Well Beyond Medicine: The Nemours Children's Health Podcast

This is an encore presentation of the Champions for Children podcast, originally released on Dec. 21, 2020.

For over a century, Christmas at the Nemours Mansion and Estate in Wilmington, Delaware has been an opportunity to decorate, celebrate, and welcome the public for an immersive experience of holiday life behind the walls of Nemours in days of yore.

2020 is an exception, however, as COVID-19 has closed the mansion until Spring 2021. Instead, enjoy a social distanced audio love letter that provides a taste of that immersive experience, with Nemours associate Riva Brown as our guide

Also, an encore airing of a story that first appeared on the podcast in August 2019, and yet has its own holiday theme. It features Jacksonville-based Nemours talent acquisition partner Dragona Piljug. Her path to Nemours begins far away in both time and place: Bosnia in the 1980’s.

Carol Vassar, producer

It's food and gratitude on this episode, beginning in Oct. 2021 with the  18th birthday celebration of Jacksonville twins Lily and Will Moore. Lily, Will, and friends ate dinner, then headed to the Daily's Place Amphitheater in Downtown Jacksonville to see the Zac Brown Band live in concert. Post-pandemic excitement made the occasion even more festive. But as with any story, there is a twist that leaves just one twin to hear the band as the other faced a medical emergency.

Carol Vassar, producer

Kevin McCormick is no stranger to the Nemours enterprise. He's in his seventh year here, having recently taken on the role of Continuous Improvement Specialist after previously serving as a physical therapist, and as director of operations for the Department of Orthopedics.

His previous experience, plus a MBA and a drive to positively impact the lives of children make him a perfect fit for Nemours - an organization he'd never heard of before moving to Delaware. Yet he quickly became a fan.

Carol Vassar, producer

Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate what is good in our lives: family, friends, food.

But what if you are among the food insecure?

According to Feeding America, about 42 million people in this nation - 1 in every 8 Americans - are food insecure. For the pediatric population we serve that number is approximately 13 million. One in every six children nationwide, one in every six children in Delaware, and one in every 4 children in Florida who are wondering where their next meal is coming from.

And Nemours associates are already hard at work helping to feed those in their communities who may be hungry. 

Carol Vassar, producer

Have you ever thought about what its means to be grateful? And what is gratitude, anyway?

Day after day here at Nemours, the work you're doing is already cultivating gratitude in patients across the continuum of care - and now there is a new and concentrated effort on harnessing that gratitude to make a positive impact on children's health and well being for generations. It is called the Grateful Patient and Family Philanthropy Program.

Carol Vassar, producer

Imagine you are someplace where your first language is not commonly spoken, and you need medical attention.

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, the use of professional medical interpreters with proficiency in translating medical terminology increases patient satisfaction, improves adherence and outcomes, and reduces adverse events.

Nemours associate Margarita Olsen talks about her work as a medical interpreter.

Carol Vassar, producer

What does it mean to be a woman in the healthcare workplace in the (hopefully) post-pandemic world that is 2021? 

The Nemours Women at Work Associate Resource group (ARG) provides an opportunity for women, people who identify as women, and their allies to come together to provide professional development and  pathways to leadership through  networking and community engagement. 

Carol Vassar, producer

Since June 2021, Clint Travis has served as Nemours assistant Vice President of Major and Planned Giving. He arrived at Nemours with a ton of philanthropic knowledge and experience at storied institutions such as Nationwide Children' Hospital and the University of Georgia. He's a lawyer by training , but philanthropy proved to be his true professional passion.

Carol Vassar, producer

D.R.I.V.E (Diversity, Anti-Racism, Inclusion, Value, and Health Equity) is a Nemours task force committed to fostering change and continuing the momentum forward in building a healthy future for all - especially children.

And the driving force behind the Nemours DRIVE task force is its eight work streams. 

Dr. Peggy Greco joins us to talk about the DRIVE effort and the workstream she leads: Child and Family Impact.

Carol Vassar, producer

It's National Hispanic Heritage Month, and we're marking the occasion by talking with members of the Nemours' Associate Resource Group, known as Adelante.

For over five years, Adelante ARG has been actively creating a diverse and culturally competent environment where all associates feel they have a voice and where the Latino/Hispanic families we serve feel their needs are being met. The group's name has particular meaning for this high-energy, forward-thinking ARG.

Carol Vassar, producer