TMC for Children

Calling all fans! Our amazing child life specialists are using a twist on the project to help young patients! Meet Flat Brielle, our CMN Champion Child. Nikki, a child life specialist, is using Flat Brielle (Brielle is our CMN Champion Child) to prepare patients for procedures through medical play!

Calling all NICU families! ‍‍‍ Join us for a support group meeting this Wednesday, July 10th at 5 pm in the Ronald McDonald Room at TMC (just before the NICU). We'll have coffee, snacks, and a safe space to share experiences and connect with others. Babies in arms are always welcome. To protect our vulnerable community, please stay home if you're feeling unwell. We look forward to seeing you there!

https://www.tmcaz.com/events/search-results?EventTopicId=4&EventTopicText=Children%2520%2526%2520Family&SearchPattern=Contains&LocationDescendants=true

Wishing you a joyful and reflective July 4th from TMC Health. This holiday celebrates the fight for freedom from tyranny. At TMC Health, we honor that spirit by fighting for the health and well-being of our community every day. Here's to a safe and healthy holiday weekend! May we celebrate the ideals of liberty, justice, and well-being for all! A special thank you to all the staff working today.

Keep the "oohs" and "aahs" in the sky this ! Head to our blog for tips on keeping your little ones safe around fireworks. Let's make it a fun and safe celebration for everyone! https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/healthy-living/live-well/be-safe/keep-the-sparkle-in-your-celebration

Stay Hydrated this Independence Day
Remember to pack water and sunscreen for your July 4th festivities. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat watch for the Tucson area through July 5. Drink plenty of water throughout the day. Another way to hydrate? Consider adding foods with high water content to your celebration, like watermelon or other fruits. Sunscreen should be applied liberally every two hours. See more sunscreen and hydration tips on our blog. Happy 4th of July!
https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/healthy-living/live-well/are-you-applying-sunscreen-properly
https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/medical-services/primary-care/its-really-hot-outside-heres-how-to-stay-safe

It’s Sport Physical Time - Don’t wait until the last minute!

Arizona Interscholastic Association requires all student athletes to complete a sports physical every school year.
Student athletes can’t practice or compete in interscholastic sports until their school has a record of a preparticipation physical exam.

Sports physicals are available through your TMC primary care physician, select Tucson-area urgent care centers and during registration days at numerous area schools.
Be sure to complete the evaluation form prior to your exam visit. Find the 2024-2025 sport physical forms on the AIA website. https://aiaonline.org/files/16936/forms-157-a-d.pdf

I'd know. I'd hear it. I'd be paying attention. It's easy to say, but you can’t hear if a child is under water and struggling to breathe. That’s why adult supervision tops the easy-to-remember water safety tips for parents. Safe Kids Pima County coordinator, Jessica Mitchell ways in on how to prevent drowning.

You can't hear a drowning Keeping an eye on your children while they swim is crucial for preventing drowning. You can't hear if a child is under water and struggling to breathe. That's why adult supervision tops the easy-to-remember water safety tips for parents.

There are plenty of tragic moments associated with Sept. 11, 2001. But, for nurse Stephanie Hegerle it’s also the celebration of the start of her decades-long career at TMC. Her dedication to the profession was recognized this year when she was named to the Fabulous 50 nurses in Tucson.
“She wants to take care of people because she finds it emotionally rewarding,” her nomination reads. “She has been an advocate and nurturer of pediatric patients for 23 years.”
Currently, she serves in a hybrid role doing direct patient care and coordinating staff education.
“This role allows me to do what I love, providing direct patient care while educating and growing our staff,” Hegerle said.

Her nomination describes her as a strong advocate for patient and staff safety.

“She always goes above and beyond to deliver the best care to every patient in our unit,” the nomination reads.

Hegerle, who was described as a “kind soul,” felt other nurses were also deserving of the recognition.

“I am extremely humbled,” she said. “There are so many nurses that deserve this honor more than me.”

Thanks for 23 years of putting your staff and patients first!

Dad deserves the best this Father's Day, including good health! Head to the blog for tips on keeping Dad active and feeling great. https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/medical-services/primary-care/fatherhood-its-not-all-about-the-grill

Here's a sneak peek of the progress on the inside playground for pediatric therapies! A huge thanks to Panda Cares Center for Hope and Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and TMC Foundation for their support and to our amazing construction team. Photos from the fab John Daugherty.

A huge thanks to the wonderful folks at Angel Heart Pajama Project who brought comfort to our pediatric patients in the form of pjs and good books.

A message from our friends at Safe Kids Pima County:

Did you know….
The bones in the neck of a small child are not developed enough to protect the spinal cord. When they are involved in a car crash in a forward facing car seat, the weight of the head combined with the immature skeleton, can cause the spinal cord to stretch up to two inches. If it stretches just a quarter of an inch it can snap. This is known as internal decapitation and can result in paralysis or death.
We recommend children rear face to the maximum limits of their convertible car seats.
40-50 pounds and 40"-49" depending on the car seat.

Did you know….
The bones in the neck of a small child are not developed enough to protect the spinal cord. When they are involved in a car crash in a forward facing car seat, the weight of the head combined with the immature skeleton, can cause the spinal cord to stretch up to two inches. If it stretches just a quarter of an inch it can snap. This is known as internal decapitation and can result in paralysis or death.

We recommend children rear face to the maximum limits of their convertible car seats.
40-50 pounds and 40"-49" depending on the car seat.

