See more at: http://www.etch.com/about_us/its_about_children.aspx

2. B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s
Dennis Ragsdale
Chairman
Jeffory Jennings, M.D.
Vice Chairman
Michael Crabtree
Secretary/Treasurer
Debbie Christiansen, M.D.
Dawn Ford
Keith D. Goodwin
Steven Harb
Lewis Harris, M.D.
Dee Haslam
A. David Martin
Dugan McLaughlin
Christopher Miller, M.D.
Steve South
Bill Terry, M.D.
Laurens Tullock
Danni Varlan
M e d i c a l S t a f f
David Nickels, M.D.
Chief of Staff
John Buchheit, M.D.
Vice Chief of Staff
John Little, M.D.
Secretary
C h i e f s o f S e r v i c e s
Jeanann Pardue, M.D.
Chief of Medicine
Mark Cramolini, M.D.
Chief of Surgery
A d m i n i s t r a t i o n
Keith D. Goodwin
President/CEO
Bob Koppel
President/CEO Emeritus
Bruce Anderson
Vice President for Legal Services & General Counsel
Laura Barnes, R.N., M.S.N., C.N.A.A.,B.C.
Vice President for Patient Care
Paul Bates
Vice President for Human Resources
Joe Childs, M.D.
Vice President for Medical Services
Rudy McKinley
Vice President for Operations
A quarterly publication of East Tennessee
Children’s Hospital, It’s About Children is designed
to inform the East Tennessee community about the
hospital and the patients we serve. East Tennessee
Children’s Hospital’s vision is Leading the Way to
Healthy Children. Children’s Hospital is a private,
independent, not-for-profit pediatric medical center
that has served the East Tennessee region for
more than 70 years and is certified by the state of
Tennessee as a Comprehensive Regional Pediatric
Center.
Ellen Liston
Director of Community Relations
David Rule
Director of Development
Wendy Hames
Editor
Neil Crosby and Wade Payne
Contributing Photographers
“Because Children are Special…”
...they deserve the best possible health care given
in a positive, child/family-centered atmosphere of
friendliness, cooperation, and support - regardless
of race, religion, or ability to pay.”
...their medical needs are closely related to their
emotional and informational needs; therefore, the
total child must be considered in treating any illness
or injury.”
...their health care requires family involvement,
special understanding, special equipment, and
specially trained personnel who recognize that
children are not miniature adults.”
...their health care can best be provided by
a facility with a well-trained medical and hospital
staff whose only interests and concerns are with the
total health and well-being of infants, children, and
adolescents.”
Statement of Philosophy
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital
www.etch.com2
On the cover: Former Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Center
patient Mei Thomas. Read her story on pages 4-5.
“Dear Children’s”
May 5, 2008
Dear Children’s Hospital,
We would just like to say how impressed and
appreciative we are of the nurses and doctors in the ER
and PICU. Our son was two months old when he was
admitted on April 1 and was only there for a few days.
The care that he received was excellent both in the ER
and in the PICU. I have never been to a hospital where
every nurse and doctor made us feel like we were the
only patients they had. I do not know the lady’s name
who was in the ER the night we came in, but I have
February 13, 2008
Dear Children’s Hospital,
One month ago, my grandson, Devin Campbell, was a patient in the ER for what I suspected to be
diabetes. He had the symptoms of excessive thirst and excessive urination. We had an appointment for the
Knoxville Pediatric Group for the following week, but Devin became too ill to wait for the office visit.
We came to the ER on Saturday night, and I figured we would have to wait; boy, was I wrong!!!! Once
he was in triage, we told the nurse the two above listed ­symptoms. Immediately she did a finger stick, and
it read HIGH. Before we could get excited, we were in a room, and the lab worker was there within a few
minutes, and so was the doctor. Within minutes, we had his blood sugar reading of 1200 and a diagnosis of
Type I diabetes.
I want to personally thank everyone who was involved with his care because he was not made to wait
at any point of his care. His doctors, nurses and all involved treated us like we were the only patients there.
I also want to thank the counselors and the diabetic teachers who had my daughter (who is not a nurse, but
I am) doing his blood sugar readings and giving his insulin within a couple of days and made her aware of
every aspect of things she needed to know to take care of him. He went home the following Tuesday and has been steadily improving since. We are so fortunate to have
such a highly trained Children’s Hospital in this area. Keep up the good work, because Devin would not be
with us if it were not for the staff and doctors that you have. We never know when something like this will
happen, and it is a great comfort knowing that you all were there in our time of need.Bernice Miller
A champion loses her hard-fought battle
Emily Barger, who was featured on the Summer 2008 cover of this magazine, experienced a relapse of her rare
cancer, rhabdomyosarcoma, just as the magazine was being mailed out in May. The cancer’s return was rapid and
aggressive, and it proved more than Emily’s small body could overcome.
She passed away June 24 in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at Children’s
Hospital. She was 7 years old.
Earlier this year, Emily was named Tennessee’s representative for the
2008 Champions Across America program through the Children’s Miracle
Network. She and her family participated in CMN activities in Orlando,
Fla., and Washington, D.C, in March. Emily’s favorite part of the trip was
meeting President Bush during a tour of the White House.
Emily’s fellow CMN Champions from across the country released
balloons in her memory on July 27 at 3 p.m. Eastern time (the time of her
interment at the cemetery). Balloons bore a tag reading “In honor of my
friend … Emily Barger, Knoxville, Tennessee. Children’s Miracle Network,
Champions Across America 2008. RIP June 24, 2008.” On the back of
each tag, the Champions listed their name, state, the date and the following
statement: “Will the person who finds this balloon honor my friend Emily
and make a donation to your local children’s hospital.”
We wish to thank the Barger family – parents Brian and Misty and
sisters Blair and Megan – for allowing us to share Emily’s story with our
readers and with the Children’s Miracle Network, and we extend to them
our deepest sympathies.
a two-year-old daughter, and she entertained
her until our son could be stabilized. I cannot
say enough thanks for that. It was above and
beyond what I expected. We as a family are
truly grateful for Children’s Hospital and will
certainly donate anytime we can.
Thanks again,
The Culbertson Family
Knoxville
Devin Campbell
Charles Culbertson

3. 3

4. Choosing to adopt a child is a very personal
decision. For families who decide to go ahead with
an adoption, there are certain uncertainties that they
must accept as part of the process. One of those is
the overall health of the child to be adopted.
For Kevin Thomas and Kiki McDonald,
adopting a little girl from China did pose this risk,
and they were aware of that and accepted the risk.
“Agencies do prepare you that there could be
issues,” Kiki said.
Kevin and Kiki selected the Chinese name
Mei (pronounced “May”) while going through the
adoption process, but when they were matched with
a nine-month-old girl, they discovered – to their
surprise – that she had already been named Mei.
The name means “little sister” or “beautiful girl” in
Chinese.
While Kevin was unable to make the trip, Kiki
traveled to China in February 2005 to complete
the couple’s adoption of Mei, who was by then
13 months old. Kiki spent 18 days in the country
as part of the process, traveling with a group of
other families who were also adopting Chinese
girls through the same adoption agency. The group
adopted a total of 11 girls from a single orphanage.
Although she was past her first birthday, Mei
was small (she wore clothing in size 6 months) and
could not sit by herself. Whenever Kiki held her,
Mei just let her arms hang at her sides – she didn’t
know how to reciprocate and hold on to Kiki.
In addition, her leg muscles were weak and one
foot turned in too far.
Part of the problem was certainly that Mei
had been in an orphanage but never in foster
care. The orphanage’s limited staff meant
Mei did not have a great deal of adult contact
but instead spent a good part of her time in a
crib or a walker. Some of the other babies had
been in foster care, where they had more adult
contact; some of them had already learned to
walk and were clearly ahead of Mei from the
developmental standpoint.
So Kevin and Kiki were worried – with
good reason – after bringing home their new
daughter. At a checkup soon after Mei arrived
in Knoxville, pediatrician Lisa Padgett, M.D.,
with Knoxville Pediatric Associates, noticed
that Mei dragged her foot. She referred Mei to
the Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Center
for an evaluation with physical therapist Jan
Simpson.
“We were really worried about it,” Kevin
said. “We thought it might be a birth defect,
maybe involving her hip. Jan eased our fears
very early.”
Thankfully, the problem turned out to be a
relatively simple one – Mei’s stomach muscles
had not yet developed enough, and this affected
her right leg and foot.
Kevin took Mei to appointments at the
Rehab Center for physical therapy sessions
with Jan, with the focus being on strengthening
Mei’s torso. Because Kiki was the parent who
Mei met first, she had a stronger attachment to
her mom. The family quickly learned that if Kiki
was at the therapy session, Mei wouldn’t want
to do her exercises with Jan. In fact, Mei was
still adjusting to her new family and was terrified
at all times of being left. So to ensure Mei’s
cooperation at therapy, Kevin could be there but
Kiki couldn’t be present. Sessions at the center
were typically 30 minutes each because Mei
would get tired quickly.
The Thomases were also worried about
Mei’s speech because she didn’t seem to respond
to words or make sounds. They requested a
speech evaluation, but Jan encouraged them
to start with just physical therapy. Jan thought
two different types of therapy at the same time
might overwhelm Mei, who was in so many
ways still adjusting to a new life. But Jan also
thought Mei’s speech development might begin
to accelerate in conjunction with her motor
development through physical therapy – and this
is exactly what happened.
To supplement sessions at the center, Jan
taught Kevin various exercises to do with Mei
at home. After two months of intensive therapy,
Mei had made great progress in physical therapy
as well as with a few speech therapy sessions and
was on track developmentally. She was able to
stop going to the Rehab Center well before her
second birthday.
Anne Woodle, Director of the Children’s
Hospital Rehabilitation Center, said Mei is a
great example of the work the Rehab Center can
do with all types of children, not just those with
long-term chronic issues. Some people associate
the Rehab Center with caring only for children
4
Mei
This picture of Mei, about age 9 months, was sent
to the Thomas family during the adoption process;
it was their first glimpse of her.
Finn and Mei share a laugh a couple months after Mei’s adoption into the Thomas family.

