2021 Southern Colorado Impact Report

CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL COLORADO, COLORADO SPRINGS

Transforming Care For Southern Colorado Kids

Daniel, patient at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Springs

Southern Region President Greg Raymond Looks To The Future After serving as Regional Vice President and then Southern Region Chief Operating Officer, Greg Raymond was appointed Southern Region President of Children’s Hospital Colorado in April of 2021.

“Eight years ago, when I moved to the Springs with my family to take a position as Regional Vice President, this hospital was a distant vision — a vision to bring care closer to home for kids in southern Colorado,” recalled Raymond. “At the time, my oldest son was 11 years old. This summer he returned from his freshman year of college. Our hospital and programming in southern Colorado are growing just as quickly.”

Working with Southern Region Chief Medical Officer Mike DiStefano, MD, and Vice President and Southern Region Chief Nursing Officer Kathie Seerup, MSHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, Raymond has an ambitious plan for expanding services to meet the existing and growing needs of the community. The top programmatic and fundraising goals for the region are enhancing behavioral health services, expanding sports medicine offerings, supporting the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, growing the Southern Colorado Programs Fund and developing a research agenda.

As southern Colorado’s only dedicated pediatric hospital, Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs offers a top pediatric cancer and blood disorders program, a level III neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), a pediatric intensive care unit, a level II pediatric trauma unit, a radiology department, a sleep study lab that includes epilepsy monitoring and operating rooms specifically designed for kids. “With community support, we are providing the children of our region with the very best care here, in our own backyard,” Raymond said. “But we need to expand these services and offerings as the needs of our area grow.”

Raymond continued, “It’s been an incredible opportunity to be in southern Colorado over the past eight years and watch our footprint expand as we bring more services to young people in this region. As a father of four kids being raised here, I am dedicated to ensuring that all children have access to the healthcare they need and deserve to grow into healthy teens and adults.”

Introducing Kathie Seerup Kathie Seerup, MSHA, BSN, RN, NE-BC, joined Children’s Colorado as Vice President and Southern Region Chief Nursing Officer in September of 2020. Seerup came to nursing through a personal experience at a young age: when she was a senior in high school in her hometown of Tinley Park, Ill., her 40-yearold father had a heart attack and subsequent quadruple bypass surgery. “The nurses provided such compassionate care,” Seerup said. “My poor mom said the only way she got through that experience was with the support of those nurses.”

Seerup spent most of her career at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where she played a critical role in that hospital receiving its first Magnet status in 2001. The Magnet Recognition Program designates organizations worldwide where nursing leaders successfully align their nursing strategic goals to improve the organization’s patient outcomes. The Chicago children’s hospital (then called Children’s Memorial) became the first freestanding pediatric hospital in the nation with this much-coveted recognition for nursing excellence and empowerment.

Over the past year, Seerup has focused on continuing to build the southern Colorado nursing team, refining processes and procedures at the hospital and providing strong leadership for the frontline nursing team throughout the pandemic and unseasonably high patient volumes due to an early respiratory season. Seerup and her team will continue to work together to build the foundation that will allow Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs also to achieve Magnet recognition for nursing excellence within the next few years.

“It’s been a tremendous opportunity to join this team and jump in with both feet,” Seerup said. “This team is truly the very best and has shown incredible strength and dedication overcoming the back-to-back challenges we have faced together over the past year. I could not be more proud, nor more privileged, to be a part of the Children’s family.”

The Best of The Best, Once Again The numbers are in and, once again, Children’s Colorado was ranked among the best pediatric hospitals in the nation.

According to the 2021–22 Best Children’s Hospitals Honor Roll by U.S. News & World Report, Children’s Colorado earned the No. 6 spot among all children’s hospitals nationwide. It was also ranked the No. 1 pediatric hospital in the state and region.

