News

Katie McGinnis is the January 2012 Employee of the Month. Katie works as a Child Life Specialist in Child Life and has been with All Children's since 2011. Katie was recognized for her Service Excellence by the parent of one of our patients who said:

Katie from Child Life is amazing. I am the mother of four children and she has made this stay at All Children's so much easier for our family. My son often gets hospitalized for various Cystic Fibrosis issues. Katie spent countless hours with my son and our family explaining procedures, and making sure that things were as pleasant as they could possibly be. I so appreciate that she always included the siblings in everything she did. Many times people forget that my son's illness affects his siblings as much as it affects him - she understood that. She also explained things to them and was always a listening ear for them, too.

When my son was being taken back into surgery before I had a chance to pray with him she prayed with me. I do not know what her religious values are but she knew it was important to me so she took time to do it. My son is on precautions so we could not go down and do the Thanksgiving dinner. Katie arranged for us to have the pirate playground - this was a huge deal, especially to my youngest daughter because she has always wanted to play on that playground but has not been able to because her brother is not allowed because of his contact precautions. Katie made for my kids what started out as a "hospital Thanksgiving" into a "Wow we get to have Thanksgiving on a pirate ship!" My kids talk about "Miss Katie" at home and even remember her in their nighttime prayers. She made a powerful impact on our family.

Katie's Department Director added:

In the short time Katie has been at All Children's Hospital, she has repeatedly demonstrated a commitment to helping patients and families successfully navigate the hospital experience with positive coping. She is a strong patient/family advocate and, as this nomination reflects, identifies and supports what is meaningful to the family unit. She is skilled in helping children understand medical procedures and equally so in helping to calm fears. Katie connects very well with children and parents alike. She brings an outstanding level of energy and passion to what she does each and every day.

Katie, thank you for your wonderful Service Excellence and all you do for patients and their families in a time of need. Congratulations for receiving the All Children's Hospital Employee of the Month honors!