5. 5
who need extended therapy. But many children,
like Mei, only require short-term therapy, which
is also readily available at the center.
Today, Mei is 4 and a half years old and
is developmentally on target or even beyond
in all areas. Although she’s too young to start
kindergarten this year, she is actually ready to
go. (“She loves to play school teacher and do
homework,” Kevin said, “She’s very focused.”)
Mei participates in gymnastics, has been
swimming for about two years and is even
diving now. Her favorite things are “to
swing and color,” and she loves music
and dancing, too. And like all little
sisters, she likes to aggravate her big
brother, seven-year-old Finn (Kiki said
Finn was four years old at the time of
Mei’s adoption and “had a lot to adjust
to” but the pair get along well now).
The family has attended two
reunions in Florida with the other
families from their adoption group.
Kiki said it is interesting to see all the
girls as they are growing and changing
– they were all from different provinces
in China, so they each have their
own unique look that becomes more
noticeable as they get older. And, Kiki
notes happily, none of the 11 little girls
have had any lasting medical problems
(although Mei was not the only one who
experienced some minor issues).
Kiki said the time in China and
the adjustment with Mei after the trip
back to Knoxville was overwhelming
at times. There was a 12-hour time
difference, so Kiki was physically tired.
Then Mei was scared at all the changes
she was experiencing and didn’t want
to be left alone. Kiki would even have
to put Mei in her crib and roll the crib
into the hotel bathroom while showering
because Mei just needed to see
her. In addition, Mei and the other
babies had been fed formula
almost exclusively, so as they
were introduced to solid foods at
the hotel, they would actually try
to hoard the foods. These issues
continued for a while but have
slowly gone away as Mei has
grown.
Kevin is the son of
Beckie Thomas, a retired
Vice President for Nursing
at Children’s Hospital. He
essentially grew up with
Children’s Hospital and was
very familiar with its services.
He was so comfortable with
the hospital that he had a
tonsillectomy at Children’s
during his sophomore year of
COLLEGE, and he “hated”
eventually becoming too old
to be a patient at Children’s.
So he expected great care for Mei –
and he wasn’t disappointed. “It was very
personable,” he said. “They make you feel at
home. They don’t just ‘act’ like they care –
they really do care.”
A few months ago, Kevin emailed a photo
of Mei to the Rehab Center. He wanted to show
Jan and center director Anne Woodle how far
Mei had come – the photo was of her doing
gymnastics. He explained: “I knew they would
want to know how Mei was doing.”
Mei and Finn
Mei
Children’s Hospital continues to support Tennessee’s
CoverKids insurance program by hosting enrollment events
every few months at various locations.
The next event will take place Wednesday,
September 3, 5-8 p.m. at the Wal-Mart store near Knoxville
Center mall. Anyone who has an uninsured child is invited to
attend the event and learn more about how to enroll in the
program.
The most recent CoverKids event took place at the same
Wal-Mart store on July 1. At this event, parents completed
25 CoverKids program applications for a total of 34 children
seeking coverage. An additional dozen applications were
handed out for families to take home.
Dr. Andrea Willis, program director for CoverKids,
praised Children’s Hospital for its ongoing efforts to promote
the program for the benefit of Tennessee’s children. “I
couldn’t be happier with the success of the July 1 event
and owe the credit to your team,” Dr. Willis said in a letter
to Ellen Liston, Children’s Hospital Director of Community
Relations. “Children’s Hospital is our biggest advocate in
East Tennessee, and we couldn’t do things like this without
your support.”
As part of the Cover Tennessee program, CoverKids
offers comprehensive health coverage to uninsured children
in Tennessee, age 18 and under, and pregnant women. Also,
there are no pre-existing condition exclusions for children
with already-diagnosed special needs or medical conditions.
CoverKids has no monthly premium. Participants pay
a co-pay for certain services; the co-pay amount depends
on income. Coverage is offered for 12 months. After that,
families must re-verify their children’s eligibility. Children
must be U.S. citizens or qualified aliens and must be
Tennessee residents. They also must have been without
insurance for three months (this is waived for newborns up
to four months of age and for children moving to CoverKids
from TennCare or from another state’s SCHIP program).
Maternity care is available for pregnant women, from the
date of application until 60 days following the baby’s birth.
CoverKids provides comprehensive health insurance
with an emphasis on preventive health services and
coverage for physician services, hospitals, prescriptions,
mental health/substance abuse and more. CoverKids
has an emphasis on services children need most, well-
baby and well-child visits, and age-appropriate required
immunizations. For mental health, CoverKids offers up to
52 visits per year on an outpatient basis and 30 days of
inpatient treatment per year. Vision and dental benefits are
also included in the CoverKids plan.
To learn more about CoverKids insurance or to receive
an application, visit www.CoverTN.gov or call toll-free
1-866-268-3786.
CoverKids offers
insurance to
Tennessee children

6. 6
The key to our family-centered care
environment is the involvement of parents
in processes throughout Children’s Hospital.
Since initiating a family-centered care focus
in 2002, Children’s Hospital has continued
to enhance the initiative through a variety of
efforts.
This spring, the latest program enhancement
was the creation of a Family Advisory Council.
Having family members serve in an advisory
role allows them to have input and influence on
policies, programs and practices affecting the
delivery of care and services for children and
families.
The working purpose for the council is “to
serve as a formal mechanism for involving
patients and families in policy and program
decision-making at Children’s Hospital.”
The new Family Advisory Council, which
met for the first time in May, is composed of
parents of former, current and future patients of
our hospital who have been asked to be a part
of the council for at least six months and up to
two years.
At the first meeting, council members
brainstormed some of the key topics they
identified: wayfinding, accessibility,
programming for adolescents, parent to parent,
understanding children with special needs and
other important issues.
Children’s Hospital President/CEO Keith
Goodwin said the Family Advisory Council’s
beginning is an important component of the
hospital’s new strategic plan (see page 7 for
information on the new plan). “Family-centered
care is emphasized in the hospital’s long-
standing Statement of Philosophy and is also
reflected in our new Mission Statement and
Core Values,” Goodwin said. “Through our
new strategic plan, we have made a tremendous
commitment to continue in the coming years
the Family-Centered Care philosophy that
Children’s Hospital embraced several years
ago. We are appreciative of the individuals who
have committed their time and resources to our
first Family Advisory Council, and we look
forward to learning from them ways to better
Children’s Hospital.”
Laura Barnes, Vice President for Patient
Care Services, said, “It was an honor to be
present for the first meeting of the Family
Advisory Council.” Over time, our philosophy
has changed from one of ‘we take care of
children and their families’ to ‘we collaborate
and partner with families to provide the best
care for their children.’
“I am pleased to be a part of this new
relationship with parents – a group of
committed individuals who will give us input
on an ongoing basis. The outcome will be a
‘children and families first’ environment and
culture,” Barnes continued. “These parents
bring a love and respect for Children’s
Hospital and the staff who provide care – they
bring a passion, suggestions for improvement
and a desire to ‘give back’ to Children’s
Hospital.”
The first group of 15 Family Advisory
Council members are Sadia Amer, Missie
Bowers, Beth Giecek, Marca Hance, Deb Hill,
Tammy Holsenback, Shirley
James, Karen Jordan, Krista
Kneff, Leigh Anne McAfee,
Shannon McKamey, Kevin
McMahan, Sandy Patterson,
Cathy Shuck-Sparer and
Willem van Tol.
These parents have had
a wide range of experiences
at Children’s Hospital,
including in the Emergency
Department, Pediatric
Intensive Care, Neonatal
Intensive Care, surgical
services, Hematology/
Oncology Clinic, inpatient
care, Home Health Care and
rehabilitation services. They
come with a willingness to
learn more about the hospital,
give input into hospital plans and processes,
and collaborate with the hospital to ensure
ongoing improvement in family-centered care.
Members of the new Family Advisory
Council met again in late June and July
and participated in tours of the hospital.
The council will meet monthly, and council
members will also be invited to participate in
other capacities with the hospital such as:
Families are at the center of our care
Members of committees or task forces•
Advisory board members•
Program evaluators•
Co-trainers for hospital training sessions•
Mentors for other patient families•
Reviewers of hospital audiovisual and•
written materials
Participants in needs assessments•
processes
Advocates for Children’s Hospital•
Participants in focus groups•
Participants at fund-raising events•
Participants in Quality Improvement•
initiatives
Participants at conferences and meetings •
Mary Pegler, Director of Child Life; Joe
Childs, Vice President of Medical Services;
and Barnes will provide ongoing administrative
support to the Family Advisory Council.
Children’s Hospital President/CEO Keith Goodwin speaks to members of the Family
Advisory Council at their first meeting in May.
The new Children’s Hospital Family Advisory Council: front row (left to right): Sandy Patterson, Krista Knepp, Willem
Van Tol, Shannon McKamey, Sadia Amer, Kevin McMahon; back row: Leigh Anne McAfee, Tammy Holsenback, Karen
Jordan, Deb Hill, Cathy Shuck-Sparer and Beth Giecek. Not pictured: Missie Bowers, Marca Hance and Shirley James.