In addition, Children’s Colorado received high marks in all 10 ranked specialties. Seven of our specialties were ranked among the top 10 nationwide, including Gastroenterology and Gastrointestinal Surgery (No. 1), Diabetes and Endocrinology (No. 4), Pulmonology and Lung Surgery (No. 5), Cardiology and Heart Surgery (No. 6), Urology (No. 6), Cancer (No. 9) and Neurology and Neurosurgery (No. 10).

Children’s Colorado is the only nationally ranked pediatric hospital in the surrounding 12 states.

“It’s a truly incredible achievement, and none of it would be possible without our teams’ tireless dedication and consistency, day in, day out, year over year,” said Jena Hausmann, president and CEO of Children’s Colorado and the Cille B. and Ronald W. Williams Endowed Chair in Executive Leadership.

The U.S. News & World Report rankings are the most comprehensive source of qualityrelated information about American pediatric hospitals available. Hospital rankings are based on patient outcomes, clinical data and a survey of pediatric specialists from across the country.

Thanks to our donors’ generous support, Children’s Colorado can provide world-class care and the best possible health outcomes to every child who needs us.

“I could not be prouder,” Hausmann said.

Expanding Behavioral Health And Other Therapies By year end, construction is expected on Children’s Hospital Colorado Therapy Care on Telstar. The project, which was put on hold during 2020 due to the pandemic, is moving forward quickly, thanks to significant philanthropic support.

“Our goal is to welcome patients by August 2022,” said Southern Region President Greg Raymond.

The more than 25,000-square-foot facility will include developmental pediatrics; audiology, speech and learning services; sports medicine; occupational, physical and rehabilitation therapy; and pediatric mental health programs, including counseling and a Partial Hospitalization Program, where young people can have the benefit of several hours of intensive therapy during the day but can spend the night at home with their families.

Located at 2375 Telstar Drive, the therapy location is a needed addition to the community, says Deb Mahan, executive director of the Gazette Charities Foundation, which focuses on grantmaking in El Paso and Teller Counties and supports Children’s Colorado philanthropically.

“Having these kinds of outpatient services available to parents without waiting anywhere from six weeks to six months will be invaluable to this community,” she said. “And, it’s not just having the services, it’s having them offered with the lens that Children’s Colorado brings — a specific focus on world-class pediatric care.”

Philanthropy will play an important role in expanding behavioral health services at Telstar. Several donors already have pledged their support for the project.

Kate, Children’s Hospital Colorado Pediatric Mental Health Institute ambassador

In May 2021, Children’s Colorado declared a pediatric mental health “State of Emergency” based on alarming and heartbreaking statistics.

In southern Colorado, the numbers are even worse, with the Colorado Springs hospital experiencing a

The Children’s Colorado system saw a

73% increase

145% increase

in behavioral health emergency department visits from January through May 2021, compared to the same period in 2019.

in youth behavioral health visits in the first four months of 2021 compared with January–April 2020.

Thoughts of suicide or a suicide attempt are Starting at

age 10, suicide is the leading cause of death for Colorado kids.

among the top reasons

that patients come to our emergency departments.

In April 2021 alone, the prevalence of acute cases

jumped 90%

compared with April 2019.

Building Resiliency In Kids As important as treating mental illness is building resiliency in children to prevent future behavioral health challenges. One such initiative is Building Resiliency for Healthy Kids, which Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs is now implementing in 12 Colorado Springs schools across six districts.

Again this year, Children’s Colorado is offering one-on-one health coaching to participating 6th grade classrooms to assist kids as they prepare for the future by developing healthy coping skills to help stop problems before they start or deal with them in a healthy way when they do.

“Colorado’s child suicide rate is higher than it’s ever been, and there is more of a need than ever for children to have the tools they will need to work through life’s hardships, disappointments and challenges in a healthy, positive way,” said Margaret Sabin, Southern Region Past President.

“I love that this program goes into middle schools and tries to reach kiddos when they are still influenced by the adults in their lives,” said Deb Mahan of the Gazette Charities Foundation, which is one of the program’s funders. “At that age, this kind of adult coaching to build skills and offer resources around self-efficacy and agency is a really powerful tool.”