Have you met our incredible Children's Miracle Network champion, Brielle? Brielle is an inspiration to us all, and her strength and resilience are truly amazing. We're so honored to have her as part of our CMN family. Stay tuned to hear more about Brielle's story! Follow along on Facebook TMC Foundation or TMC for Children ✨❤️ https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/tmc-foundation/meet-our-cmn-champion-brielle

Thank you to the Angel Charity for Children, Inc 😇Angel Charity is proud to be supporting TMC Health Foundation to establish a multi-sensory room within the pediatric unit to address the needs of neurodiverse pediatric patients. ❤️ This dedicated space will have the tools and environment to support the patient's sensory seeking or sensory de-escalation needs. AngelCharity.org

Today we remember.

2 CMN Superstar Supporters in one shot! 📸 Thank you Monica and Donal for going above and beyond for the kids of Southern Arizona treated at TMC for Children!

There’s still time to donate at the register on your next Costco trip and help change kids’ health!

Applying sunscreen like I'm painting the Mona Lisa... gotta get all the spots! " You can also check this blog post from Tucson Medical Center to learn more about how to protect yourself from skin cancer https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/medical-services/cancer-care/know-your-risk-lower-your-risk-skin-cancer

Does asthma hold your child back from enjoying all the fun activities other kids have? Want to empower them to live life to the fullest? Our blog offers tips on managing your child's asthma without being overprotective. Let them be kids and breathe easy! Read more here. https://www.tmcaz.com/blogs/medical-services/childrens-health/asthma-shouldnt-keep-a-kid-from-being-a-kid

She has her own name badge and everything 😎🤩 Our friends at Costco always go above and beyond to make sure our kiddos at TMC for Children have a great experience, whether in their day-to-day lives or if they’re spending some time at the hospital. Thank you Costco for helping our local children find joyous moments everywhere!

She has her own name badge and everything 😎🤩 Our friends at Costco always go above and beyond to make sure our kiddos at TMC for Children have a great experience, whether in their day to day lives or if they’re spending some time at the hospital. Thank you Costco for helping our local children find joyous moments everywhere!

Say hi to Andrew! Andrew was born with a critical heart defect which resulted in many life-threatening operations, infections and other challenges from a very young age. However with fantastic care and support from his local children’s hospital, they were able to correct those complications.
Now, he is on a mission to make every child’s journey in the hospital a hopeful one. He just finished hosting a toy drive for TMC for Children and we couldn’t be more grateful!! Rock on Andrew 🤘🏻 🎉

Say hi to Andrew! Andrew was born with a critical heart defect which resulted in many life-threatening operations, infections and other challenges from a very young age. However with fantastic care and support from his local children’s hospital, they were able to correct those complications.

Now, he is on a mission to make every child’s journey in the hospital a hopeful one. He just finished hosting a toy drive for TMC for Children and we couldn’t be more grateful!! Rock on Andrew 🤘🏻 🎉

HOUSEKEEPING JOB FAIR

SIGN ON BONUS!!! Calling infection prevention warriors! Join our Housekeeping team and make a difference on the frontlines.
Register for the fair or walk in for an interview! https://calendly.com/isamar-fernandez/housekeeping-hiring-event
Wednesday 12-2 pm
Moqui Building on the TMC Campus. Map:https://www.tmcaz.com/assets/documents/campus_maps/tmc-exterior-campus-map.pdf
Here's what you'll need:
• Resume or list of references & work history
• Enthusiasm for keeping things sparkling clean! ✨
Benefits: Check out the benefits, which include health, dental and vision, gym access, tuition reimbursement and more https://jobs.tmcaz.com/benefits
Parking: Lot 11. See you at the Moqui Building!

Always learning, always advancing, to put you first!

Staff at the TMC Infusion Center performed pediatric anaphylaxis simulations using Lucia, the latest pediatric high fidelity simulation child. Anaphylaxis is a severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction. It can occur within seconds or minutes of exposure to something you're allergic to, such as peanuts or bee stings. Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause you to go into shock. It can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure and it can narrow the airways, which could block breathing. Anaphylaxis requires an injection of epinephrine and a follow-up trip to an emergency department. Team-based simulation to treat anaphylaxis and other conditions serve as a tool to increase safety, efficiency and quality. These simulations are used to analyze processes and lower risks for procedures on actual patients. The simulation also promotes a culture of safety through standards set in a simulated environment. Thank you Infusion Center staff for your continued dedication to safety and quality. Go Team!

Pima County and Tucson Medical Center have expanded reduced-cost swim lessons 💦🏊‍♀️🥽🌊

The expanded partnership means that every swim class, which covers eight lessons over two weeks, will be reduced from $20 to $10.

Registration for June lessons will open May 14, at 6 a.m.; registration for July lessons will open June 18 at 6 a.m.

Register at https://www.pima.gov/1364/Swimming-Lessons.

May the 4th be with you! A spacecraft landed at TMC for Children from another galaxy to help celebrate and make some mystical memories for our pediatric patients! Thank you to everyone who helped make this day a FORCE to be reckoned with ⭐️ 💫
Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Starlight Children's Foundation Dune Sea Garrison The Rebel Legion TMC for Children

As the weather warms up, it's important to remember that it’s never OK to leave a child alone in a car, not even for a minute — even if the windows are partially open or the AC is on. On average, one child dies in a hot car every 10 days in the U.S. More than half are left there unknowingly, often by a loving, responsible parent. On National Heatstroke Prevention Day, we remind you to Look Before You Lock and Take Action and Save a Life. If you see a child alone in a car, call 911 right away.