7. 7
What is family-centered care?
Family-centered care is an approach to pediatric
health care that focuses on the family as a child’s
primary source of strength and support. The philosophy
shapes policies, programs, facility design and staff
day-to-day practices. It is visible in large and small
ways throughout hospitals that adopt the approach.
Information sharing and collaboration between families
and staff are the cornerstones of family-centered care.
Family-centered health care professionals
recognize the vital role families play in ensuring the
health and well being of infants, children, adolescents
and family members of all ages. They acknowledge
emotional, social and developmental support are
integral components of health care.
With this approach, family-centered care:
empowers families and fosters independence;•
supports family caregiving and decision making;•
respects family choices;•
builds on family strengths•
involves families in all aspects of the planning,•
delivery and evaluation of health care services.
The key principles of family-centered care:
People are treated with dignity and respect.•
Health care providers communicate and share•
complete and unbiased information with families
in ways that are affirming and useful.
Individuals and families build on their strengths•
by participating in experiences that enhance
control and independence.
Families first
In keeping with our “families first” mission, Children’s
Hospital staff are trained to understand and practice
family-centered care. In June, the hospital welcomed Julie
L. Bacon, R.N., a nationally recognized speaker on family-
centered care.
Bacon presented several employee in-service programs
during her visit; about 200 hospital employees representing
more than 20 hospital departments attended the sessions.
Bacon fills her presentations with humor and gives
extensive illustrations from her personal and professional
lives – she is a neonatal and flight nurse, a former law
enforcement professional and mother to a premature infant
who had chronic health issues through childhood (he is
now a healthy adult).
The presentation served as an introduction for
newer staff and a refresher for more long-term hospital
employees. Bacon discussed the concept of family-
centered care and provided definitions for key terms. She
also educated staff in techniques they can use to enhance
family-centered care at Children’s Hospital.
One important thing to understand, Bacon reminded
staff, is that “family” refers to two or more persons
who are related in any way – biologically, legally or
emotionally. Each individual group defines “family”
in its own way.
Children deserve nothing but the very best, and East
Tennessee Children’s Hospital has been working to give
children the very best health care for more than 70 years.
To continue providing the best into the next 70 years –
and beyond – the hospital has developed a new vision:
“Leading the Way to Healthy Children.”
The new vision statement is one result of the
hospital’s recent strategic planning process, begun
in fall 2007 and completed in spring 2008. A project
of the Children’s Hospital Board of Directors and
Administration, the new five-year strategic plan defines
the hospital’s path into the future.
Children’s Hospital’s challenge to ensure the next
generation of children can have a better opportunity
for a healthy future than the previous generation was to
determine the following:
How to best help sick and injured children?•
How to prevent sickness and injury?•
How to ensure the right talent is available?•
How to afford all that needs to be done?•
How to continue to be the community asset the•
hospital needs to be?
The process included an analysis of past performance
as well as growth projections for East Tennessee.
In addition to the hospital’s Board of Directors and
Administration, the process also included gathering input
from hospital senior management staff and employees,
physicians and community leaders.
Based on these efforts, assumptions about the future
that support planning priorities were developed. The
strategic plan includes 10 major areas of focus or strategic
initiatives, each with a separate list of specific goals and
desired outcomes. The strategic initiatives include:
Quality/safe care –• patient care and quality will be our
number one priority.
Physician recruitment and alignment –• the hospital
will make decisions to ensure clinical, educational,
research, advocacy and cultural needs for the medical
staff continue to be successfully addressed.
Financial discipline –• the hospital will maintain
its financial strength in service of its mission,
while retaining its independence as a hospital only
for children.
Regionalized care –• the hospital will improve the
health and well-being of children by providing
programs that combine treatment with prevention and
education, while forging collaborations with community
partners and empowering families with knowledge and
tools to manage disease and prevent injury.
Technology –• the hospital will adopt technologies that
improve patient care, provide educational resources
and enable effective and efficient assembly and
dissemination of information.
Talent –• Children’s Hospital will recruit the best and
brightest people who want to excel as individuals and
in teams; in addition, the hospital will be the workplace
of choice by fostering an environment that is respectful
and supportive.
Education –• the hospital will develop, evaluate and
participate in educational experiences designed to
ensure the next generation of health care leaders is
prepared to care for the children of East Tennessee.
Customer service –• Children’s Hospital will enhance
the health care experience of our patients and
families by expanding the services we provide in the
most convenient, timely, welcoming and effective
manner
and setting.
Strategic marketing –• the hospital will expand its
understanding of consumer needs while providing
the most current information available to patients
and families about health care issues affecting
children.
Philanthropy –• Children’s Hospital will seek
support from individuals, organizations and
communities that enable us to advance our mission
and vision for the future.
As part of these initiatives, critical issues
that require attention in the immediate future were
highlighted. These include the renegotiation of
TennCare contracts, solidifying our partnership with
other area hospitals, successful physician recruitment,
development of an electronic medical record and the
expansion of clinical programs locally and regionally.
In addition the hospital needs to develop a long range
facilities plan to address existing space limitations,
ensure that programs supporting both new and existing
staff are the best they can be, develop new programs
that will support the inclusion of families in the care
of their children and expand efforts in marketing and
philanthropy.
Hospital President/CEO Keith Goodwin expressed
his thanks to all who participated in the planning process
and indicated the feedback was instrumental in the plan’s
development. Goodwin said a consistent theme he heard
as he interviewed Board and community leadership was
a sense of tremendous pride in the care and services
provided by Children’s Hospital.
“The accomplishments of the past have created a
wonderful platform for continued success into the future,”
he said. ‘“Leading the way to healthy children’ gives all
of us the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of
the children we care for.”
Our Mission
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital will improve
the health of children through exceptional,
comprehensive family-centered care, wellness and
education.
Our Core Values
• Exceptional Care
• Compassion
• Collaboration
• Integrity
• Child and Family Partnership
• Stewardship
• Physician Partnership
• Service Excellence
• Highly Skilled and Dedicated Staff
New vision statement defines hospital’s focus

