We Stand For Care

The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has announced that it intends to COMMIT up to $100 million for the expansion of the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. Their generous donation is MAKING A DIFFERENCE to children’s health by adding 104 new beds to its Palo Alto campus and expands access to state-of-the-art treatments.

“As a foundation born out of Silicon Valley, we are COMMITTED to making the Bay Area a healthy place for kids to grow up, as well as an innovator in pediatric medicine. That vision is at the heart of the Hospital’s expansion, and we are proud to help make it possible,” said Carol Larson, president of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

The new expansion will allow Packard to continue to provide COMPASSIONATE CARE and sustain its mission – to provide the community’s children access to the most advanced cures, treatments, and technologies, performed by the best minds in pediatric medicine, within a family-centered environment. “My mother would be incredibly proud of the growth we’ve seen at the Children’s Hospital,” says Susan Packard Orr, chair of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Christopher Dawes, president and CEO of Packard Children’s, stated, “With our new facility on the horizon, we look forward to providing even more children and families with access to the best in clinical care, education and research. This would not be possible without the ongoing support of our philanthropic community.”

For more information about how the expansion and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, click here.

As she moves confidently through the hallways of Stanford Hospital & Clinics, Rita’s official badge swings back and forth with each step. There’s no MD after her name, but her skills as a healer could justify it. When Rita pays a visit to a patient, the atmosphere instantly brightens.

Rita’s owner and handler, Robert Higa, said “when you see the connection dogs can make. It’s so easy and effortless. You can really see the change you can bring about with a dog.”

Stanford Hospital & Clinics has been MAKING A DIFFERENCE in the lives of patients for more than a decade with Pet-Assisted Wellness at Stanford (PAWS) Program. During their weekly visits, dogs, cats and sometimes rabbits have padded their way into the hearts of patients and staff alike providing COMPASSIONATE CARE.

The program, said Barbara Ralston, the hospital’s vice president for guest services and international medicine, makes an important contribution toward “getting patients well and out of the hospital. It helps normalize their experience. People who have pets really miss their pets. We can’t let their pets in, but we have surrogates for them.”

For more information about the PAWS Program and to read about patient stories, click here.

At six months old and just ten pounds Ila Chakravarthy received a liver transplant at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, home of the busiest pediatric liver transplant team in the nation.

“We’re known for taking care of very small children, transplanting much sicker patients, and treating more kids with cancer than any other institution in the country,” said surgeon Carlos Esquivel, MD, PhD, chief of the division of transplantation.

The hospital’s team not only MADE A DIFFERENCE in Ila’s life in 2008, but they performed more liver transplants than any other U.S. children’s hospital, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. Their sheer COMMITMENT to surgeries in infants like Ila, shows how doctors, hepatologists, nephrologists, gastroenterologists, anesthesiologists, physician assistants, social workers and nurses, provide BETTER MEDICINE to help patients thrive and grow after their transplant.

For more information about the liver transplant team and Ila’s story, click here.

COMMITTED to FINDING ANSWERS, The Stanford Autism Center at Packard’s Children’s Hospital is offering a new 10-part educational series for parents of young children and adolescents with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The series is aimed towards parents to showcase information about ASD diagnoses, treatments, and services.

“This community of parents is always seeking the latest education and information,” said Jennifer Phillips, PhD, a clinical assistant professor of child and adolescent psychiatry at Stanford University School of Medicine and Packard Children’s Hospital.

The series started on September 10th and includes 10 sessions covering the basics of behavior management, how to navigate the service system, research updates, and home strategies for skills building and stress reduction.

The Stanford Autism Center is giving a unique opportunity to engage parents of young children and adolescents by sharing their expertise and providing BETTER MEDICINE. “We’re excited about sharing our knowledge, and expect a lot of community interest,” said Phillips.

For more information on the series and to sign up, click here.

Everyone diagnosed with multiple sclerosis lives under a virtual sword of Damocles—continually anxious about when the next debilitating attack on their central nervous system will occur. COMMITTED to raising their profile, Stanford Hospital & Clinics is expanding services to MAKE A DIFFERENCE for the patients being served. Stanford Multiple Sclerosis Center is one of the fastest-growing MS centers in the nation, currently treating more than 600 patients.

“Even when they’re feeling physically well, there’s always an uncertainty about a new attack,” said Jeffrey Dunn, MD, the new associate director of Stanford’s Multiple Sclerosis Center and clinical associate professor of neurology and neurological sciences at the medical school. “One of the best treatments for that uncertainty is the certainty that we will be there for them.”

The Stanford MS Center was recognized in recent months when Stanford was invited to join the national Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, and also was named one of 10 academic medical centers that are part of the Accelerated Cure Project for Multiple Sclerosis.

The goal of Stanford’s MS program is to offer BETTER MEDICINE and “build a full spectrum of services, from cutting-edge MS research, through translational study, all the way to a robust clinical program,” stated Frank Longo, MD, PhD, professor and chair of neurology and neurological sciences.

“Right now we don’t have a cure—we can’t cut it out by surgery, we can’t eradicate it by antibiotics, we can’t irradiate it like a tumor,” he said. “But we can tell people that early treatment can make a huge difference. And we can promise to walk alongside our patients, keeping close and providing support and encouragement,” stated Dunn.

To learn more about the Stanford MS Center, click here.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics launched a new daily dinner meal, on August 10, 2009, for inpatients featuring organic, locally grown, sustainable ingredients. The Stanford Hospital & Clinics Farm Fresh program was developed in collaboration with Jesse Cool, a nationally recognized Northern California chef, restaurateur and food writer.

