Author:

Seattle Children’s Lead DIPG Researcher Attends Brain Cancers Forum at The White House

June 1, 2023  |  Cancer and Blood Disorders, Cancer and Research, General, Research Comments Off on Seattle Children’s Lead DIPG Researcher Attends Brain Cancers Forum at The White House

The White House recently convened patients, caregivers, oncologists, researchers and administration officials for the Cancer Moonshot Brain Cancers Forum as the administration moves to advance progress for patients with glioblastoma (GBM) and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG).

Among the attendees invited was Dr. Nicholas Vitanza, an attending physician in Seattle Children’s Cancer and Blood Disorders Center (CBDC) and the organization’s DIPG Research Lead.

Cancer Moonshot is an initiative that aims to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50 percent over the next 25 years and improve the experience of people and their families living with and surviving cancer.

Read full post »

Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic Focuses on Broadening Community-Oriented Care Through New Governance Council

May 9, 2023  |  General, Odessa Brown Children's Clinic Comments Off on Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic Focuses on Broadening Community-Oriented Care Through New Governance Council

In early 2023, Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC) was pleased to introduce its new Governance Council, comprised of both community representatives and staff members, dedicated to providing strategic leadership that aims to achieve equity, diversity and inclusion priorities, and emerging initiatives at OBCC.

A key element of the council’s work is ensuring the needs and perspectives of the community are represented at OBCC to help inform decision-making by the clinic’s senior medical director.

“It’s an exciting time to be involved,” explained Max Hunter, Ph.D, Program Manager of Community Measurement and Innovation at OBCC, during a radio interview with The Seattle Medium. “One of the reasons we wanted to have the Governance Council is so that we move towards a more community-oriented healthcare approach where we are not only serving the community, but also working with and sharing power with the community.”

Read full post »

Springtime Allergies or Something More? Seattle Children’s Helps Parents Distinguish the Difference

May 4, 2023  |  General, Health and Safety, Patient Care Comments Off on Springtime Allergies or Something More? Seattle Children’s Helps Parents Distinguish the Difference

Stuffy nose, sneezing, and itchy or watery eyes are a few indications that a child may be suffering from allergies. These symptoms are most often triggered during the spring and summer months but it can sometimes be tough to differentiate the cause among other illnesses that tend to spread this time of year.

 

On the Pulse answers some common questions about springtime allergies from parents and caregivers.

Read full post »

Seattle Children’s Therapeutics Marks Milestone Moment in Fight Against Childhood Cancer

April 20, 2023  |  Cancer and Blood Disorders, General, Patient Care, Patient Stories, Philanthropy, Research Comments Off on Seattle Children’s Therapeutics Marks Milestone Moment in Fight Against Childhood Cancer

At the Cure FactoryTM in Seattle Children’s Building CureTM, cell products for patients enrolled in clinical trials are manufactured on-site in downtown Seattle

Seattle Children’s, an international leader in the effort to better treat cancer in children, teens and young adults by boosting the immune system with immunotherapy, has reached a new milestone by enrolling its 500th patient in its chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell immunotherapy clinical trials in 10 years.

T cells play a key role in fighting pathogens and regulating the immune system. Through a potentially game-changing experimental treatment called cancer immunotherapy, a patient’s own T cells are “reprogrammed” into CAR T cells that can hunt down and destroy cancer cells wherever they are hiding in the body.

Support from more than 24,000 donors in all 50 states and across 17 other countries has raised more than $123 million to date to move this research forward. Historically, only 4% of the federal cancer research budget was allocated to pediatric cancer. In 2021, advocacy efforts helped increase that percentage to 8%, but there is a significant need for additional funding and philanthropy in pediatric cancer research to help scientists advance this important work and open new trials sooner.

On the Pulse looks back at the remarkable stories of Seattle Children’s patients who fought and beat cancer over the last decade, and shares where they are today.

Read full post »

Craniofacial Experts from Seattle Children’s Make Global Impact for Kids with Cleft Lip and Palate

April 18, 2023  |  Craniofacial, General, Patient Care Comments Off on Craniofacial Experts from Seattle Children’s Make Global Impact for Kids with Cleft Lip and Palate

Cleft teams from Seattle, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana joined together for the PACT program’s 5-day workshop

Every year, Seattle Children’s Craniofacial Center treats hundreds of children with craniofacial conditions and rare syndromes. Cleft lip and cleft palate are among the most common kinds of birth defects in the United States, and affects more than 1 in 1000 newborns around the world.

