Newswise — Catherine DeAngelis, M.D. — editor-in-chief of JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association, Scientific Publications and Multimedia Applications and former vice dean for academic affairs and faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine — has designated a $100,000 grant for the Johns Hopkins Children's Center to establish the Dr. Cathy DeAngelis Endowment Fund.
"Dr. DeAngelis' generosity is greatly appreciated and we are thankful she designated her gift for Child Life," said Edward D. Miller, M.D., Dean/CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine. "Our mission here is not only excellence in medical research and training. We strive for exceptional patient care, especially for our youngest patients, and child life is a crucial element in helping children heal."
The Ronald McDonald House Charities' awarded DeAngelis $100,000 when she won the Medical Award of Excellence on Nov. 1 at its annual gala in Rosemont, Ill., for her contributions in pediatric medicine. DeAngelis, who is a professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins, proposed that the award funds be used to seed the new endowment fund and encourage other donors to contribute to the Child Life program.
"We are so honored that Dr. DeAngelis chose our program and recognizes how essential Child Life is in helping young patients during healthcare experiences," said Patrice Brylske, CCLS, director of Child Life Services at Hopkins Children's.
To help promote effective coping and recovery for children, child life specialists provide a safe space for them to engage in fun activities and to lead as normal a day as possible. Child life specialists help children use their creative imaginations and, through play, master their worries about being in the hospital. By providing opportunities for self expression, children learn to cope with difficult procedures, manage pain, and overcome the hardest parts of hospitalization.
"There's no pain in the Child Life room," said DeAngelis. "It is where a child can go to get away from being sick in the hospital and child life specialists are the key element in making it a safe, fun place to be."
The Child Life program at Hopkins Children's will celebrate its 65th anniversary Jan. 31, 2009, with a benefit concert. For more information about Child Life, please visit http://www.hopkinschildrens.org/childlife.aspx
Founded in 1912 as the children's hospital of the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, the Johns Hopkins Children's Center offers one of the most comprehensive pediatric medical programs in the country, treating more than 90,000 children each year. Hopkins Children's is consistently ranked among the top children's hospitals in the nation. Hopkins Children's is Maryland's largest children's hospital and the only state-designated Trauma Service and Burn Unit for pediatric patients. It has recognized Centers of Excellence in dozens of pediatric subspecialties, including allergy, cardiology, cystic fibrosis, gastroenterology, nephrology, neurology, neurosurgery, oncology, pulmonary, and transplant. For more information, please visit www.hopkinschildrens.org.
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