Letter from the Medical Staff President

Dear Colleagues,

Can it be Winter already? Or rather, as my neighbor's children would say, "We are hoping for a snow day!" I know they are excited about all the fun that winter brings. Change in the season means we are all busy with the holidays and you are all now busier with sick visits. There will also be change in our political leadership as we head into 2011. I know we all look at the commitment of those future leaders to advocate on behalf of children and families in the coming legislative session.

What doesn't change here at Children's is the team spirit and commitment to collaboration as one of our core values. The other day, I saw a family looking for the floor location for a clinic appointment. Dad was near monoligual Spanish, toting a beautiful infant son in a carrier, and trying to keep two siblings and a very anxious mom together. Within minutes of routing them to the check in desk, I heard the staff greet them, comfort mom's nerves and tell this grateful dad, "You're here now and we'll take good care of your son." I knew that when they got to the clinic room, they would be met by an equally engaged team of providers that would do just that. It was a reminder that the collaborations across this hospital and network -- for both routine care and the care of the most severely ill -- start with simple, family-centered, human connections. As you hear our "many hands, one heart" commercials, know that it's not a tag line campaign, but a standard way of delivering care here every day.

I will close this time with a personal plug for a great example of interdepartmental and community partner collaboration. Our Kohl's-supported Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness and prevention program continues to evolve with new video and beautiful web-based resources for families and your practices. Visit www.calmacryingbaby.com and www.giveyourword.org sites where you can direct caregivers to "give their word" and get helpful ideas to plan how to safely care for a crying baby. Watch for media and news about our continued educational efforts in community hospitals.

Commitment to teamwork and collaboration: you have our word that these Children's Hospital values will never change!

Andy Sirotnak, MD
President, Children's Hospital Colorado Medical Board

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