8. 8
A day in the
Vanderbilt University Medical Center earlier in her
career.
Collins has worked at Children’s Hospital for 13
years and has been touched by her experiences here.
She said, “I have worked from coast to coast, but this
is the best hospital in which I have worked, because
of the compassion employees extend to one another
in times of need.”
Collins graduated from an associate degree
nursing program in Florida and is currently working
toward completion of her bachelor of science in
nursing through Jacksonville University. She then
plans to pursue her master’s degree in Nursing
Informatics.
Leanne Gibbs
After working
in the Haslam
Family Neonatal
Intensive Care
Unit (NICU) for
17 years, Leanne
Gibbs decided
she was ready
for a change of
pace. She always
had an interest in
being a lactation consultant because it would allow
her to work closely with newborns and their families
at a more relaxed pace than the typical stress of the
NICU. After completion of a rigorous course and
much training, she left her position in the unit to
become a board certified lactation consultant
in 2000.
Gibbs also serves as chair of the patient education
committee. In this position, she oversees the
development of brochures highlighting a variety of
pediatric health topics and educates the hospital on
the importance of health literacy.
Gibbs has many fond memories of her job, which
she says makes it impossible to pick a favorite. One
of her most special memories, however, involved a
mother whose newborn child was re-admitted to the
hospital. Gibbs worked extensively with the mother
to educate her about her child’s health issues, and
her compassion inspired the mother to want to
become a lactation consultant herself. It was an
unforgettable feeling for Gibbs to know that she had
touched someone’s life through her job.
“It is a wonderful job, and I love it,” Gibbs said.
“I love the education aspect of it and working with
moms and babies.”
Gibbs started at Children’s Hospital as a patient
care assistant while attending nursing school at
the University of Tennessee. Upon graduation, she
joined the nursing staff in 1983 and has been at
Children’s ever since. “I’ve been treated well as
a nurse here, and I love the people I work with,”
Gibbs said.
Karen Herbstritt
Karen Herbstritt
knew at an early
age that she wanted
to pursue a career
in nursing. Her
initial exposure
to the field was
through her aunts,
who were nurses.
She decided to
take a position as a
nurse’s aide in high
school and
then worked as a patient care assistant while
attending St. Vincent’s Hospital School of Nursing
in Erie, Pa.
After graduation, Herbstritt remained at St.
Vincent’s Hospital, where she began her nursing
career on the geriatric floor. She later moved to
Knoxville and accepted a position in the Pediatric
Intensive Care Unit at UT Medical Center. Later,
while living in Colorado, she worked in the PICU
at Denver Children’s Hospital; this was her first
exposure to a pediatric specialty hospital, and
she loved the total focus on children. When she
eventually returned to Knoxville from Denver
in 1984, Herbstritt came to work at Children’s
Hospital as a nursing coordinator, a position she
continues in today.
Herbstritt credits her degrees in nursing and
education for preparing her for her work as a
nursing coordinator. “I have also had lots of varied
experience with pediatric patients,” she said.
Herbstritt said the most memorable moment in
her nursing career occurred when she was working
in the burn center at Denver Children’s. She had a
young patient come in one evening who was burned
on his entire body.
“I watched this little boy’s eyes all night because
that was all that wasn’t burned,” she said. “I had
to use all of my skills that night. I remember him
talking to me with his eyes. I can still shut my eyes
and see him.”
The little boy did not survive the night.
Herbstritt was touched by this defining moment of
her career, a night that she said has influenced all
her work in the many days, nights and years that
have followed.
Darla Morgan
Darla Morgan started her nursing career at
UT Medical Center, where she spent four years
working in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Upon
leaving that hospital, she took on the challenge of
being in the float pool at Children’s Hospital as a
resource RN.
Morgan loves her job because she enjoys
learning new skills and perfecting them. As a float
nurse, she must have extensive knowledge of how
all departments function so she can be as helpful as
There is no such thing as a “typical” day in a
hospital. Day in and day out, patients enter our doors
for care, but each child is unique and each experience
is different. However, within each day at Children’s
Hospital, there are some common threads. One common
thread is the training and experience of the hospital’s
staff – no matter what situation arises, our staff is
skilled and prepared to meet the challenge. For the next
several issues of It’s About Children, we will profile
some of our staff and highlight all our clinical areas. We
hope it will give you a glimpse into life at Children’s
Hospital.
Nursing Support Staff
Nursing support staff members play a vital
role in contributing to the provision of quality
patient care at Children’s Hospital. Clinical practice
specialists in pulmonology, hematology/oncology,
endocrinology, surgical services and critical
care make up one diverse group of professionals
in this area of nursing. Nursing coordinators,
lactation consultants, nursing information systems
coordinators and float nurses are also invaluable
support staff, providing help throughout the
hospital.
Vicki Collins
Vicki Collins works as the Nursing Information
Systems Coordinator for Children’s Hospital. This
dynamic profession, known formally as Nursing
Informatics, blends the science of nursing and
information technology, making it a growing field
that is in high demand. Collins was introduced
to nursing informatics through a Nursing quality
improvement project, which led her to become
a team leader for the Haslam Family Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and the Post-
Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) online documentation
project.
She began her current position in 2003 after
serving as a staff nurse in the NICU for two years
and in the PACU for six years. One of her primary
responsibilities is management and implementation
of online Nursing documentation for hospital nurses
through the Meditech Hospital Information System.
Collins says her favorite memory of working
in the nursing field is interacting with patients
and their
families. Building
close relationships
is what she
loved most about
her time as a
staff nurse. Her
daughter, Caitlin,
was named in
honor of one the
babies she cared
for while working
as a staff RN
in the NICU at
of Children’s Hospital
Leanne Gibbs
Karen Herbstritt
Vicki Collins

9. 9
UPCOMING community
education classes
CPR Certification Course
Dates: September 8, October 13, November 10,
and December 8
Time: 6-10 p.m.
This certification course teaches the American
Heart Association chain of survival -- from when
to call 911 to how to effectively administer CPR
to an infant, child or adult. This course is designed
for anyone who may be expected to respond to
emergencies at home or in the workplace. Participants
must be at least 14 years old. Following the
course, participants will receive an American Heart
Association Heartsaver certification card. This course
is $40 per person.
Safe Sitter
Dates: September 6 and 27, October 11,
November 1 and 15, and December 6 and 13
Time: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. (lunch is provided)
possible when
she is needed in
any given area.
“Being
oriented to
all the hospital departments teaches you to
appreciate job stress in each unit and allows you
to relate to what each person does,” Morgan said.
Her favorite part of her job is “knowing that
I can help things go smoothly by staying with a
patient as long as I’m needed,” Morgan said. “I
like being able to help out in stressful situations,
and I enjoy seeing the relief that I can provide for
patients and their families.”
Morgan obtained her associate’s degree in
nursing from Walters State Community College
and her bachelor’s degree from Carson-Newman
College. She recently completed her master’s
program and is a Family Nurse Practitioner.
Casey Norris
Casey Norris had always dreamed of working
at a children’s hospital. When she first came to
East Tennessee Children’s Hospital in October
2002, Casey knew that she was right at home.
“I love to teach, and I love children,” Norris
said. “I fall in love with the patients and their
families over and over again. I wouldn’t go
anywhere else.”
Casey Norris works as a Pulmonary Clinical
Nurse Specialist (CNS) at Children’s Hospital.
Before she came to Knoxville, Norris worked
in Flowers Hospital in Dothan, Ala., in an adult
surgery floor and in home health care. In the past
14 years, Norris has also worked in newborn
nurseries and pediatrics in South Carolina and
Kentucky.
Norris says that her favorite part of being a
CNS is working with patients who have asthma
and with the cystic fibrosis population.
“It can be a challenge at times, but it is very
rewarding to be able to teach parents the things
that I know,” she said.
Norris attended Troy State University in
Alabama for nursing school and continued at
Clemson University for her master’s degree.
by Logan Clark and Christie Sithiphone,
student interns
Casey Norris
Darla Morgan
Bruce Anderson has been named Vice President for
Legal Services and General Counsel for East Tennessee
Children’s Hospital. This is a new position at the
pediatric medical center, and Anderson will begin on
Monday, July 7.
Anderson comes to Children’s Hospital from the
Knoxville firm of Anderson, Reeves and Herbert. As a
trial lawyer for over 30 years in both state and federal
court, Anderson has extensive litigation experience, and
specializes in the area of medical
malpractice defense. Anderson
has been recognized by his peers
by being chosen as a Master of
the Bench of the American Inns
of Court and as a Fellow in both
the Tennessee and Knoxville
Bar Foundations. He is listed in
the Best Lawyers in America.
Anderson has taken an active role
in the growing area of alternative
dispute resolution, has acted
as one of Children’s Hospital’s
attorneys for the past decade and
has also served as a member of the
hospital’s Board of Directors.
In his new role, Anderson
will focus on a variety of areas
of importance for Children’s
Hospital, including risk
management, corporate compliance,
insurance and hospital contractual relationships.
“As Children’s Hospital has grown significantly
and the issues we face as a pediatric medical center have
increased and become more numerous and complex,
our Administration and Board of Directors felt that it
was important to have a position that will focus on the
variety of issues that require legal expertise,” said Keith
Goodwin, President/CEO of East Tennessee Children’s
Hospital. “Bruce’s extensive background in legal
services, particularly his work as one of this hospital’s
attorneys and his work on our board made him an
ideal candidate to lead Children’s Hospital in this
important area for our future.”
Anderson and his wife, Monique, live in West
Knoxville and have two son, James, and John. A
graduate of The University of Tennessee with a
Bachelor’s degree in business, Anderson also holds
a J.D. from the University of Tennessee College
of Law. Anderson has been a leader in the legal
profession serving in various
positions including President of
the Knoxville Bar Association,
House of Delegates of the
Tennessee Bar Association,
and he has chaired committees
for both the Tennessee and
Knoxville Bar Associations.
Anderson’s community
involvement includes serving
on the board of directors for
the Knoxville Utilities Board,
Leadership Knoxville and the
Tanasi Girl Scout Council.
He is currently Chairman of
the Advisory Board of the
Salvation Army and was the
2002 recipient of the National
Distinguished Leadership Award
for the Community Leadership
Association.
“My (legal) representation of Children’s
Hospital has enabled me to experience many of
the day-to-day activities of the hospital, and I
am coming to this new position with experience
in health care from a practical side as well as a
business point of view,” Anderson said. “I’ve
always been very proud of the job that Children’s
Hospital has done in this community and am
excited about the opportunity to be involved in the
future of the hospital.”
Bruce Anderson
Anderson named legal VP for hospital
Safe Sitter is a national organization that
teaches young adolescents safe and nurturing
babysitting techniques and the rescue skills needed
to respond appropriately to medical emergencies.
Instructors are certified through Safe Sitter
nationally. Participants must be ages 11-14.
This course is $20 per person.
Class size is limited for all classes, so
preregistration is required. All classes are offered
in the Koppel Plaza at Children’s Hospital, unless
otherwise noted. For more information or to
register for any of these classes or to receive
our free Healthy Kids parenting newsletter, call
(865) 541-8262.
Announcements about upcoming classes
can be seen on WBIR-TV 10 and heard on
area radio stations. Or visit our Web site at
www.etch.com and click on “Healthy Kids
Education and News.”
Children’s Hospital’s Healthy Kids Campaign,
sponsored by WBIR-TV Channel 10 and Chick-
Fil-A, is a community education initiative of the
hospital’s Community Relations Department to
help parents keep their children healthy.

