“We are the individuals who try to be that voice, that safe person, that advocate for the children and families, and we convey their needs to the rest of the medical team,” says Carrie Kindopp, manager of Child Life Services at Sanford.
Child Life provides services throughout the hospital. Specialists help with outpatient procedures like blood draws, throat cultures and radiological procedures, emphasizing the physical and emotional comfort of the patient. This is accomplished through the use of comforting “holding” positions that allow child-parent contact during the procedure.
For those who are hospitalized for surgery, Child Life Specialists are present before, during and after the procedure. Children prepare for surgery through “medical play” activities like exploring medical equipment and seeing the operation played out using a stuffed animal.
All Child Life activities are tailored to a child’s level of understanding and learning. “We try to acknowledge that a child’s thought process is different from an adult’s,” adds Kindopp.
Child Life provides grief counseling throughout the hospital; offering books and activities that help the entire family cope with loss.
Looking ahead to the expansion of Sanford Children’s into its new facility in 2009, Kindopp hopes to see growth in Child Life outreach services, education programs and family-oriented care.
LIVE WEBCAM - Watch the building of the new Children's Hospital
“Child Life is that little something special that sets us apart,” Kindopp says, “It makes Sanford Children’s Hospital special and unique.”
The value of Child Life Services, which reached out to 6,000 patients last year, stems from its emphasis on the overall comfort of the entire family and the long-term benefits of compassionate, personalized care. “We are in a new era of pediatric care when it comes to how we interact psychosocially and emotionally with kids. That’s what makes us different.”
Child Life Serves Sanford Children’s:
- Pediatrics/PICU
- Pediatric Outpatients
- Sanford Children’s Specialty Clinic
- Same-Day Surgery
- Boekelheide Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
- On Call Basis for Adult Floors and Emergency Room
The medical team at Sanford Webster did X-rays and an MRI and sent them to Robert Crank, MD, a Sanford Clinic Radiologist in Watertown. In the meantime, Hairgrove sent Warrington to Charles Miller, MD at the Sanford Clinic Neurosurgery & Spine in Sioux Falls.
“It was impressive they could take the MRI right here in Webster, have it sent almost immediately to Watertown for reading, and when I got to Sioux Falls, there it was up on the computer screen,” Warrington said.
With the new docZ computer system in place at Sanford Clinic Webster, patients no longer have to fill out long forms at each new Sanford location they visit. “When I got to Sioux Falls, they just typed in my name and all my information popped right up,” Warrington added. “They just asked a couple of questions and that was it.”
Once in Sioux Falls, Warrington and his wife, Bonnie, were notified their appointment had to be moved to the next day because of an emergency. “Dr. Miller’s office was really incredible to work with, they went above and beyond. Because they had to move our appointment, they offered to pay for a hotel room and to buy us supper as well,” Bonnie Warrington said.
“We were staying with our son and daughter-in-law so we didn’t need the hotel room, but they insisted on buying supper for our family.” During their appointment, Dr. Miller showed Warrington on a screen the problem areas and explained he had a herniated disc and would need surgery.
He had his surgery at Sanford USD Medical Center in April and was home the next day. Well on the road to recovery, he is thankful to have had such quality care available in Webster and in Sioux Falls.
“I was so thankful to be able to see someone right in Webster,” Warrington said. “The way I felt that morning, I couldn’t have made it 50 miles in a car. It’s so important to have these capabilities right here close to home. I think a lot of people don’t realize how vital it is to have that help right away.”
Wife, Marcine
Medical School:
Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine; Residency: Windom Area Hospital, Windom, MN
Hometown:
Chicago, IL
Sanford Birthday:
July 1995
Shoe Size:
9.5 D
Guilty Pleasure:
I have three guilty pleasures: chocolate, chocolate and then chocolate.
Running marathons and detailing cars
Last Marathon:
Half Marathon in May 2008, Rochester, MN
Favorite Movies:
Comedy – Airplane; Drama – Saving Private Ryan
Favorite Music:
Bruce Hornsby
Tell us about your retirement as Colonel from the Army Reserve.
I retired this April after 26 wonderful years, and it’s a bittersweet change. I met wonderful people, had amazing jobs and really enjoyed my time. As you get up into the ranks, you also realize there’s going to be a point where it’s time to step aside and let others take the lead, and I felt it was the right time for me.
How did your Army Reserve career help your medical career?
During the first 15 years in the Army Reserve, I worked as a clinician. It was rewarding to see soldiers and care for them. It was an honor. I could bring my leadership from those experiences with me when I came to civilian positions, and I really enjoyed that.
In your “civilian position” at Sanford Clinic Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, you started a special joint procedure for patients.
