’s for my has been on a newer treatment for allergic asthma care. She takes an interest in me as a asthma care, and that has made a huge asthma, receiving shots of a drug called person, not just a patient. One time in middle difference. I took classes at Children’s to Xolair every other week,” Natalie explains. “If school, I participated in a spell-a-thon to learn how to control my asthma. I also have Rachel had not been on the Xolair, she might raise money for the school. Dr. Hardy offered an ‘asthma action plan’ to follow at home have had a worse reaction to the heavy to sponsor me for $1 per word if I spelled all that explains what medications I should take spring pollen. Plus, Rachel really understands 100 words correctly—which I did.” and when, and other things like using a peak- how her body works now, and we can seek These days, Rachel is trying to return the flow meter to measure my lung capacity and treatment before she has a full-blown asthma favor. In addition to school and numerous ways to exercise my lungs.” crisis.” activities, she works for her family’s skincare “Rachel’s asthma is a lifelong condition, Rachel adds, “I’m not surprised that business. “I am donating part of my earnings and she’ll always have to deal with it,” says Children’s earned an award for the quality to Children’s,” she notes. “That’s one of her mom, Natalie Thomas. “The good news is of their asthma care. They all work so hard, my main areas of focus this summer, along that the asthma care at Children’s has always and the nurses always make it a positive with staying well—which is always my top been superior. My hat is off to them. Dr. experience. At Halloween, for example, when priority.” Hardy and all the other doctors and nurses I went in for my regular Xolair shots, they really go the extra mile. were all dressed in costumes. I also am so Children’s Oakland Annual Report 2012 8 caring for 100% of our future upholding our 100-year-old mission LEADERS IN PEDIATRIC SURGERY EXPERTS IN MINIMALLY INVASIVE PROCEDURE In 2002, Children’s Medical Director of Neurosurgery Peter Sun, MD, became one of the first pediatric neurosurgeons in the country to perform endoscopic craniosynostosis surgery. He studied under neurosurgeon David Jimenez, MD, and plastic surgeon Constance Barone, MD—the husband-and-wife team who developed the procedure. Children’s Oakland is the only facility in northern California with extensive experience in endoscopic craniosynostosis surgery, and this procedure is not performed on a regular basis elsewhere in the region. “A baby’s skull is made up of several large bones connected by flexible structures called sutures,” Dr. Sun explains. “These flexible sutures allow the brain to grow. Craniosynostosis occurs when a suture is missing or closes up too soon. That causes a deformed head shape and may prevent the brain from having enough room to grow.” Traditional surgery to correct craniosynostosis requires a long incision across the skull from ear to ear, behind the baby’s hairline. The surgeons remove major portions of the skull and rearrange the bones to achieve a normal skull shape and size. This type of surgery typically is performed when the child is 6 to 12 months old. parker Endoscopic surgery for craniosynostosis involves making two small incisions and inserting tiny instruments to remove the fused suture and strips of bone. This type of surgery In September 2002, while living in Colorado, Mary Lipscomb must be performed during the first few months of life before experienced a difficult delivery giving birth to her younger son too much brain growth occurs, generally when the baby is Parker. “Parker’s skull didn’t flex during delivery, and when he about 3 months old. arrived, he had a long, narrow head that was pinched on the “Endoscopic surgery is the optimal approach for sides,” she recalls. “His head didn’t look at all like his brother correcting sagittal synostosis, but it must be performed at Brandon’s, who is three years older.

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