10. SubspecialistProfilesSubspecialistProfiles
B.S. (Chemistry/Anthropology) –•
University of Memphis, Memphis, 1993
M.D. –• University of Tennessee College
of Medicine, Memphis, 2001
Internship (General Surgery) –•
University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center, Denver, 2001-02
Residency (General Surgery) –•
University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center, Denver, 2002-06 (including final
year as chief resident)
Fellowship (Pediatric Surgery) –• St.
Louis Children’s Hospital, Washington
University, St. Louis, 2006-08
Other Education –• Ph.D., University
of Tennessee Health Sciences Center,
Department of Pharmacology, 2001
Family –• wife, Belinda Roaten; children,
Meredith (age 10), Hannah (age 7) and
Holden (age 4)
Personal interests –• rock climbing,
mountaineering, running and taking care
of his three Irish wolfhounds
During his final rotation in medical school,
Brent Roaten, M.D., worked in surgery, and it
was an eye-opening experience. While he had
been planning throughout medical school to
be a pediatrician, he found himself drawn to
surgery.
“I fell in love with pediatric surgery and
changed my career plans at the last minute,”
Dr. Roaten said. “It’s been my passion and
goal ever since.”
Pediatric surgery encompasses “a broad
range of diseases, and the outcomes are
generally good,” Dr. Roaten said. “I feel like
I’m making a difference.”
For example, for some young children with
a congenital anomaly (birth defect), Dr. Roaten
may be able to perform a relatively simple
procedure, offering the child a more normal
life. “It’s a good feeling,” he said.
Dr. Roaten, the father of three children,
recently moved to Knoxville to join the East
Tennessee Pediatric Surgery Group practice of
Drs. Alfred Kennedy, Carol Fowler and Carlos
Angel. He was primarily interested in moving
to Tennessee to take advantage of the excellent
opportunity to work with the East Tennessee
Pediatric Surgery Group at Children’s Hospital
but also wanted to be closer to the mountains,
where he can indulge his interests in outdoor
activities.
As a pediatric surgeon, Dr. Roaten is
a true general surgeon, treating conditions
literally from head to toe (except the ear/nose/
throat and the heart). Among the common
problems he treats are surgical disorders of the
gastrointestinal tract, chest wall deformities
and hernias. He performs appendectomies,
lung surgeries and bowel resections; repairs a
broad spectrum of congenital abnormalities;
removes pediatric tumors (most commonly
ones located in the chest or abdomen and
sometimes on the extremities); and removes
skin lesions.
While at the University of Colorado
completing his residency, Dr. Roaten studied
pediatric melanomas, one of the most serious
types of skin cancer. He notes that pediatric
melanomas are one of the types of skin lesions
he now treats as a pediatric surgeon. Only
about one percent of pediatric cancers are
melanomas, but a diagnosis of melanoma is
just as serious for children as it is for adults.
Moreover, much like melanoma’s increase
in the adult population, Dr. Roaten noted it
is also increasing in the pediatric population,
especially among adolescents, due to a greater
level of sun exposure.
As a young pediatric surgeon, Dr. Roaten
is trained in the latest laparoscopic (minimally
invasive) techniques for surgery. While
accomplishing the same goals as more invasive
open surgeries, minimally invasive procedures
involve smaller incisions, shorter surgeries,
more brief hospital stays and quicker recovery
times. Dr. Roaten notes that even in just the
past 10 years, laparoscopy has become more
common in pediatrics and is a more significant
focus in residencies and fellowship training.
“General surgery moved faster in this area
than pediatric surgery,” Dr. Roaten said. “But
the new generation of pediatric surgeons will
increase the use of it, and I plan to do that
here.”
Even with great tools available like
minimally invasive surgery for quicker and
easier recovery times for patients, Dr. Roaten
said a key challenge always remains when
he is unable to help a patient: “A child with a
terminal diagnosis or a neonate with a complex
spectrum of problems that cannot be corrected
is always a challenge and very disappointing.”
Working in concert with Drs. Kennedy,
Fowler and Angel, Dr. Roaten will help to
expand the availability of pediatric surgery care
for children in the East Tennessee region.
J. Brent Roaten, M.D.
10
Pediatric surgeon brings passion to his profession

11. B.S.• – United States Military Academy,
West Point, N.Y., 1988
M.D. –• Vanderbilt University School
of Medicine, Nashville, 1993
Transitional Internship –• William
Beaumont Army Medical Center,
El Paso, Texas, 1993-94
Residency (Orthopaedic Surgery)•
– Duke University Medical Center,
Durham, N.C., 1996-2000
Fellowship (Pediatric Orthopaedic•
Surgery) – Duke University Medical
Center, Durham, N.C., 2000-01
Family –• wife, Staci Moran Crawford;
and children, JB (age 10), Bo (age 8)
and Molly (age 3)
Personal interests –• all activities with
the family (school, sports, church, etc.),
and hospital-related activities within the
community
Former Army physician joins
Children’s Hospital medical staff
After a nine-year military commitment,
John Jay Crawford, M.D., has returned to the
Southeast to join the Knoxville Orthopedic
Clinic staff as a pediatric orthopedic surgeon.
He joins Drs. Bob Madigan and Cameron Sears,
who have both provided pediatric orthopedic
services at Children’s Hospital for many years.
Dr. Crawford, a native of North Alabama,
met his wife while at Vanderbilt University. The
Crawfords decided early in their marriage that
once Dr. Crawford’s military commitment was
completed, they wanted to move to middle or
east Tennessee to be close to Mrs. Crawford’s
family in Knoxville.
That time finally came for the Crawfords
in April of this year, following seven years in
San Antonio, Texas, where Dr. Crawford worked
primarily at Brooke Army Medical Center; he
also was on the medical staff of three other
military and civilian hospitals in the San Antonio
area, including Methodist Children’s Hospital of
South Texas.
“The biggest reason we are in Knoxville
instead of other cities in the region is because of
Children’s Hospital and Dr. Bob Madigan and
what they have done together over the past 30+
years to build this into a center of excellence,”
Dr. Crawford said. “Dr. Cameron Sears has
collaborated with Dr. Madigan for the past 13
years to build the program. I don’t know that I
would have come here if not for this.
“I was very impressed with this hospital, and
with Drs. Madigan and Sears,” he continued. “I
had opportunities to go just about anywhere. But
this lets me live in my wife’s hometown and still
offer the highest quality of care—what people
would traditionally expect in Atlanta, Nashville
or Cincinnati. Children’s Hospital is at a premier
level of orthopedics – I’m here because it had
already been built. I feel lucky and happy to
be here.”
Dr. Crawford was drawn to the specialty of
pediatric orthopedics through his interest in the
pathology of children’s diseases and the types of
surgeries that are used to treat their diseases.
“It’s extraordinarily interesting and satisfying
how children heal and the results we can get,”
he said. “And as a father, I get tremendous
satisfaction from taking care of children. It’s
almost an extension of parenting.”
Dr. Crawford said that often the health
problems of adults can be traced to unhealthy
or unsafe habits and bad decisions, whereas
children are generally injured doing normal kid
activities like sports. “So it’s not as painful to
get up in the middle of the night to help a child,”
he said. “I just feel badly for them and their
families.”
Within his specialty, Dr. Crawford has
a particular interest in spine and extremity
deformities, especially scoliosis (curvature
of the spine) and surgeries involving circular
fixation (Ilizarov/spatial frame) to correct severe
deformities of limbs. This involves putting a
“cage or brace” on bones, cutting through the bone
and pulling the ends apart slowly, then allowing
new bone to grow in the gap (a process called
“distraction osteogenesis”).
Dr. Crawford also enjoys treating patients with
arthroscopic joint procedures and children with
athletic sports injuries and fractures.
Fractures – what most people refer to as
“broken bones” – of the arm or leg are without
question the most common diagnosis for Dr.
Crawford’s patients. He also treats many children
with birth defects related to the bones and joints,
as well as diseases that begin in childhood such
as cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy; for
these children, he may prescribe physical therapy,
bracing and/or surgery to straighten bones and
lengthen tendons.
Dr. Crawford brings a unique and valuable
skill to his practice at Children’s Hospital – he
is one of just a dozen or so physicians in the
United States with significant experience in
limb lengthening for children with short limbs
(typically one limb is longer than the other). The
easier way to treat uneven legs is to shorten the
longer leg; however, that involves cutting into
the healthy leg and also makes the child shorter.
Instead, when indicated, Dr. Crawford can use
a more complicated technique to fix the shorter
leg, the one that did not form correctly. This does
not require surgery on the healthy leg and it also
enables the child to be taller after surgery, instead
of shorter.
Like many surgical specialties, orthopedics
has benefited in recent years from advances in
less invasive surgical options, with much smaller
incisions. Also, patients with clubfeet can benefit
from more casting and smaller procedures, instead
of major surgeries.
In addition, bone grafting has improved
significantly – pediatric orthopedic surgeons such
as Dr. Crawford no longer routinely have to take
bone from the patient’s pelvis; instead, there are
ways to help the patient’s body make new bone, or
new bone can be obtained from a lab. This results
in shorter recovery time for patients and is one of
the most exciting improvements in pediatric health
care in recent years, according to Dr. Crawford.
John Jay Crawford, M.D.
11

