January 15, 2011

Our kids are the ones who not very long ago wouldn’t have survived. From brain injuries to preemies, they are among the sickest and most complex patients to treat. Every one of them comes to us with a unique set of challenges and a common need to be a kid.

There is not a cookie cutter case in the bunch. But then, we’re not about cookie cutter methods of treatment.

All you have to do is walk around our facility to know what our model of care means in the lives of our kids and their families. If you haven’t taken a tour yet, I invite you to come. We love showing off Ranken Jordan and our kids just plain love showing off.

Dr. Holekamp invented the term “beyond the bedside” for the care we give. It’s about getting kids out of the hospital bed and back to life. Our whole building is therapy space and we use every inch of it: the indoor and outdoor playground, community areas, places for activities that engage and challenge — even if they’re done from a wheelchair or sometimes a bed on wheels.

The results have been spectacular for many of our kids. But we’re also about families. We support our families in everything from learning how to meet their child’s physical needs to coordinating care after they go home. This year’s stories show just how important their families are to our kids’ recovery.

Mental health is also a huge component in healing. This year, in addition to our two full-time physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors, we’ve added a psychiatrist, Dr. Suzanne L’Ecuyer.

In another piece of exciting news, the Mike Matheny Catch 22 Foundation has pledged to help Ranken Jordan build its very own Field of Dreams, a multipurpose athletic field with wheelchair access.

Outside these walls, we are recognized for our level of care. Our physical medicine and rehabilitation doctors now provide consultation services for Cardinal Glennon. Washington University is talking to us about starting a residency program for physical medicine and rehabilitation. We received honors from the St. Louis Regional Chamber & Growth Association (RCGA) and the Missouri Chamber of Commerce this year. And, after taking a tour, a representative from the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC) noted our innovative model of care.

We’re also very proud to rank 5th in the nation for overall job satisfaction among clients, including hospitals, surveyed by HR Solutions. We firmly believe that our shared passion for this work affects healing.

When we opened the doors to our new facility, we never expected that we would be running at capacity this soon. For the last two years we’ve operated near full census with a waiting list that often stretches to 15 – 25 kids. In addition to the 233 families served on an inpatient basis, this year we served over 331 families in our outpatient program. We are using literally every inch of our space.

As a society, we save more and more kids. We cannot then abandon them. It’s time for us to expand our vision.

Our kids face medical  issues that will stay with them their whole lives. I can’t say it enough: the acute care hospitals save lives. We give our kids a life.

What shape our growth will take and the time in which it will unfold are issues still to be decided. In order to fulfill our mission of being there for every child who needs us, we know we need to serve more kids. We know we need to prove the model and make it available everywhere it’s needed.

The issues of health care policy today make everything that much more complex. What I tell people is, it doesn’t matter. We will continue to fight for our kids to get them the level of care that they need.

For us, it’s not about the needs of the institution, it’s about serving kids. Ranken Jordan has no needs. The kids have needs. We are here for them.

That is our passion and our promise. Your support is fabulous. You are bringing families together. You are making kids’ lives better.

Onward!

Laureen K. Tanner, RN, MSN, FACHE
President & Chief Executive Officer