Rhonda Foster
Vice President of Patient Care Services
|
Dear Partner in Care:
Thank you for visiting, and welcome to the Children’s Hospital of Michigan Web site. I’d like to give you a little background about our hospital followed by the hope that you’ll scroll through the nursing pages listed to the right of my message. Everything you want to know about nursing at our outstanding hospital should be readily available here. And certainly, if you have any questions about anything you see, feel free to contact us.
Children’s Hospital of Michigan serves a diverse population of children from Detroit, the state of Michigan, children from all over the United States as well as those from many other countries. Children’s is the first and most experienced hospital in Michigan, created nearly 125 years ago – just for kids.
We are exceptionally proud of our hospital’s Magnet designation for excellence in nursing, as well as our listing as one of the top 30 hospitals in the United States by U.S. News and World Report, a top 25 hospital by Parent Magazine, and our recognition by The Leapfrog Group as a Top Hospital for patient quality and safety. Technological accomplishments at Children’s Hospital have been recognized nationally. The Detroit Medical Center, corporate parent of Children’s Hospital of Michigan, is the first and only hospital system in Michigan with 100% medication scanning, using barcodes and scanner to ensure the right patient gets the right medication at the right time, all the time.
None of the accolades mentioned above could have been accomplished without a substantial contribution from our hardworking, compassionate, and dedicated nursing staff, one that I am incredibly proud of. Many of our nurses feel drawn to work at a place that cares for the most vulnerable among us, our children. We have a strong commitment to patient and family centered care with a goal of providing our patients and families nothing less than an exceptional experience when they find themselves in our care.
Fifty seven percent of our direct care nurses have a bachelor’s degree or higher and 26% of our staff nurses hold a national certification. Ongoing education is part of our regime at Children’s as you will see under professional development. Children’s nurses are also involved in 30 different professional organizations, including the National Society of Pediatric Nurses, Sigma Theta Tau International and the American Association of Critical Care Nurses to name a few. This is just another example of how they demonstrate the level of commitment they have to the profession of nursing.
Once again, thank you for visiting our site. Take your time exploring and come back to us with questions if you have them.
Warm regards,
Rhonda Foster, Ed.D., M.P.H., M.S., R.N., NEA-BC
Vice President, Patient Care Services
What Children’s Hospital of Michigan nurses say:
“I’ve seen miracles happen here and some things that are hard to deal with. But somehow I have an inner strength that enables me to provide support for families when they need it most.” - Lauren Kelm, NP, CCRN; PICU; 21 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
“My job is to make sure that no matter what happens, my patients and their families have a positive experience. I take comfort in knowing I have done everything possible for them during good times and bad.” - Kathy Miller, RN, BSN, CPON; Manager 6 West; 11 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
“I love working with kids because they are so honest. I took care of them when they were babies. And now, as teenagers coming to the clinic, I still love seeing them when they stop by to say hi.” - Joe DiGiacomo, RN; 6 West; 18 years at Children's
"From housekeeping to administration, the Children’s Hospital team is truly amazing. I would encourage anyone to go into nursing because there are so many interesting and different areas in which a person can use his or her talents and skills.” - Marie Gay, RN, MSN; Same Day Surgery; 25 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
“It is so satisfying to see kids improve and to work with the families as they learn to understand what is going on with their child. And it feels good to know that they appreciate the role we play in the healing process.” - Michele Robinson, RN, BSN, CPN; Pediatric Imaging; 21 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
"As long as I can remember, I wanted to be a nurse and decided early on that I wanted to work with children. At Children’s Hospital, although we are caring for kids, we are really working with the whole family. And that makes it especially rewarding for me." - Jeanette Farris, RN, BSN; NICU; 31 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
"Being from Peru, I am very comfortable at Children’s Hospital because it is so diverse. Working in the Poison Control Center gives me an opportunity to continue my education every day and work with people that I really respect. There are situations we deal with on the phone that are life-threatening. We must be able to direct callers properly and accurately." - Rosa Hubble, RN, BSN; Poison Control Center; 8 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
"As a Children’s Hospital nurse, I get to make a major contribution to society, affect people’s lives and work with fantastic people. Nursing has taught me to look at life with a more critical eye and think more about what is really important.” - Gary Kleinman, RN, BSN, CPN; 6 East; 13 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
"Working at Children's Hospital has given me many opportunities to learn and grow as a nursing professional. I was able to utilize tuition reimbursement when I decided to pursue my master's degree and then transition from staff nurse to clinical nurse specialist. I have also been given the opportunities to utilize my expertise on special projects; my most recent as Magnet Project Coordinator. I really love the caring, commitment and compassion of my colleagues and value what we all have to offer to our patients and families." Madelyn Torakis, RN, MSN; 22 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
"After my very first day, I could tell that this hospital was a different kind of place. There is such a feeling of hope and caring at Children's. Employees live the hospital's mission and they have the same philosophy about caring for patients, families and each other. I'm proud to be a member of the Children's Hospital of Michigan team." Julie Bartoy, TN, BSN; Acute Care Nurse Educator; 17 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan
"As a nurse at Children's, I have always felt supported and encouraged to strive for excellence and to achieve my goals. The Children's Hospital environment encourages personal and professional growth with ample opportunities provided for continued education and community involvement. There is a constant encouragement of staff to be the best that they can be in order to provide the best patient care possible." Bridget Poley, RN, MSN; Nurse Recruiter; 5 years at Children's Hospital of Michigan