12. children from all sections of the community who had
contracted this crippling disease and decided to act.
The founders knew something had to be done to
help local families find the care their children needed
and to make certain it was available here in East
Tennessee, near family and friends. And in the 1930s,
in the South, they wanted to make certain this care
was accessible to children of all races and religions,
regardless of their parents’ ability to pay the medical
bill. This is the generous and caring legacy of our
founders. This is East Tennessee Children’s Hospital,
their legacy for the families of our community.
More than 70 years since our doors first opened at
1912 Laurel Avenue, many other generous friends have
made donations to help Children’s Hospital grow and
meet the needs of our expanding population. Now that
Imagine you are the worried parent of a sick child
in the summer of 1935. Your daughter has been running
a fever for days. It is over 90 degrees outside for the fifth
day in a row, but the electric fan you borrowed from your
neighbor is not helping.
Your daughter is drowsy. She has a headache, and
her neck and back are more stiff and painful almost by the
hour. This morning they are almost rigid. She wants your
help; everyone in the family is frightened.
You have heard of these symptoms before. Assuming
that you can read, your newspaper tells you that the
country is in the grip of a polio outbreak. The paper says
that there are an unusual number of cases in the Southern
states.
The doctor stops by and confirms your worst fears.
Your daughter has polio – or acute infantile paralysis, as
it is also called. Some of the local hospitals are taking
care of a few children. But there are few, if
any, specialized services available locally for
your daughter. Not only are you going to need
specialized care for her, but you also will need
to take her hundreds of miles by train to find it.
What will happen? Your mother is getting on in
years, but you hope she will be able to care for
your home, spouse and other children while you
are away. How will you pay the hospital bills?
Yours is a truly desperate situation.
You are the type of person the founders
of Children’s Hospital were thinking of that
summer. A small group of dedicated physicians
and community leaders saw polio take its toll
on the children of our community and felt the
agonizing despair of mothers and fathers who
received this devastating news. These men saw
the threat of polio no longer haunts the dreams of area
parents, our donors help provide treatment for the many
other illnesses and injuries that affect East Tennessee’s
children.
The need is still great. Children’s Hospital had
almost 144,000 patient visits last year. You can leave
your own legacy of hope by having your lawyer add a
bequest to Children’s Hospital in your will. Our vision of
“Leading the Way to Healthy Children” will not happen
without help from supporters in the community like you.
For our complimentary booklet titled “How to Make
a Will that Works,” send your name and address to us
via the reply form below. You may also contact David
Rule, Director of Development, at dsrule@etch.com, or
Teresa Goddard, CFRE, Senior Development Officer, at
tgoddard@etch.com, or call us at (865) 541-8441.
Estate Planning
A Legacy of Hope
Include Children’s Hospital in your estate plans.
Join the ABC Club. For more information, call (865) 541-8441.
Please send the FREE planning booklet, “How to Make a Will That Works.”
Name______________________________ Address____________________________________________________________
City___________________________ State_______ Zip_____________ Phone (______) ___________________________
r Please call me at the phone number above for a free confidential consultation concerning planned giving.
r Please send me more information about deferred giving.
r I have already included Children’s Hospital in my estate plan in the following way:
__________________________________________________________________________
r Please send me information about the ABC Club.
Children’s Hospital Development Office • (865) 541-8441
The state of Tennessee has given Children’s Hospital an extension through 2008 to
increase the number of specialty license plates. The hospital is required to maintain a
minimum of 1,000 tags to keep the plate in effect, but as of press time, the hospital was
just hovering around the required minimum.
With your help, there is still an opportunity to do more for the children the hospital
serves. You can beautify your car with one of the
attractive plates designed by Morris Creative Group.
But most importantly, you can help make Children’s
Hospital an even better place for area children.
Each day, the hospital’s chaplains, social workers
and child life specialists meet the pressing needs of
area families whose sick and injured children have
been entrusted to our care. These children come from
Knoxville and hundreds of other communities in the
surrounding counties and states.
These families are concerned and nervous
about their child being in the hospital. And some
have additional financial stress because they are missing work. So Children’s Hospital
provides staff to comfort both the child and the family, to help find resources to deal with
financial woes and the need for ongoing care, and to provide books and toys for patients
and siblings. And these staff members have the resources to do this because you and your
friends and family care enough to buy a Children’s Hospital specialty license plate.
The specialty license plate has been a labor of love from the beginning. After
Children’s Hospital applied to the legislature in 2002 and received approval, Morris
Creative Group donated the time of their artists to prepare the plate’s attractive design.
Volunteers stuffed mailings to help sell the initial 1,000 plates. And the results have
been wonderful.
Since the plate first became available, Children’s
Hospital has received $54,509.25, benefiting children
served by the hospital’s chaplains, social workers
and Child Life staff. The license plate is an easy way
to support Children’s Hospital, and we are grateful to
each person who has purchased one. Please consider
renewing your Children’s Hospital plate each year and
encouraging friends and family to join you.
The plate is available at any time through your local
County Clerk’s office, and the cost of the plate is $35
in addition to each county’s renewal fee. Children’s
Hospital receives nearly $16 from each plate sold.
Simply drive to your local county clerk’s office, take in the plate from your car and
your registration, and tell them you would like a Children’s Hospital plate. Not only
will you have a more attractive car, but you will also have that warm feeling that
comes from helping children.
If you have questions about the Children’s Hospital specialty license plate,
contact your local County Clerk’s office or the hospital’s Development Department
at (865) 541-8441.12
License plate deadline extended; purchasers can still help area families

