Goryeb Children’s Hospital

A key component of the mission for family-centered care at Goryeb Children’s Hospital, the Good Neighbor Fund uses donor gifts to support families with daily living expenses, gas and electric bills, childcare costs, mortgage or rent payments and pharmaceutical purchases. Last year, Roxbury High School students contributed more than $37,000 to support Goryeb Children’s Hospital and the Good Neighbor Fund through the annual Rox-THON.

In 2022, funds raised through the Fifth Annual Juniors Fore Goryeb Golf Outing and generous support from the Valerie Fund helped create a Pediatric Hematology-Oncology Nurse Navigator position. Ashley Mariconda, RN, was hired to fill the role in late 2022 and will serve as a central point of contact for patients and their families, guiding them through the continuum of cancer care – from diagnosis to treatment and follow-up care.

The AFDTC gives women with high-risk pregnancies vital access to experts whose sole focus is to keep both mother and baby healthy before, during and after birth. To bring this program to the next level, women with high-risk pregnancies will soon be able to receive seamless care in one location — ideally during one appointment. A new full-time perinatal care coordinator will serve as a family-physician liaison and help parents navigate the complexities of their care. In keeping with Goryeb Children’s Hospital’s commitment to both the physical and emotional aspects of patient care, the AFDTC will ensure that families have 24/7 access to Goryeb Children’s Hospital experts for continuous patient- and family-centered care. Generous contributors to this project include the Gagnon Family Foundation and the Arthur M. Goldberg and Veronica Goldberg Foundation.

The Epilepsy Center team at Goryeb Children’s Hospital incorporates a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to treat pediatric patients suffering from this complex neurological condition. Through support from donors such as the Martire and Velez families and the Louise Washington Charitable Trust, the center has begun a five-year development plan for growth in treating pediatric epilepsy. This includes the addition of support positions; state-of-the-art equipment upgrades like the Stealth Autoguide™ robotic guidance system and facility upgrades. The donor-funded Epilepsy Nurse Navigator position has also been filled, with Kiera Warren, RN, starting in late 2022.

The Assessment of Functional Living Skills (AFLS) is an assessment tool, tracking system and curriculum guide that Child Development and Autism Center staff use with their adolescent and teen patients. There are several AFLS modules for families to choose from, depending on the area of concern for their child (e.g., community, independent living or home). Following the completion of an assessment by an applied behavior analysis therapist, staff and family work together to select two or three goals that will be targeted for intervention.

Children and teens with autism and related developmental disabilities often struggle to make friends, maintain friendships, understand social cues, see others’ perspective and participate in conversation. Social skills groups are designed to allow these patients to learn the rules of social interactions and practice them in a supportive environment.

Child Life Specialists do their best to keep pediatric patients educated, entertained and distracted at the bedside. With donor support, they are able to purchase supplies – such as stress balls, playing cards, crayons and craft items, educational toys, games and Xboxes – that provide many hours of much-needed fun and entertainment.

In 2022, the Barer Family Foundation funded an additional Child Life Specialist position in pediatric surgery. This dedicated resource will focus on preparing children and parents before a procedure and offer support day of. Research shows that children who are psychologically prepared for surgery experience fewer negative symptoms, have less post-traumatic stress, lower levels of fear and anxiety, increased cooperative behaviors and better long-term adjustment to future medical challenges.

A generous donation from Christopher and Linda Baldwin supported needs at CAMP including new outdoor furniture for Kayla’s Healing Garden. The upgrade will support children and their families who use the tranquil space as an important outdoor respite. Funds will also be used to purchase upgraded infusion recliners for pediatric patients, high-back chairs for parents and new gaming systems for the young patients receiving care at CAMP.

Thanks to the generosity of the R Baby Foundation, Goryeb Children’s Hospital has made incredible inroads in treating pediatric sepsis and using simulation technology for clinical training. Caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal infection, early detection and aggressive treatment of sepsis is crucial. The R Baby Foundation has made it possible for Goryeb Children’s Hospital to institute a hospital-wide pediatric sepsis recognition protocol to improve patient outcomes.

Gifts from donors such as the Larini Foundation help the Patient Support Fund assist parents and caregivers of patients at Goryeb Children’s Hospital in dire financial need. The fund ensures patients and families receive support to see them through the healing process, and can be used for transportation, medications, food and financial assistance.