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Virtual Reality Comes to St. Joe’s
With proceeds from the 2019 Heroes Ball and other donations, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is able to become the first children’s hospital in Florida and the only pediatric facility in the Southeast to use the evolutionary Surgical Theater Precision Virtual Reality™ technology in its pediatric neuro and cardiac surgery programs. Using F-16 flight simulator technology, the program fuses and enhances CT and MRI images to create a 360-degree virtual model of a patient’s anatomy.
“The immersive technology provides our pediatric heart and brain surgeons with a view of the anatomy and pathology of patients’ complex conditions,” said Sarah Naumowich, president of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. “With this cutting-edge digital tool, our surgeons have an unprecedented way to plan and strategize the best route for surgery.”
With virtual reality headsets, surgeons can guide a patient through a 360-degree model of their heart or brain to illustrate the condition, treatment options, and potential risks in greater detail than ever before.
“Being able to see what the doctor sees provides patients and their families with a better understanding of the diagnosis, helping to alleviate some of the stress and anxiety that comes with preparing for surgery,” adds Naumowich.
Click here to hear firsthand from Beau and Sam’s parents on how this technology will make a difference to their family.
Christmas in July Nears
Medical settings can be a stressful and frightening experience for children. Toy donations for kids from infants to teens make for great distractions to take their minds off pain and discomfort. Monetary donations help by providing them with fun activities such as art and massage therapy, birthday and milestone celebrations, and play therapy that can help bring momentary escape from their hospital stay and illness.
The month-long event kicks off July 1st, and runs through the grand finale event on Friday, July 26th in the circular drive of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. There are many ways you can help and be one of Santa’s elves, click here!
Help spread some mid-year holiday cheer to kids who need it most!
SJCH Implements New Therapy Equipment
Thanks to a generous donation from TECO, an Emera company, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital is now able to use vibration therapy on outpatient pediatric rehabilitation patients. With the installation of a new Galileo® Tilt Table vibration system at both the SJCH Motion Analysis Center and SJCH North Tampa Specialty Center, Occupational Therapists can provide vibrational training sessions in just three minutes.
The Galileo® Tilt Table is a side-alternating vibrational training system that produces involuntary muscle contractions by using the nervous system to induce up to 4,500 reflexive muscle contractions in a short amount of time, similar to the movement that occurs when walking, but more frequently. The body responds to this motion with reflexive muscle contractions which helps to improve muscle strength and function, increase flexibility and range of motion, decrease muscle spasticity, increase bone density, and improve blood flow.
“Patients with a variety of movement disorders can benefit from vibrational therapy, including those with cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, spinal muscular atrophy, scoliosis, and spinal cord injuries,” says Lauren Rosen, program coordinator of SJCH’s Motion Analysis Center. “And by using the Galileo Tilt Table instead of a free-standing vibration platform, we’re able to provide muscle training to our patients who are unable to stand without support.”
St. Joseph’s Foundation Announces 2019 Heroes Ball
Event Chairs Lou and April La Cava are proud to announce the 2019 St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital Heroes Ball on April 13th at the Hilton Tampa Downtown. This year’s “Journey to Candy Land” themed event will benefit the Children’s Cardiac Surgery Program and honor community hero, Kiran Patel, MD, the global philanthropist and entrepreneur.
The evening includes a cocktail reception, live and silent auction, dinner and entertainment by Jessie’s Girls.
Click Here for sponsorship opportunities or contact our Special Events Officer, Corina Wian, at corina.wian@baycare.org.
Red Little Wagon Fund Rolls Without a Hitch
St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital cares for a variety of children with different surgical needs. Those that require orthopedic intervention to help heal conditions such as developmental hip dysplasia or a broken leg require a SPICA cast for roughly 8-12 weeks. This large cast extends from the mid-chest to the ankle with a bar between the legs to help reinforce the cast and prevent breakage. Due to the cumbersome nature of the cast, a wheelchair will not typically accommodate the cast.
To relieve the strain of transporting a toddler from room to room, doctors’ appointments and daily activities, the Little Red Wagon Fund was created. With funds raised, the hospital has been able to provide families with financial constraints the ability to take care of their injured child in the best way possible.
Click the link below to help St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital purchase a little red wagon to transport our smallest patients.
Memorial Fund Turns Tragedy Into Healing
Bettina Carroccetto loved the beach, she loved good music, and she especially loved being a Pediatric Emergency Nurse at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. That was until a tragic car accident took her life eight years ago at just 29 years old.
