Children’s Mercy Kansas City is a comprehensive pediatric medical center, serving patients from birth to age 21, across two hospital campuses and multiple satellite clinics across Missouri and Kansas.
In response to the pandemic, Children’s Mercy convened a small taskforce comprised of an infectious disease physician; a Patient and Family Engagement (PFE) Program Manager (who started out as a parent advisor and was hired as a “parent on staff” in 2008); and the senior directors for Inpatient Med/Surg, Ambulatory, and Perioperative Nursing. They drafted visitation policies and brought it to the hospital-wide COVID-19 Taskforce for approval. The PFE team is very engaged in ongoing planning and continues to spearhead communication related to COVID-19.
The PFE team has also been proactive about making sure the perspectives of patients and family members inform current changes. Children’s Mercy has 18 Patient and Family Advisory Councils that could no longer meet in person due to the pandemic. The PFE team keeps the members actively involved by using email to maintain communication with members and Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings. When there are materials that need to be developed and finalized quickly, they reach out to 2-3 advisors to obtain feedback in a time-efficient manner. PFAC members ongoingly provide input on urgent issues such as signage, communication, and policies.
Based on CDC and national guidelines, we are canceling elective cases. We will call you to reschedule once we have a better understanding of implications and restrictions are lifted.
With input from the PFE Team and family advisors it was revised to provide the information in an understandable manner and stress the reason for this change:
COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will stress our healthcare system and we must conserve supplies, hospital beds, and health care providers to care for those affected. Based on CDC and national guidelines, we need to cancel surgeries that are elective and are not an emergency. We will call you to reschedule your child’s surgery as soon as it is safe. Thank you for helping us care for our community!
The language used in informational materials for families regarding polices and practices is respectful. Materials communicate that parents and guardians are not considered “visitors” while also instructing families on how to help prevent the spread of the virus. They keep their information as up-to-date as possible and practical. Recent postings on their website provide strategies to talk to children about COVID-19 and a blog focused on debunking myths about the virus. Learn more about Children's Mercy
Paul Kempinski, CEO of Children’s Mercy, was interviewed for an article published April 1, 2020 in Children’s Hospitals Today. Read the article