13. 13
UPCOMING EVENTS
to benefit CHILDREN’S
calendar of events
Mark your calendars now for
several upcoming events to entertain
families and benefit Children’s Hospital.
Thanks to the generous people of
East Tennessee who host and
participate in these events, Children’s
Hospital can continue to provide
the best pediatric health care to the
children of this region.
ETPMI Golf Tournament
The East Tennessee Chapter of Project
Management Institute will hold its second
annual golf tournament fundraiser on September
12. The tournament, which will be at Farragut’s
Willow Creek Golf Club, will benefit the Celiac
Disease Support Group at Children’s Hospital.
For more information, contact Don McKenzie
at (865) 241-7399.
Claris Networks Golf Tournament
Claris Networks (formerly RM
Technologies) will host a golf tournament to
benefit Children’s Hospital on September 26 at
River Islands Golf Club. The fun-filled day will
include more than just 18 holes of golf; radio
personality Phil Williams of WNOX’s “The Phil
Show” will host a luncheon for all participants.
Last year’s tournament brought in more than
$15,000 for the Goody’s Pediatric Intensive
Care Unit. For more information, contact Alexis
Lombard in the Development Office at
(865) 541-8745.
Oakes Corn Maze
The eighth annual “Trail of Doom” Corn
Maze will be at Oakes Farm in Corryton, just
in time for the Halloween season. The spooky
maze sprawls over several acres and is sure
to give visitors a thrill as they try to navigate
their way to the end. The event is open every
Thursday, Friday and Saturday beginning
October 2 and continuing through November 1.
For more information, contact Paula Haun
at (865) 541-8441.
Knoxville Mortgage Bankers
Association Golf Tournament
The 22nd annual Knoxville Mortgage
Bankers Association Golf Tournament is set
to tee off October 6 at Gettysvue Polo Golf
and Country Club. All tournament proceeds
will benefit Camp Eagle’s Nest, a camp for
patients of the Hematology/Oncology Clinic
at Children’s Hospital. If you would like to
participate in the KMBA golf tournament or serve
as a volunteer during set-up and registration, please
call the Children’s Hospital Development Office at
(865) 541-8745.
Chili for the Children
Are you ready to “chow down for children?”
The Phi Mu sorority at the University of Tennessee
will host its annual “Chili for the Children”
event this fall before a home UT football game.
Everyone is invited to join in the fun at the tailgate
where they will be selling chili as a fundraiser for
Children’s Hospital. Watch the Children’s Hospital
website for more details.
War of the Wings
The University of Tennessee’s Kappa Delta
sorority is preparing for the 16th
annual “War of
the Wings” fundraiser for Children’s Hospital.
The event is set to take place this fall on UT’s
campus. Various local restaurants and fraternities
will contribute chicken wings for tasty tailgating
before a home UT football game. The different
recipes are judged, and the winner for best wings
will be announced. Last year, this event brought in
$11,400 to benefit the hospital. This fall’s date will
be announced soon.
Robert Tino Holiday Art Sale
Nationally recognized artist Robert Tino of
Sevierville will return to Children’s Hospital on
November 19-20 for his 12th
annual holiday art
sale fundraiser. The sale will take place in the
Meschendorf Conference Room in Koppel Plaza,
and a portion of the proceeds from this event will
be donated to the hospital. Aside from raising
money for Children’s, Tino’s art sale provides
hospital staff, guests and the public with an
opportunity to meet the artist and get some
holiday shopping done early. For more
information, contact Amanda Armstrong in
the Development Office at (865) 541-8567.
Fantasy of Trees
The 24th annual Fantasy of Trees for
Children’s Hospital will take place November
26-30 at the Knoxville Convention Center
with a theme of “There’s No Business Like
Snow Business.” The holiday celebration
will feature hundreds of stunning designer-
decorated Christmas trees and a variety
of beautiful seasonal decor. There is
plenty for the whole family to enjoy
during the event, including a Babes in
Toyland parade on Wednesday, Kris
Kringle’s Kiddie Party on Friday, a
gingerbread house village, gift shops,
live entertainment, visits with Santa
and much more. Tickets are $10 for
adults, $5 for children ages 4-12, and
free for children under age 4. Come
support this festive fundraiser and help
us improve on last year’s total. For more
information, contact Volunteer Services
and Resources at (865) 541-8385.
by Logan Clark,
student intern
There are many opportunities throughout each year
for area golfers to enjoy a day on the course and help
Children’s Hospital at the same time.
In 2008, the annual Fantasy of Trees to benefit
Children’s Hospital will celebrate the theme
“There’s No Business Like Snow Business.”

14. What are some tips for navigating the health
care system?
Making decisions while everyone is healthy
can help reduce the stress and financial strain
when someone in your family does need
medical care. Here are suggestions:
Choose your coverage carefully. While it’s•
impossible to predict sudden illnesses and
accidents, you can anticipate some things.
For example, if your child has a chronic
disease that requires frequent checkups and
tests, make sure to pick a plan that covers
them.
Make a medical home. Try to establish a•
long-term relationship with a pediatrician
or family doctor who can get to know
your family, provide well care and most of
the sick care your child might need, keep
complete medical records of things like
immunizations and growth and become
familiar with your family’s medical history.
Don’t skip checkups. It’s important to keep•
regular checkups even when children aren’t
sick — this way, doctors can make sure
they’re developing as expected and can
catch any health concerns early so that they
don’t become expensive and hard-to-treat
medical problems later. Letting regular
check-ups lapse may save time and money
in the short-term but ultimately might
translate into bigger bills and longer waits at
the doctor’s office.
Keep vaccines up to date. Checkups are•
especially important so that children
can stay current on their immunizations.
Thanks to new vaccines, parents have more
opportunities than ever to keep children
healthy and safe from contagious illnesses.
Don’t delay care. When children are sick•
or injured, it can be difficult to decide how
much medical care they need. Ultimately,
if you’re unsure about what medical care
your child needs, your doctor can help you
determine what to do.
Check it out before you act on it. More health•
and medical information is available than
ever before – on the Internet, through support
groups, in magazines and newspapers. All that
information can be helpful, but it’s important
to check out anything you hear or read that
might be relevant to your child’s health with
a doctor or nurse before you act on it. There
is, unfortunately, plenty of bad information
mixed in with the good information on the
Internet, and it can be hard to sort out. For a
list of good health care Web sites to start your
research, visit Children’s Hospital’s Web site
at www.etch.com/healthinfo.cfm.
How can I deal with my child’s mounting
medical bills?
Some parents may think that insurance will
cover all or most of their child’s medical
expenses – or that being able to afford their
child’s health care needs won’t be a problem.
But each medical service comes with its own
price tag, and parents are sometimes surprised
to learn that hospital care, surgical procedures,
doctor visits and laboratory tests are separate
services with separate bills.
Some parents may also overlook costs that are
indirectly related to their child’s care – missed
time at work, child care for siblings, increased
utility bills, custom transportation and home
renovations, such as ramps for wheelchair
accessibility.
The best way to make sense of bills and
prevent financial problems is to take a proactive
stance. Learn all you can about your health plan
and the meaning of insurance terms. Which
doctors participate in your plan? What services
are covered? Understanding your health plan’s
design and its policies can ultimately save you
thousands of dollars.
You may find it useful to get a written copy of
your policy from the insurer. Although you may
have an enrollment information book from your
employer, the actual policy provides specific
details about your coverage.
Policies and bills can be confusing, but help is
available. These simple steps can help you avoid
problems:
Few issues are closer to our hearts or more
crucial to our future than the health of children.
As an abundance of children’s health issues hit the
media spotlight last year, it was a challenge for many
parents to keep track of them all or determine which
matter most. Some strike close to home and involve
things parents do routinely to keep their kids safe
and healthy. Others, for now at least, seem to be in
the hands of lawmakers or scientists, far removed
from our immediate lives, yet no less important to
children’s well being.
In 2008, Children’s Hospital will highlight
eight of these important children’s health issues to
watch. Each issue of It’s About Children this year
will focus on two topics. This list is not meant to be
comprehensive, nor does it suggest that other health
issues aren’t also important. But we think these eight
subjects will have a lasting impact on children’s health
in 2008 and into the future.
Covering children’s health needs
Until recently the debate over what to do about
uninsured Americans had largely focused on adults,
particularly the elderly. Now the focus has shifted
to helping parents find affordable insurance for
children, especially those of the working poor who
don’t qualify for Medicaid or can’t afford private
insurance.
What are the trends in health coverage for
children?
There is a movement toward consumer-directed
health care, health insurance that is designed to
get those who use health care – like parents – to
play a bigger part in keeping costs in check.
Many different types of consumer-directed
health care plans are available, each with
benefits and limitations. Many plans feature high
deductibles (the amount of money parents must
spend before health care is covered by insurance)
as well as health care savings accounts, which
allow parents to save money to pay for the
services that insurance doesn’t cover. Some
plans – but not all – cover preventive care,
routine checkups, vaccines, tests and regular
disease screenings. So when you’re choosing
health insurance, it’s important to look for a
plan that meets your family’s needs.
part 3 of 4part 3 of 4
‘08‘08Covering Children’s Health Needs
and Bullying: Not just kids’ stuff
14

