The Pulse

Children’s is partnering with the Epilepsy foundation to raise awareness and funds via the Blackstone Stroll Friday Sept. 25 at 6:30 p.m. Children’s is the featured sponsor for the Epilepsy Foundation Nebraska’s Blackstone Stroll at home Virtual Happy (half) Hour!

The Blackstone Stroll is a benefit to raise awareness and raise funds for the programs, services and resources serving the epilepsy community in Nebraska. Geetanjali Rathore, M.D., interim division chief of Pediatric Neurology, is hosting one of the virtual dinners representing Children’s team.

Join Dr. Rathore (virtually) from Corkscrew Wine and Cheese in the Blackstone District for a fun, inspiring and educational program at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Please sign up via the link below and join the fight to overcome challenges of living with epilepsy while supporting research and discovering new therapies to cure seizures and save lives.

Here’s your chance to contribute and improve the lives of patients with epilepsy.

Sign up or donate here.

Here at Children’s, we set out each day to improve the lives of children through our care, advocacy, research and education. Our future is as bright as our hearts are golden. Today, we officially introduce our 2025 Strategic Plan: High Fives & Hearts of Gold. This plan, composed of five ambitious goals, outlines how we will continue to lead the way in pediatric care and celebrates our mission, vision and values. Most importantly, it celebrates you.

Below, please find links to a short introductory video and PDF of our strategic plan for you to watch and read at your earliest convenience. If you have any questions or comments, please reach out to John Williams, Strategic Planning.

Thank you for helping make us the leader we are today. Thank you for your leadership and for your passion.

Chanda Chacón, President and CEO

2025 Strategic Plan
2025 Strategic Plan Video

Children’s has updated the information given to patients at discharge regarding COVID-19. The new information will come directly from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and will be automatically added to the patient After Visit Summary (AVS) for every patient at every discharge regardless of COVID-19 diagnosis or reason for visit.

Our current process of providing discharge education was variable as the discharge education was not readily available in Epic, and it was difficult to keep up with the the rapid changes in information. By automatically adding COVID-19 information from the CDC to every discharge, Children’s provides our patients and families a consistent and up-to-date message. 

Every AVS will have COVID-19 information automatically added regardless of diagnosis or reason for visit. Staff with access to Children’s intranet can access this information here. This replaces the previous Inpatient/Parent Teaching Sheets and Directions for People Who Have or are Suspected to have COVID-19 Teaching Sheets.  

CDC Fact Sheet
Prevent the Spread of COVID-19

Effective Sept. 28, Children’s visitor restrictions policy will permit TWO adult caregivers to stay with a patient. Caregivers must be over the age of 18; children and siblings are still not allowed. All caregivers must follow masking and social distancing guidelines while at Children’s.

Throughout the pandemic, safety has been our top priority, and it remains our top priority. Because all employees and visitors follow our universal protocols for PPE, we feel confident that allowing additional caregivers will still allow us to keep our employees safe.

This new guideline applies across the entire organization, with the exception of the Emergency Department (ED) and Children’s Outpatient Surgery Center (COSC). Due to space constraints, the ED and COSC will continue to allow only one adult to accompany the patient. Surgical Services will allow two adults to accompany inpatients and patients that have scheduled admissions. 

Read Visitor Guidelines

We will continue to monitor the community situation regarding COVID-19 and adjust guidelines and policies when we feel it makes sense to do so. Thank you for your flexibility during this ever-changing situation, and for all of your hard work and dedication to keeping us #ChildrensStrong.

In this week’s message, Chris Maloney, M.D., Ph.D., shares information about flu vaccinations, the Test Nebraska partnership, our work in preparation for a COVID-19 vaccine and Children’s THRIVE program (a great resource in stressful times). He also shares updated statistics related to the mask mandate and positivity rates in Omaha.

