Welcome to Faces & Places, an occasional feature highlighting those people, places and things that make All Children?s Hospital special.
The stories are written by Dave Scheiber, whose by-line has graced the pages (and screens) of the Tampa Bay Times, FOX Florida Sports, Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post and other media outlets through the years. Now an All Children's employee, the Hospital is lucky to have such a talented writer as Dave helping us to tell our story to a broader audience.
The man who quietly walks All Children’s surgical floors these days is more than a valued mentor to physicians, more than a doctor who enjoys getting out of his office to mingle and observe, more than an embodiment of new hospital leadership on a vital mission for the future.
Connie Mendoza stood near the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday afternoon, feeling a mixture of elation and exhaustion like so many others who had completed the historic race.
Dr. Gregory Hale and Dr. Allison Messina of All Children’s Hospital took their seats side by side Wednesday evening – and beamed at the packed crowd cheering them on in Bright House’s Cut For A Cure Charity Challenge. There was no turning back now even if they’d wanted to.
But there is another house the Babe helped to build. He did it not with his bat but with his heart, not with his towering home runs but with a soaring spirit of generosity toward children – especially those in need.
A moment created by the national organization known as Flashes of Hope, which goes from hospital to hospital taking high-end, portrait-session photos of pediatric patients facing the toughest of challenges amid life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses.
Forty years to the date of her first day of work – March 12, 1973 – Louise Belich officially spent her final few hours on the job amid a surprise celebration reflecting the love and admiration so many people feel for her.
Laura McKeeman is the reigning Miss Florida and Tampa Bay area resident. She finished in the Top 15 finished at the Miss America Pageant last week in Las Vegas.
It certainly wasn’t your everyday sight at All Children’s Hospital on Thursday. As excited kids and families looked on from the sidewalk and inside their rooms, Spider-Man paid a visit to the hospital to wash windows – and wash away the stress that so many patients and parents experience.
Rosie and Craig Carden turned to All Children’s Hospital this past year to fix the rare and complex congenital heart defect afflicting their infant son, Sammy. And the tale of how a tough baby was saved – thanks to the talented cardiovascular team at All Children’s – began to unfold.
Amid songs of the season, the latest event in the popular monthly program created by Chaplain David Pitt helps hospital employees slow down, enjoy songs and readings in a serene, non-denominational setting – and re-energize for the daily challenges of the job.
A new addition to the holidays brought smiles – and tears of joy – to parents of patients at All Children’s in the two days before Christmas: The Wonderland Toy Shop. Tables upon tables were stacked with far more cool toys and gifts than you could count – all donated from the community and guaranteed to brighten the holidays for kids and families. Here's how it all came together.
With a an early-morning knock on the door, ACH volunteers offer a cup of coffee, a pastry and a smile to weary parents who have spent long, often sleep-deprived nights in the hospital room of their child. It’s a practice that allows hospital staffers from all departments get involved hands-on at the hospital – and gives a lift to everyone involved.
The recent Memorial Service at All Children’s Hospital was a rare and moving tribute to the young patients who passed away during the year. The healing event gave parents, families and hospital staff a chance to find closure by honoring and celebrating lives that ended too soon.
Tampa Bay Buccaneer tailback Doug Martin makes his way into the open, just as he has done so many times this season. Striding three steps ahead of the pack, the young rushing star cuts to the right and makes his big move - from a long corridor on All Children's fifth floor into a hospital room with a special little fan awaiting.
A special tree has sprung up in a PICU meeting room – a new way to honor young patients who having reached the end of their own lives, but made life possible for others through organ donation. But the tree, an idea conceived of by nurse Traci Gregory and a comfort to fellow nurses, also has another story to tell.
Inside the All Children's Hospital lobby, the lunch-hour pace has picked up on a recent afternoon, but something else accompanies the busy scene - a calming counterpoint to the roomful of motion and emotion.
By 2 p.m. Wednesday, the spacious lobby of All Children's Hospital was packed with enough costumed Halloween characters to fill several neighborhood blocks - with all manner of storybook figures, superheroes, cowboys, kings and queens lining the room.