Through unimaginable grief, her family recognized that Bettina’s passion for helping others must continue. Thus, The Bettina Carroccetto Memorial Fund for Nursing Excellence was established. This fund was created to provide scholarships to St. Joseph’s Hospitals aspiring nurses, and later to fund equipment that assists the nursing team in serving the critical population of the pediatric emergency department. Recently, Bettina’s brother, Alfio, hosted a fundraiser in which proceeds allowed the foundation to purchase a vein viewer for our Steinbrenner Children’s Emergency and Trauma Center. This device helps our team find optimal vein insertion sites, even for our smallest patients.
Thank you to the Carroccetto family for continuing Bettina’s legendary passion for her patients and St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.
Click the link below if you would like to donate or learn more about the Bettina Carroccetto Fund for Nursing Excellence.
Barnes and Noble Book Drive Approaches
Local Barnes and Noble bookstores are hosting a holiday book drive benefiting St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. In addition to collecting books, participants may donate toys and activities, and a percentage of all sales will be given to St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital.
Here are ways to participate:
Join us at the South Tampa Barnes & Noble location all day on October 27th to purchase and donate in stores.
Make purchases online from October 27th to November 1st. Be sure to use the book fair ID number: 12443230 and check the box that you’re purchasing as a book fair order so that the proceeds of your purchase go to the Children’s Hospital.
Click the link below to view the selection of books to plan ahead!
Hyundai Gives Back
Hyundai Hope On Wheels celebrates its 20th year in the fight against pediatric cancer. St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital was one of only 21 recipients of this year’s award, given to support outstanding pediatric oncology programs at select children’s hospitals nationwide. Tuesday, July 31, Dr. Mark Mogul, the medical director of pediatric hematology and oncology, accepted a $100,000 Hyundai Impact Award on behalf of the kids of St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. With this latest grant, the hospital has received more than $1,000,000 in grants from Hope on Wheels and Suncoast Hyundai Dealers. The grant will help fund direct patient assistance, treatments, and supportive therapies for families in need.
“Throughout the country, talented doctors are working tirelessly to help kids fight cancer by conducting research or providing bedside care,” said Scott Fink, chairman, Hyundai Hope On Wheels Board of Directors. “Our goal at Hope On Wheels is to provide these doctors with the funds they need to perform their lifesaving work.”
During the event, some of the children were able to participate in the program’s signature Handprint Ceremony, in which they dip their hands in paint and place their handprints on a white 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe. Their colorful handprints on the official Hope Vehicle represent their individual and collective journeys, hopes, and dreams.
UnMonsters Debut in Coloring Books
To keep pediatric patients entertained and engaged, Child Life Specialists often involve children in various activities, including music and art therapy. To help their efforts, the Foundation produced an 8-page coloring book featuring the Hospital’s very own UnMonsters. While our doctors and nurses are busy taking care of patients, these coloring books help visits to the emergency room, clinics and doctors offices less stressful. The children have an opportunity to color all of their favorite characters, including Fretta, Tizzy, and Jitters. These friendly monsters remind kids and their parents that sometimes the things that scare us aren’t so bad after all.
Studies have shown that coloring helps reduce stress and promote relaxation by calming the part of the brain that engages our fear and stress response, focusing the mind on the present moment. Coloring books engage children’s creative and active enthusiasm, all while developing a child’s hand-eye coordination and motor skills.
These fun UnMonster coloring books came to fruition with inspiration by request through the Humanity Grants Program, a program where St. Joseph’s Hospitals Foundation invests in projects and ideas generated by team members that will bring care and comfort to patients and their families.
If you would like to sponsor a coloring book for St. Joe’s kids, click here.
Christmas in July Hits Record Numbers
Christmas came early this year with over $120,000 in monetary donations and toys for the extraordinary children at St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital. On Friday, July 27, 2018, Santa and his elves arrived for a day of excitement and holiday spirit, bringing joy and comfort to all. The day included event coverage by on-air personalities Jen Epstein and Walter Allen from Fox 13, Phoebe from Magic 94.9, and guest appearances from the Tampa Yankees, Chick-fil-A cows, Rocky D. Bull, and the Children’s Hospital’s own UnMonsters. It was an exciting day, and your donations will continue to keep up the spirits of St. Joe’s kids all year long!