Changes are taking place for the following orders in Epic. SARS-CoV2 PCR and Antigen tests will both include questions about CDC-listed symptoms and patient disposition. There is also a header that has been added to help remind those ordering tests which one is appropriate, based on whether the patient is a PUI or being screened. 

We have also added administration duration times to the orders for Normal Saline and Lactated Ringersboluses to enhance communication between providers and nurses regarding how quickly to administer fluids. These changes will also be incorporated into sepsis order sets as they are developed. The options for each bolus are to give over 10 minutes (i.e. a push), 20 minutes or 60 minutes. Please contact your area medical director with any questions or concerns.

Employee Health is adding some additional opportunities for staff to receive their vaccinations.

• Employees are able to obtain their vaccine at their pharmacy or medical home.
• Make an appointment with Employee Health.
• Attend evening clinics outside of Employee Health from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Thursdays through Oct. 1.
• Catch our Mobile Clinic as they travel around the campus every Monday and Wednesday.

Building	Location	Date	Time
Cass 1 and 2	Cass 1- Gathering Room	Sept. 24	10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Indian Hills East, West, North	Indian Hills Café	Sept. 22& 24	2-4 p.m.
SPC	SPC 4th Floor North Conf Rm	Oct. 1	7:45-9:45 a.m.
SPC	SPC 2nd Floor North Conf Rm	Oct. 2	7:45-9:45 a.m.

Here’s your opportunity to participate!  Children’s Medical Staff is in the process of making committee assignments for 2021 and would like to know on which committee(s) you would like to serve. Please complete the form on the link below, marking the committee(s) you are interested in, and email it to Sara Watson or fax it to 402.955.3780 by Oct. 2.

Click here for the Committee Interest Questionnaire

Please note that for 2021, Medical Staff Services will not be sending out letters to each committee member with a listing of their committee assignments and meeting dates. You will be sent a meeting invite via email from the coordinator of the committee. This will also allow the coordinator to communicate with you directly on meeting packets or cancellations. Contact Sara Watson, MHA, MBA, CPMSM, Medical Staff Services director, at 402-955-3775 with any questions.

Nate Goodrich M.D., and Lisa Sieczkowski, M.D., Children’s Pediatric Hospital Medicine, have been named co-directors of the Creighton-Nebraska Pediatrics Residency Program. Drs. Goodrich and Sieczkowski both previously served as associate program directors and bring experience and expertise to guide the program forward into a new era. They are excited to bring a new leadership model to the residency program as co-directors, a format which has proven successful at several other programs around the country.

The Creighton-Nebraska Pediatrics Residency Program has an enduring history of providing broad and comprehensive training in pediatrics with a goal of training efficient, effective, well-rounded general pediatricians who are equally well-positioned to enter general pediatric practice or subspecialty fellowships.

Dr. Goodrich currently serves as assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine at UNMC and has been involved in residency program leadership for the past three years.

Dr. Sieczkowski currently serves as assistant professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine and has been involved in residency program leadership for the past ten years.

The co-directors will work closely with Pat Doherty, M.D., UNMC Department of Pediatrics, and the program staff to transition into their new roles. We are grateful for Dr. Doherty’s leadership as the program director for the past ten years.

Laura Ortmann, M.D., has accepted the position of director of Cardiac Critical Care, effective immediately. In this role, Dr. Ortmann will lead the continued growth and development of this program with the multidisciplinary teams of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine (PCCM), Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery. She continues her work in the Cardiac Care Unit (CCU) with the many quality improvement initiatives she has been working on, as well as educational activities with the faculty, APPs, nursing and other staff members. In addition, she will work with the division chiefs for the faculty and APP recruitment process, and projects that improve patient outcomes and patient and staff experiences in the CCU. Dr.

Ortmann takes over this role from Bridget Norton, M.D., MBA, PICU, who created this role more than three years ago. Dr. Norton is stepping down from this role to focus on her many other leadership responsibilities, including ECMO medical director and chief Quality &Safety officer. Many thanks to Dr. Norton for her service and leadership.