Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago

The Heart Transplant Program at Lurie Children's is one of the largest and most comprehensive heart transplant programs of its kind in the country. Just a few years ago, it reached a major milestone of completing its 400th pediatric heart transplant. The program's 40-person cardiovascular thoracic surgery team makes the program uniquely equipped to handle the most high-risk cases with exceptional care. In this Precision podcast episode, Dr. Michael Mongé, Surgical Director of the Lurie Children's Heart Transplant Program and Dr. Philip Thrush, Medical Director of the program, discuss how their team is uniquely equipped to take on high-risk pediatric heart transplantation patients, who are often turned away at other hospitals. Listen now. https://lnkd.in/gfk5MatV

For 27 years, Dot has brought joy, laughter and inspiration to pediatric patients at Lurie Children’s through her weekly Story Time with Dot Skylight TV show in the Panda Cares Center of Hope. Recently, Dot’s shared her final story time with patients and families at Lurie Children’s as she moves on to the next chapter in her life- retirement! While staying in the hospital, patients can join Dot’s weekly story time in person or watch the broadcast from the televisions in their hospital rooms thanks to the closed-circuit hospital channel, Skylight TV. Patients who cannot attend story time in person watch and even call in from their hospital rooms and participate like a live radio show. As a seasoned story teller, Dot has a special talent for including everyone in the audience in her stories and music. Dot will be passing the book to a new storyteller, Miss Nanna, who will continue her legacy of providing an inclusive and positive space for patients and their families to thrive and have fun while overcoming tough challenges in the hospital.

This week, we broke ground on the Austin HOPE Center, a new 25,000 sq. ft. facility on Chicago's West Side developed in partnership with Stone CDC and Thresholds. Anticipated to open in the fall of 2025, the new facility will be a welcoming space for youth and families to seek community-based services and clinical services that help close gaps in currently existing healthcare services in Austin and its surrounding areas. Community partnerships are core to this project. “From day one, community input has been crucial to our planning and development process. We wanted Austin residents – and particularly the youth in this community – to see themselves and their needs reflected throughout,” shared Mary Kate Daly, Senior Vice President and Chief of Community Health Partnerships and Transformation at Lurie Children's. Special thanks to all of our partners, staff, community members, elected officials and donors for getting us to this important milestone! Learn more: https://bit.ly/4bWgNNm

Sepsis – the leading cause of mortality in children around the world – can present with a wide range of signs and symptoms, making a one-size-fits-all treatment strategy ineffective. Pursuing a precision medicine approach for pediatric sepsis, researchers used artificial intelligence to analyze a large set of clinical data and find a distinct group of patients who might respond better to targeted treatments. These children share clinical characteristics described as PHES, or persistent hypoxemia (abnormally low oxygen levels in the blood), encephalopathy (brain function disturbance) and shock, which is a highly lethal pattern within sepsis presentations. A recent study led by L. Nelson Sanchez-Pinto, MD, critical care physician as well as Warren and Eloise Batts Research Scholar at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, validated this pattern and discovered that PHES overlaps with biomarkers that indicate excessive levels of inflammation and endothelial activity (which works in tandem with an overactive immune response). https://lnkd.in/gZbXX4yY

Save the date. Our annual medical education conference will be held in September. Registration coming soon.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, known as DIPG, is a rare and aggressive type of pediatric cancer that forms in the brainstem, resulting in approximately 200 to 300 new cases in the United States each year. Fortunately, investigators at Lurie Children's are paving the way to breakthrough treatment for children with DIPG. In this podcast episode, Lurie Children’s physicians Dr. Ashley Plant-Fox and Dr. Michael DeCuypere discuss the progress of this first-of-its-kind, phase 1 clinical trial for DIPG that has been open since January of 2022 and offers hope for a disease that currently has no curative options. https://lnkd.in/gaqw4JVi

A disorder called Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) has been on the rise in recent years in both adults and children, leading to the expansion of support for POTS patients at Lurie Children's. Children diagnosed with POTS typically experience daily cardiovascular symptoms that affect their quality of life and require specialized care to help combat episodes of dizziness, lightheadedness, exercise intolerance, and near fainting. Lurie Children’s POTS program has become one of the few comprehensive programs for pediatric cases of POTS. Learn more about treatment for POTS at Lurie Children’s in this podcast episode. https://lnkd.in/gisZU_Xm

We are pleased to share that The Ludmila and Edward Smolyansky Foundation, the philanthropic arm Pure Culture Organics of Chicago, IL, announced today it has made a $1 million commitment to Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, specifically allocated to the Cardiology Program Fund and the Access for Every Child Fund. The Ludmila and Edward Smolyansky Foundation's generous contribution aims to significantly impact pediatric cardiac care at Lurie Children's, supporting priority projects within the Division of Cardiology. This substantial investment will bolster research initiatives, advance treatment methods, and enhance overall patient care in the field of pediatric cardiology. In addition to supporting the Cardiology Program Fund, a portion of the pledge is designated for the Access for Every Child Fund. This critical fund ensures that children who are uninsured or facing financial hardship have access to the world-class care provided by Lurie Children's. By eliminating financial barriers, the Access for Every Child Fund aligns with the Foundation's mission of making healthcare accessible to all children. https://lnkd.in/gRGVBeJZ #philantrophy #nonprofit #healthequity #childrenshealth

In honor of Better Speech and Hearing Month, Lurie Children’s congratulates two high achieving patients who have received the Graeme Clark Scholarship. Named after Professor Graeme Clark who invented the multi-channel cochlear implant, the scholarship is awarded to young individuals exemplifying leadership in the hearing loss community. Aaron is one of the outstanding recipients of the 2024 scholarship. When Aaron began losing his hearing at four years old, his family came to Lurie Children’s and he was fitted with hearing aids. Aaron’s hearing diminished during his childhood, and he was diagnosed with bilateral profound sensorineural hearing loss. He underwent two surgeries to receive two cochlear implants and began working with Lurie Children’s audiologists to regain his hearing. Today, Aaron is a first-generation college student pursuing a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering at Northwestern University. His love for music trumpets when he plays the clarinet in his school’s marching band and helps produce a rock show for the school’s radio station. His passions and achievements are a result of his perseverance and the support from his medical team. Aaron is thrilled to have been chosen for the Graeme Clark Scholarship. He recognizes the impact that his medical care and his cochlear implants have had in his life. He said, “Because of my cochlear implants, I have been able to discover my love for music as well as the ability to speak two languages. I am very grateful for my cochlear implants, and I hope one day I can provide the same ease to someone else’s life.”

We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of five extraordinary Children's Miracle Network Hospitals partners who were honored at the 2024 CMN Hospitals Summit for Lurie Children’s. These five award winners have demonstrated unparalleled dedication and passion for raising funds for Lurie Children’s, significantly impacting the lives of the patients and families we serve.   2023 Top Partner: Ace Hardware 2023 Great Percent Increase Partner: Credit Unions for Kids 2023 Team of the Year: Costco Wholesale Bedford Park Business Center 2023 You Rock Award Winner: Jennifer Castino 2023 Change Maker Award: National Coalition of Associations of 7-Eleven Franchisees   Join us in congratulating these partners and celebrating their achievements! We are immensely grateful to these champions for their remarkable contributions.