15. Be sure to:
Take bullying seriously. Make sure your•
children understand that you will not
tolerate bullying at home or anywhere
else. Establish rules about bullying
and stick to them. If you punish your
child by taking away privileges, be
sure it’s meaningful. If your child acts
aggressively at home, with siblings or
others, teach more appropriate (and
nonviolent) ways to react, like walking
away.
Teach children to treat others with•
respect and kindness. Teach your child
that it is wrong to ridicule differences
(i.e., race, religion, appearance, special
needs, gender, economic status) and try
to instill a sense of empathy for those
who are different.
Learn about your child’s social life.•
Look for insight into the factors
that may be influencing your child’s
behavior wherever the bullying is
occurring. Talk with parents of your
child’s friends and peers, teachers,
guidance counselors and the school
principal. Get your children involved in
activities outside of school so that they
meet and develop friendships with other
children.
Encourage good behavior. Positive•
reinforcement can be more powerful
than negative discipline.
Set a good example. Think carefully•
about how you talk around your
children and how you handle
conflict and problems. If you behave
aggressively – toward or in front of your
children – chances are they’ll follow
your example.
What can we expect of this issue in 2008?
Bullying will continue to move beyond
the domain of school discipline and into
the realm of public health and safety,
with more state and local governments
attempting to address the issue through
legislation and community programs.
Parents will also be called on to take a
more active role in broaching the issue
with their children.
If you are a Tennessee resident, find out•
if your family is eligible for TennCare.
TennCare is Tennessee’s Medicaid managed
care program that provides health coverage
for low-income children, pregnant women
and disabled Tennesseans. To learn about
this program, visit www.tennessee.gov/
tenncare/members.html.
Tennessee also offers a health insurance•
program called Cover Tennessee to provide
options that are affordable and that meet
the needs of the uninsured in our state who
are not eligible for TennCare. As part of
the Cover Tennessee program, CoverKids
offers qualifying families comprehensive
health coverage to uninsured children, age
18 and under, and to pregnant women. To
learn more, visit our Web site at www.etch.
com/coverkids.cfm.
Locate the resources available within your•
child’s hospital, such as the business office,
for answers to your questions about medical
expenses.
Ask your health care provider or insurance•
company to have a case manager assigned
to your child.
Make your child’s health care providers•
aware of your plan’s benefits and
limitations.
Organize! Keep a journal and files to record•
doctor visits and any services performed
(including lab work, X-rays, CT scans,
etc.) and the fees for these services so that
detailed information about your child’s
health care is easily accessible. This may
seem like a lot of work, but it will be
extremely helpful when dealing with your
insurance company.
Know your rights as a health consumer. If•
your insurance company denies coverage
for certain expenses, appeal the decision.
Doctors can sometimes write letters or help
you appeal to the insurance company to get
certain services covered.
Contact your state’s department of•
insurance if you encounter problems with
your health care coverage — especially if
you’ve already appealed a case of denied or
inadequate coverage.
What can we expect of this issue in 2008?
The question of how to ensure that all children
in the United States get the health care they
need is likely to be a prominent issue in this
fall’s presidential race. The well being of
children and families is a perennial issue
for those in political life – but will it finally
be solved? Or after the elections, will it be
forgotten once again?
Bullying: Not just kids’ stuff
Growing recognition of the impact of bullying has
prompted new urgency to prevent it in schools
and communities. While bullying is nothing new,
school shootings at Virginia Tech and elsewhere
highlighted the reach of bullying and how it can
escalate far beyond schoolyard scuffles. One new
study showed that 90 percent of elementary school
students have been bullied by peers and 60 percent
of children admitted to being bullies. Other new
research points to the long-term effects of bullying.
One study found that bullies and their victims are
more likely than other children to be victims of
crime outside of school.
My son is being bullied. How can I help him?
Having to deal with a bully is hard for a child
– especially at school. Listen to your son’s
worries and convey that it’s OK for him to feel
that way. Try to get your son to talk about what
has been going on at school – just listening can
be helpful. Offer assurance without making
him feel like you’re dismissing his feelings.
When he feels understood by you, he’ll be more
receptive to your help and any advice on coping
that you offer. Go over some strategies that he
can use if someone teases him. Ignoring the
bully and simply walking away or using humor
to combat aggressiveness might get the bully to
stop. Bullies often give up when they don’t get a
response from their target.
Although children can resolve many incidents
of bullying on their own, do keep an eye on the
situation. If it persists, get involved by talking to
your child’s teacher or school counselor.
What can I do to help a child stop bullying?
It can be shocking and upsetting to learn that
your child has been labeled a bully. As difficult
as it may be to process this news, it’s important
to deal with it right away. If it’s not stopped, it
can lead to more aggressive antisocial behavior
and interfere with your child’s success in school
and ability to form and sustain friendships.
Children bully for many reasons. Some bully
because they feel insecure. Other children
bully because they simply don’t know that
it’s unacceptable to pick on children who are
different because of size, looks, race or religion.
In some cases bullying is a part of an ongoing
pattern of defiant or aggressive behavior. These
children are likely to need help learning to
manage anger and hurt, frustration or other
strong emotions. Professional counseling can
often help them learn to deal with their feelings,
curb their bullying and improve their social
skills.
Some children who bully are copying
behavior that they see at home. Children
who are exposed to aggressive and unkind
interactions in the family often learn to treat
others the same way. And children who are on
the receiving end of taunting learn that bullying
can translate into control over children they
perceive as weak. 15
Article edited and abridged from the
KidsHealth section of www.etch.com. © 2008 The
Nemours Foundation/KidsHealth. Used under license.

16. April 20 – Safe Kids Day on the Hill
in Nashville
Coalition members visited with state legislators and
handed out Safe Kids materials. Tennessee Safe Kids
Coordinator Susan Helms coordinated activities.
May 2 – Water Safety Program at Children’s
Hospital Rehab Center Pool
This event specifically targeted recreational pool
safety techniques for children with special needs. It
included information on use of safety/flotation devices,
their importance and appropriate use and importance
of sizing and correct application. Four children with
different special needs and their parents participated
to demonstrate the variety of devices available. The
program speaker was Deidra Phillips, LPTA, from the
Children’s Hospital Rehabilitation Center.
May 3 – Safety City Safety/Bike Fair
Despite rainy weather in the first hour of the event,
about 55 children came out to learn about bike safety
and wearing appropriate safety gear. Coalition member
Knoxville Police Department hosted this event; a similar
event also takes place each fall.
May 4 – Smoke Alarm Relay “Gear Up Game”
at Girls on the Run 5K Event
More than 120 girls ages 8-12 years old from Blount,
Knox and Loudon counties were registered to participate
in this 5K Run/Walk, and over 50 children participated
in learning more about the importance of smoke alarms,
how they work and the proper timing for changing their
batteries.
Since spring, Children’s
Hospital has been actively working
toward assuming leadership of Safe Kids
of the Greater Knox Area.
Even though the change was not effective
until July 1, the hospital increased its involvement
in the coalition and has been involved in a number of
Safe Kids programs.
The mission
of the local Safe
Kids coalition is to
reduce unintentional
injuries in children
up to age 14 in the
East Tennessee
region by promoting
awareness and
implementing
prevention
initiatives.
The local Safe Kids is part of
Safe Kids Worldwide, a network of coalitions whose
primary purpose is to prevent unintentional injuries in
children by providing children and adults caring for
them with information about how to stay safe.
April 28-29 – “Gear Up Games”
on Brain Injury
At South Doyle Middle School, about 1,000 students
in grades 6-8 (the entire school) saw Safe Kids message
about helmet use and brain injuries and participated in
the Safe Kids Week “Gear Up Game” on Brain Injury.
This helped reach the “tween” audience as well as
high-risk children (54 percent of the students at South
Doyle are on free or reduced cost lunches). The Epilepsy
Foundation, a Safe Kids coalition member organization,
donated bike helmets to be given away to more than 200
students who requested them.
Other stations at the event highlighted the following
topics: stress and peer pressure; sexually transmitted
diseases; prescription drug dangers; and a “Jeopardy”
game with questions on violence, sexual topics, healthy
eating, etc.
June 11 – Water Safety Day at
Dollywood’s Splash Country
See page 3 for information about this
program.
July 23 – Spot the Tot
Safe Kids of the Greater Knox Area and
Safety City, in conjunction with Beaty Chevrolet,
hosted a “Spot the Tot” program with the LaPetite
Academy on Bagley Lane to teach the life or
death lesson of not playing behind motor vehicles.
The interactive program gave participating
children a hands-on experience in the many
dangers of playing around cars, in driveways and
on streets. A long-time Safe Kids of the Greater
Knox Area partner, Beaty Chevrolet provided
vehicles used in the program.
In addition to Children’s Hospital, Safe Kids
Coalition member organizations taking part in
some or all of these programs were AAA of
East Tennessee, the Epilepsy Foundation, Fort
Sanders Regional Medical Center, Kids on
the Block, Knox County Coordinated School
Health, Knox County Health Department, Knox
County Sheriff’s Department, Knoxville Police
Department, Rural/Metro Knox County, UT Child
Care Resource Center and UT Medical Center.
S a f e K i d s i s o n a r o l l