80 Years And 80 Miles At the age of 80, Courage Classic rider William Montie rode 80 miles through the Colorado mountains and, at last count, was in 80th place in individual fundraising for the annual bicycle tour that supports Children’s Colorado. Montie rode with Courage From The Springs, a local team captained by his daughter, Melissa Devolve. The team of 35 rides to raise money so that “children from all over southern Colorado and beyond can have access to some of the best pediatric care in the country,” said Devolve.

Noah with his mother and grandfather near the finish line.

The Devolve and Montie families first became involved with Children’s Colorado when Melissa’s firstborn son, Noah, was born in 2000 with a congenital heart defect. Surgeons acted immediately to temporarily fix the problem, then performed open-heart surgery to permanently repair the defect when baby Noah was just 18 days old. Noah is now a successful college student training to become a healthcare professional.

“Words can’t describe the feelings of gratitude I have for the doctors and nurses who made it possible for Noah to live and become the outstanding human being he is today,” said Montie.

“Hopefully I haven’t ridden in my last Courage Classic, and I am looking forward to riding again next year and seeing our special nurse and supporter, Esther Carpenter.”

To learn more about Courage Classic and the impact it makes, visit CourageTours.org.

Esther Carpenter, left, is a special friend of the Montie and Devolve families.

Melissa and William’s team, Courage From The Springs, rides to support Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs and its programs and services.

Food, Fun And Fundraising

Children’s Colorado ambassador Marissa with her family at Philanthropy on the Farm.

In the spirit of all things local and bringing care closer to home, Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation debuted Philanthropy on the Farm on Sept. 10 at the Flying Horse Ranch in southern Colorado. More than 250 guests enjoyed a multi-course, outdoor, farm-to-table dinner with locally sourced ingredients and wine pairings, as well as live music and a close look at the mission of Children’s Colorado. A highlight of the evening was an appearance by Marissa, a patient ambassador from southern Colorado, who told the crowd, “Children’s Hospital Colorado gave me my life! I want to show my gratitude for everything they’ve done for me.”

Philanthropy on the Farm raised more than $750,000 to help fund Children’s Colorado programs and services in the southern part of the state. “Opening our new hospital in Colorado Springs two years ago greatly increased access to world-class care for families of this region,” said Sally Hybl, a member of the Southern Colorado Advisory Board and Children’s Hospital Colorado Foundation Board of Trustees. “The real love and community philanthropic support we experienced at Philanthropy on the Farm was so inspiring and will help us continue to expand services for families here in southern Colorado.”

For more information about Philanthropy on the Farm, visit PhilanthropyOnTheFarm.org.

‘Come Grow With Us’: Volunteer Opportunities Abound

The band of volunteers serving Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs is 350 strong and growing (and includes 17 dogs!). Volunteers do everything from visiting patients, playing with siblings and working at the gift shop to serving at special events and completing clerical and administrative tasks.

A special group of volunteers, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit “cuddlers,” even spends time holding and soothing our smallest patients. “We have 40 to 50 babies in the NICU at any given time,” said Vice President and Southern Region Chief Nursing Officer Kathie Seerup. “Our staff couldn’t do it all without these valued volunteers.”

In addition to giving their time and talent inside the hospital, volunteers make a difference as part of the Pikes Peak Chapter of the Association of Volunteers, whose signature golf event, Chip in for Children, benefits Children’s Colorado, Colorado Springs. At this year’s July 12 tournament, 128 golfers raised approximately $110,000 to benefit underserved children in southern Colorado in the areas of mental and behavioral health.

To learn more about volunteer opportunities, please email COSAOV@childrenscolorado.org or call 719-305-7042.

Colorado Springs 111 S. Tejon Street, Suite 309 Colorado Springs, CO 80903 SupportChildrensColorado.org