This is quite new to Sanford Clinic. It’s a joint implant procedure for arthritis of the big toe, which is so important to walking. The original implants had poor wear, and they wouldn’t last. Eventually, they made metallic ones. Now, the new one we use at Sanford Clinic actually functions more like a real joint. I’ve been impressed with the procedures we’ve done so far. We’ve been able to restore some joint function, people feel more comfortable and we haven’t destroyed the joint or fused the joint. That’s been quite helpful to my patients.
What makes you wake up every morning and lace up your work shoes?
The best thing about what I do is that I get to interact with just wonderful people on a day-to-day basis. Everyday is wrought with more laughs than tears, and just the ability for someone to say “I feel better” and “thanks” is the reason I get up, shave and come in every morning.
Stepping away from work, what do you do in your free time?
I like to run. I participated in the half-marathon in Rochester, MN in May and collected donations for the Wounded Warrior Project. Wounded veterans hit my soft spot. I did the Army 10-miler last year in Washington, DC where about 45 amputees run. When you’re passed by one of them, it’s a very inspiring feeling. They are my heroes, they truly are.
Drivers Hands-On Driver Safety
Crashes are the number one killer of teens in South Dakota and across the U.S.
Over the three days, approximately 600 young drivers, ages 14-21, came to the Sioux Empire Fairgrounds to learn driving tips from experts from the non-profit organization Driver’s Edge, sponsored locally by Sanford Health, First PREMIER Bank/PREMIER Bankcard, and over 10 other local organizations.
Guy Van Demark, MD came to Sioux Falls, SD in 1910 and, with seven other physicians, organized the Sioux Falls Medical and Surgical Clinic. It was there that he became a pioneer, developing a practice that has become part of modern orthopedics seen today. Guy encouraged his nephews, Robert Sr. and Walter to join him in his practice.
Robert Van Demark Sr., MD was a WWII Army Medical Corp. volunteer, and was a strong advocate for medical education in South Dakota. He was the first Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Sanford School of Medicine.
When polio struck in 1948, Walter Van Demark, MD, who had completed an internship in polio, battled around the clock to save lives and keep the ill effects of the disease controlled in the city of Sioux Falls.
The Van Demark Building is home to Sanford Clinic Radiology, Sanford Clinic Pain Center, Physical Therapy, Sanford Home Medical Equipment, Sanford Orthopedics & Sports Medicine, Sanford Clinic Neurology, Sanford Clinic Neurosurgery & Spine, Sanford Clinic Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, the Sanford Spine Center and Sanford Clinic Rheumatology.
Satellite Office in Watertown
In conjunction with the digital mammography unit, Sanford Breast Health Institute Watertown also offers Computer-Aided Detection (CAD). CAD provides a second review of the mammogram by a computer for the radiologist.
For more information about digital mammography or to schedule an appointment, call Sanford Clinic Watertown at (605) 886-8471.
“We assess postural imbalance and movement dysfunction in the areas of respiration, muscle movement or dysfunction, and postural adaptation and compensation,” adds Jill Honermann, PT, Sanford Spine Center. “The comprehensive treatment is based on correcting improper movement patterns, restoring proper diaphragmatic breathing and maximizing proper posture to improve ease of movement and function. This progressive therapy has extensive advantages above and beyond traditional therapy for patients with problems of the neck and back.”
For additional information on the Sanford Spine Center, please visit sanfordspinecenter.org or call (605) 328-1550.
Susan G. Komen SD Race for the Cure®
Each team member will contribute $25 to the Komen SD Race for the Cure®. Seventy-five percent of the net income from the race will fund local breast health education, screening and breast cancer treatment projects, 25 percent of the net income will be used for national research.
Members of Team Sanford will receive a training guide and have opportunities to network with other Team Sanford members as they get ready for the Komen SD Race for the Cure®.
To learn more, go to sanfordhealth.org/komenraceforthecure.
The 3,200 square foot renovation:
- created an enhanced outpatient and labor triage area
- added an additional operating room
- added two labor and delivery suites
- updated current birthing suites
- added a family center
Dr. Munson is a neonatologist and the Medical Director of the Boekelheide Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Sanford Children’s Hospital and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Sanford School of Medicine of The University of South Dakota. He received his medical degree from the University of Minnesota in 1969 and completed his rotating internship at Sioux Valley in 1970. Dr. Munson then went on to complete his Pediatric Residency at St. Paul Children’s Hospital/University of Minnesota in 1973. From 1973–1979 he was in general pediatric practice in Sioux Falls before returning to the University of Minnesota from 1979–1981 to complete his fellowship in Neonatal/Perinatal Medicine.
Sanford USD Medical Center celebrated Nurses’ Week May 5-9 by offering activities both throughout the hospital and in individual units. The highlight of the week was the Nurses’ Awards Ceremony on May 8. Awards were presented for the Friend of Nursing, Star Performance, Florence Nightingale, Spirit of Nursing Leadership and Wisdom Keeper.
