Healing Hearts: Empowering Pediatric Critical Care Providers

Dr. Laura Ortman describes the Hybrid Procedure - what it is, why we do it, and what you need to know to take care of these patients in the ICU.

In this episode, Dr. Laura Ortman, Critical Care Pediatrics talks about the surgical procedure referred to as PA banding.

In this episode, Dr. Laura Ortman, MD, Critical Care Pediatrics talks about Acute Viral Myocarditis - how it presents, what causes it, how we treat it, and what outcomes to expect.

Meditation for Heart Coherence with Holly Baynes
Take a few minutes to reset with this guided meditation led by Holly Baynes, Nurse Practitioner and HeartMath-trained practitioner. This session helps you achieve heart coherence—a state that supports stress relief, emotional balance, mental clarity, and resilience. Perfect for mindfulness, heart health, and overall well-being.

Background music provided by Sydney Timmons, Music Therapist at Children’s Nebraska, who uses the power of music to support healing and emotional well-being for patients and families.

Start the New Year with Mindful Living
Join Holly Baynes, Nurse Practitioner in Cardiothoracic Surgery, for an insightful session on meditation and its impact on your well-being.

Holly brings special training from HeartMath, teaching you how to access a healthy, high-performance state called heart coherence—a balance of mind and emotions that:

• Reduces stress
• Improves clarity for better decision-making
• Enhances overall resilience

You’ll also learn about heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and the science behind meditation. Plus, stay tuned for future meditation episodes with Holly!

Listen in to Melissa Shade, Endocrine Registered Nurse, and Molly Paskach, Diabetes Clinical Educator at Children's Nebraska tell their story of running and working at Camp Hot Shots, a camp for pediatric patients diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Listen in to hear their passion about their work and creating this wonderful summer experience for their patients.

We are proud to hear from a beloved team member at Children’s Nebraska, Barb Schwarz, who shares the story of her 46 years of service before her retirement in December 2025. Barb, who most fondly remembers her many years in the OR as a nurse, leaves a legacy of passion and care for the patients and families at Children’s Nebraska. Listen in as Barb reflects on her journey and shares her hopes for the future of Children’s Nebraska.

At Children's, we get the opportunity to spend time in service of others within the community through our BeInvolved community volunteering program. The BeInvolved community volunteering program empowers our team members to demonstrate the same kindness, care and compassion that we demonstrate daily to our patients, families and colleagues and extend that to our community. Listen in to hear Jessica Haywood, Director of Clinical Operations & System Integration at Children's Nebraska, as she shares her BeInvolved story.

In our tenth episode of this storytelling series, meet Amber Phipps, Vice President Patient Experience & Regulatory Readiness at Children's Nebraska. Be inspired by her story of allyship from her hero and how this has guided her career and leadership philosophy.

In our ninth episode of this storytelling series, meet Jerry Vuchak, EVP Chief Information & Innovation Officer at Children's Nebraska. Be inspired by his hero and her leadership amidst a crisis and how that guided his career.