When Shannon and Bill Willhite learned that Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital needed to upgrade its nurse call light system to better care for the growing number of children at the hospital, they answered the call. The long-time Ranken Jordan volunteers and board members generously donated the funds necessary for a more sophisticated nurse call light system, which was installed in fall 2020.
Sally Katz, a physical therapist at Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, understands the importance of teamwork. So, when she was recently honored with the Florence P. Kendall Service Award, established by Saint Louis University’s Program in Physical Therapy, it was no surprise when she shared the credit with her colleagues at Ranken Jordan.
With so many things closing due to the 2020 pandemic, it’s refreshing to hear about something fun and new opening. In September, Ranken Jordan celebrated the official opening of its adaptive rock climbing wall. The wall was incorporated into Ranken Jordan’s expansion in 2018. However, before it could be used, it needed a few finishing touches that required additional funding. Because of Mitchell Herndon and his generous friends and family, the rock climbing wall at Ranken Jordan was finally completed to benefits kids of all abilities.
The 2020 recipients of the Mary Ranken Jordan Service to Children Award are Rich and June Vandegrift.
At Ranken Jordan Pediatric Bridge Hospital, play is an important part of every day for kids. Medical play, another level of play, involves using real and pretend medical items to reduce fear and help kids cope with treatments and tests. Ranken Jordan’s child life specialists educate kids about why they’re in the hospital and help them cope with their experiences through medical play. Play is familiar and comforting to kids in a new situation.