The lip and palate (roof of mouth) form in early pregnancy. Cleft lip is a separation of the two sides of the upper lip and a cleft palate is an opening in the roof of the mouth that occurs when the two sides of the palate do not bond together. A cleft palate can impact a child’s ability to speak, swallow and sometimes hear properly.

Read full post »

Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic’s Dr. Shaquita Bell Receives 2023 Award for Native American Child Health Advocacy

April 11, 2023  |  General, Leadership, Odessa Brown Children's Clinic Comments Off on Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic’s Dr. Shaquita Bell Receives 2023 Award for Native American Child Health Advocacy

Senior Medical Director of Seattle Children’s Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic (OBCC), Dr. Shaquita Bell, has been awarded the 2023 Native American Child Health Advocacy Award by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Committee on Native American Child Health (CONACH).

The esteemed award is presented each year to an individual who has made significant contributions toward promoting the health and well-being of Native American children and exemplifies a lifelong commitment to Native American children and their communities.

“It is an absolute honor to be given this award,” Dr. Bell shared. “I was nominated by my mentor Dr. Joey Bell, the first Native doctor I ever met. I remember first hearing him speak about his oral health work in the tribal community of Lumbee and hoping that one day, I too could make an impact as big and important as he did. Fast forward almost 20 years, it feels unreal to be receiving this award because of his nomination.”

Read full post »

From the Clinic to the Field, Seattle Children’s in Everett Helps Kids Continue to Persevere

March 16, 2023  |  General, Heart Center, Patient Stories, Transplant Comments Off on From the Clinic to the Field, Seattle Children’s in Everett Helps Kids Continue to Persevere

When Jen Campbell watches 10-year-old Hannah step on the soccer field, she’s filled with immense pride.

“I’m very blessed to have kids who want to play sports because that’s an outlet for them,” she explained. “Not only an outlet physically, but also emotionally and socially.”

The busy mom of four not only shuffles practice, tournaments and school, but also medical appointments at Seattle Children’s North Clinic in Everett, Wash., a regional clinic with pediatric specialists in more than 25 practice areas that provides care for families closer to home.

When Campbell’s daughter Hannah was born, she was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, a problem stemming from the heart’s electrical activity which causes an irregular heart rhythm, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a thickening of the heart muscle.

Read full post »

Meet Francesca Vega – Forging Connections with the Community

March 9, 2023  |  General, Leadership Comments Off on Meet Francesca Vega – Forging Connections with the Community

Seattle Children’s welcomes Francesca Vega as its new vice president of External Affairs to lead the organization’s community and government relations work.

Vega joined Seattle Children’s on Feb. 27 and brings extensive expertise in advocacy and building coalitions and relationships with governments and community groups.

On the Pulse sat down with Vega to share more about her past experiences and upcoming plans to get to know Seattle Children’s and the community.

 

Read full post »

Tri-Cities Clinic Providers Bring Multidisciplinary and Equitable Care Closer to Home

March 7, 2023  |  General, Patient Care Comments Off on Tri-Cities Clinic Providers Bring Multidisciplinary and Equitable Care Closer to Home

Dr. Alicia Henriquez provides care for Seattle Children’s patient, Manny

For families caring for children with nervous system disorders, compassionate, state-of-the-art care is sometimes out of reach.

When Dr. Alicia Henriquez, a clinical assistant professor of Neurology in Seattle Children’s Neurosciences Center, joined the organization two years ago, she hoped to be part of a team that would change that.

“I wanted to work with the Spanish-speaking community and with the regional clinics because in Eastern Washington there’s a large population of Spanish speakers,” Dr. Henriquez, who specializes in pediatric neuromuscular neurology and is multilingual, explained. “I knew it would be a good fit.”

Seattle Children’s has specialty regional clinics around the state, including Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way, Olympia, Tri-Cities and Wenatchee, and works closely with local healthcare providers to meet the needs of families in their home community.

Read full post »

The 5 Most Common ADHD Questions Asked by Parents

February 23, 2023  |  General, Mental Health, Patient Care Comments Off on The 5 Most Common ADHD Questions Asked by Parents

For parents with children or teens who are having problems at home or at school for more than six months due to trouble with attention, learning or behavior, understanding if it’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or a related disorder, is important.

ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder and is the most common mental health disorder during childhood. It can be effectively treated in most cases, and improvement happens most quickly with the combination of medicines and behavior therapy.

With ADHD affecting up to 10% of the population, parents and caregivers of adolescents diagnosed with ADHD often have many questions. To help answer some of those most commonly asked, On the Pulse spoke with Dr. Erin Gonzalez, Co-Director of the Behavior and Attention Management Program in Seattle Children’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department.

Read full post »