The new inpatient menu option is MAKING A DIFFERENCE and putting Stanford Hospital & Clinics at the forefront of an emerging nationwide recognition that fresh, healthy food is a vital part of IMPROVING the healing process.

“Stanford Hospital is known for providing our patients with the latest medical advances and treatments in an environment that promotes healing,” said CEO Martha Marsh. “This exciting new approach to the food we serve our patients is not just an amenity. It is part of our COMMITMENT to help patients heal as quickly as possible and to feel comfortable and cared for while they are here.”

Beni Velazquez, Stanford Hospital’s executive chef, is delighted with this step for the hospital. “I would never have thought of doing hospital food,” he said, “but Stanford has a vision and this is a very cutting edge program.”

For more information on our exciting new approach for our patients, click here.  For recipes, click here.

Hearing that the odds were vastly against her for a successful kidney transplant was not something 29 year-old Rachel Amato wanted to hear from the first doctors she consulted. So what did the mother of four decide to do? She came to Stanford Hospital and Clinics, where she sought out BETTER MEDICINE and an honest answer.

Stanford Hospital & Clinics told Amato, “We have seen proof that this new treatment works. We just don’t know how many doses it’s going to take.”

COMMITTED to FINDING ANSWERS, the desensitization program, as well as improvements in minimally invasive surgery and the promise of an experimental “tolerance induction” protocol, have placed Stanford Hospital & Clinics at the forefront of kidney transplant programs.   Amato was placed in the program in August 2008 and by January 2009 received one more dose of an additional drug and received her transplant two weeks later.

“Even though we’re treating patients at higher risk, we perform better than expected because we have a very good team and our patients get very attentive, individualized care,” said Stephan Busque, MD, surgical director of the adult kidney and pancreas transplant program.

“Stanford was my saving grace because they did not give up on me,” said Amato.

For more information on the desensitization program click here.

On July 25, 2009, several hundred former transplant patients and their families reunited with the staff of the Blood and Marrow Transplant (BMT) Program at Stanford Hospital & Clinics for a re-birthday celebration. The BMT team often refers to a patient’s transplant day as their “new-birth” or “re-birth” day, since receiving a transplant grants patients a second chance at life. The celebration and annual reunion also recognizes how we MAKE A DIFFERENCE and are continuously IMPROVING the BMT Program.

Robert Negrin, MD, Director of the Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Stanford, emphasizes that “this day punctuates the continued need for enhancing the pool of unrelated marrow donors who can offer the gift of hope for still many more patients in need.”

Over the last 21 years the BMT Program has taken a unique collaborative approach to treatment, where staff nurses, advanced practice nurses, physician assistants, physicians, dietitians, social workers and pharmacists all participate together in each patient’s plan of care.

Negrin added that the “annual BMT Reunion is the highlight of our year, illuminating many successes of the program and strengthening our COMMITTMENT to the work that remains to be done on behalf of our patients.”

For more information about the BMT Reunion and patients re-birth, click here.

Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital has been ranked #5 as one of the nation’s best by U.S. News & World Report publication for its heart and heart surgery and neonatal care programs. Additionally, six other programs made the U.S. News Top 20, including cancer, diabetes and endocrine disorders, digestive disorders, kidney disorders, respiratory disorders, and neurology and neurosurgery.

“Making the U.S. News list is a major accomplishment that we never take for granted. It reflects what our faculty and staff have built and continue to build – one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals,” said Christopher Dawes, president and chief executive officer at Packard Children’s.

The recognition from the U.S. News shows the ongoing COMMITMENT from our physicians, nurses, and staff and dedication to providing BETTER MEDICINE to our patients.

“From physicians to nurses to technicians and volunteers, everyone on our staff is committed to outstanding patient care,” said Dawes. “The U.S. News ranking is a testament to this work, and we’re thrilled to be recognized this way.”

To review other recent highlights that help make us of America’s Best Hospitals, click here.

Imagine only having your new kidney for nine months when you decide to compete in the World Transplant Games. That is what Randall Stafford, MD, PhD did in 1984; but his participation has fueled his passion for competition that continues today. “I enjoy the camaraderie of being with others who are intent on preserving their quality of life as they grow older,” said Stafford, an associate professor at Stanford and Director of the Program on Prevention Outcomes at Stanford Hospital & Clinics. Stafford will compete in the 2009 Summer National Senior Games, proudly sponsored by Stanford Hospital & Clinics, along with three other former Stanford Hospital patients.

More than 30,000 visitors from around the country are expected to attend. The competition includes 10,000 athletes age 50 and over competing in 25 sporting events. To promote COMPASSIONATE CARE and MAKING A DIFFERENCE, Stanford Hospital & Clinics will be providing medical services to the athletes and offering lectures and activities on health and peak performance.

Among those athletes are Greg Baker and siblings, Claudia Simpson and Chris Simpson. “It’s been a challenge to learn to adapt and slow down,” said Baker, a Louisiana insurance agent, “I am rethinking how to live and compete – just to be in the Games is enough.” The dedication, COMMITMENT, and drive of the patient-athletes is truly awe inspiring. “I run for fun, fitness and to literally follow in the footsteps of my parents,” Claudia Simpson said.

For a more in-depth look at the patient-athlete participants, schedule of lectures and activities, and the Senior Games, click here.