Stanford Medicine Children's Health

For more than four decades, our NICU and ICN Graduation Party has brought together families and care teams to celebrate something worth gathering for: how far our patients have come. On Oct. 4, Stanford Medicine Children’s Health will welcome NICU and ICN graduates and their families to Stanford University for our 41st annual celebration. From reconnecting with the doctors, nurses and care teams who were there at the beginning to seeing former patients return year after year, it’s a reminder that the relationships built in the NICU can extend far beyond a hospital stay. We hope our NICU and ICN families—past and present—will join us for an afternoon under the sea. 📅 Oct. 4, 2026 | 1–5 p.m. 📍 Dean’s Lawn at Stanford University 🔗 Register: https://bit.ly/46vZPnJ

We’re grateful to the Wyman family and Duets Across America for their support of research that could help advance our understanding of BPAN—and bring hope to children and families living with this rare condition. 💙

For more than a decade, Camp Heart + Hands has given children with cancer and their families a place where little needs explaining. This year, about 180 campers gathered for a weekend of fun supported by more than 60 nurses from Stanford Medicine Children's Health. https://lnkd.in/eQxPWui2 Jacob's Heart Children's Cancer Support Services

A clinical trial testing a different gene therapy approach for sickle cell disease will soon be expanding to younger patients at Stanford. The trial is based on decades of Stanford Medicine research. https://lnkd.in/eUab8Vzs

Children are resilient. But that doesn’t mean recovery from surgery is always easy. During her pediatric anesthesiology fellowship, Jennifer Rabbitts, MD, began questioning the assumption that children simply bounce back after surgery. She saw young patients struggling with pain long after they went home — pain that could affect their ability to return to school, sports, and everyday life. For children undergoing major surgery, the problem is significant: about 20–30% experience pain that continues to impact their recovery months later. That observation set Dr. Rabbitts on a path to better understand why some children develop persistent pain after surgery — and how we can do more to prevent it. Discover how Dr. Rabbitts and her team at Stanford Children's are rethinking what recovery can look like for children after surgery. https://lnkd.in/eR8jT9Yh

Administrative Fellowship Program Applications close September 2 There’s still time to apply for the Stanford Medicine Children's Health Administrative Fellowship Program. Our fellowship gives emerging healthcare leaders hands-on experience within a complex pediatric academic health system, with opportunities to learn from and build relationships with leaders across the organization. Interested in learning more? Join our final informational webinar on August 26 at 2:00 p.m. PT to hear from current fellows, alumni, and program leadership. Apply by September 2 (https://bit.ly/4gKIqxv) Register for the webinar (https://bit.ly/4gh7tZb) Questions about the fellowship or application process? Contact fellowships@stanfordchildrens.org. #AdministrativeFellowship #HealthcareLeadership #StanfordChildrens

Persistent leg pain threatened to derail 17-year-old Leah Reiter’s hopes of competing in college track. After becoming Stanford Medicine Children's Health's first on-site patient treated with noninvasive HIFU for a benign bone tumor, she was back to jumping hurdles 10 days later. https://lnkd.in/e7q2Dfsc #StanfordChildrens #HIFU #InterventionalRadiology #BoneTumor #TrackAndField

Social media can connect teens—but it can also fuel unhealthy comparison, insecurity and isolation. Dr. Alan Atkins, child and adolescent psychiatrist at Stanford Medicine Children's Health, shares practical ways families can help kids build healthier habits, from setting screen-time limits to prioritizing hobbies, friendships and time outdoors, and using technology as a tool—not letting it take control. https://lnkd.in/eWy6grbV

For his first San Francisco Giants game, 14-year-old Tyler Briend didn’t just watch from the stands—he stepped onto the field at Oracle Park. https://lnkd.in/eWVRuA_j Tyler, who received a heart transplant at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford in 2024, was honored as the San Francisco Giants’ Play Ball Kid during Donate Life Day. He wore No. 24, a nod to the year he received his new heart. After a childhood marked by complex heart care, surgeries and hospital stays, the moment offered a glimpse of what organ donation can make possible: not simply survival, but the chance to experience milestones once difficult to imagine. Tyler’s day at the ballpark also honored the donors and families whose generosity gives transplant recipients the opportunity to write their next chapter. Donor Network West #DonateLife #HeartTransplant #StanfordChildrens #PediatricTransplant

This is what excellence looks like. At our 35th Annual Employee Achievement Awards, we celebrated the people whose service, leadership and compassion make Stanford Medicine Children’s Health stronger every day. This year’s theme, Shining Light: Illuminating Excellence, reflected the many ways our employees bring our mission to life. From colleagues celebrating five years of service to those marking an extraordinary 45-year milestone, every honoree represents a lasting commitment to our patients, families, and one another. We proudly recognized: Excellence in Leadership Award Jean Chantra, Director of Clinical Analytics Jean demonstrates leadership that is both strategic and deeply human, advancing critical work across quality, safety, service and equity while creating a culture of trust, collaboration and belonging. Grace Award (Employee of the Year) Fernando Hurtado, Project Coordinator for Bereavement and Family Services Fernando brings warmth, steadiness and heart to some of the most sensitive areas of care, providing meaningful support to patients, families and colleagues across Family Guidance and Bereavement, Palliative Care, CORE and Spiritual Care. We also congratulate our Gold ROSE Award recipients, recognized for exemplifying our PCARES values and making an extraordinary difference through their work: Stephen Bezuch Maryellen Brady Nailah Cox Nadine Elmosely Mayra Espinoza Huerta Latoya Hanks Abigail Helman Maria Luzelle Advincula Matias Nancy Pizano Brittany Reynolds Queenie Wong Paige Wright Every name represents a story of service, compassion, and impact. Congratulations to all of our award recipients and milestone honorees. Thank you for helping Stanford Medicine Children’s Health continue to shine brightly for the children and families we serve.