2010 Ron W. Lee, MD
Excellence in Pediatric Care Awards
In May 2010, the Illinois Department of Public Health and Illinois Emergency Medical Services for
Children presented the following recipients with the 2010 Ron W. Lee, MD, Excellence in Pediatric
Care Awards.
These awards are given in recognition of excellence to those dedicated to pediatric care and
childhood injury prevention initiatives. The awards are presented each May in honor of Emergency
Medical Services Week. Dr. Lee was the Director of Emergency Medicine at Loyola University
Medical Center and was instrumental in establishing and fostering the EMSC program in Illinois.
When he passed away in 1998, these awards were set up in his honor to recognize those who carry
on his commitment to childhood care. Individuals or organizations can be nominated for one of the
following three award categories – Lifetime Achievement, Clinical Excellence and Community
Service. Nominations for the awards were received from throughout the state.
Lifetime Achievement
Kathleen Ferket, RN, MSN, APN, Director, Children’s Services, Northwest Community
Healthcare Arlington Heights.
Kathleen received her undergraduate degree in nursing at DePaul University and
later went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Maternal & Child Nursing and her
certification as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Rush University in Chicago. She
began her nursing career as a staff nurse in the Intensive Care Unit and Coronary
Care Unit at Augustana Hospital in Chicago. She moved from there to the
Special Care and Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery at Rush Medical Center. It
was there that she began working more intently with the pediatric and neonatal
population, and developed her life-long career path in pediatrics.
Over the years she has also worked in other pediatric settings, including the
pediatric intensive care unit and transport team. During these years, she brought a
special touch to a number of programs. One example is that she served as a
hospital pediatric bereavement committee chairperson, and developed a service
that brought dignity, compassion and closure to grief stricken families.
In 1993, Kathleen came to Northwest Community Healthcare to work in the
positions of Clinical Nurse Specialist and Advanced Nurse Practitioner. In these
roles, she was a resource for staff throughout the organization, working to
organize and develop the pediatric program at Northwest Community Healthcare
in order to assure optimum care of the pediatric patient. In addition, she
collaborated with unit care coordinators in the care and management of
complicated pediatric patients and their families. Sharing her knowledge and
advocacy for children so that a new generation of nurses can carry the torch has
been an integral part of Kathleen’s nursing career. For the past eleven years,
Kathleen has served as the Service line director for pediatric care, ensuring a high
quality of pediatric care across the Northwest Community Healthcare continuum.
Kathleen’s dedication to research and academia is very evident. She has
published articles related to her field. In addition, she has been involved in cofounding the Chicagoland Nursing Research Consortium for hospitals pursuing
Magnet status – currently 16 hospitals actively participate in this consortium. She
also co-founded the Northwest Community Healthcare Nursing Research
Fellowship, which has required obtaining outside funding support to provide
nurses in a community hospital setting with an opportunity to pursue research.
This Fellowship brings an opportunity to develop research skills and pursue best
practices in the community hospital setting, which ultimately aims to assure
optimal outcomes for all patients. Twenty-six nurse fellows have completed the
program to date - with 23 poster presentations having been shared at local and
national conferences.
Kathleen stays active in several professional nursing organizations, including the
Society of Pediatric Nurses, the National Association of Pediatric Nurse
Associates and Practitioners, the Emergency Nurses Association and the Illinois
Organization of Nurse Executives. This speaks to her leadership capabilities as
well as her desire to maintain partnerships and current practice standards.
It is clear from the nomination application that was submitted for Kathleen that
she is truly passionate about children and pediatric healthcare. The nomination
submitted for her for this award described her as a “person of incredible integrity,
professionalism and dedication,” and noted that “Her pediatric focused career has
made a significant difference in the lives of patients and staff alike.“ Dr. Chuck
Nozicka, who nominated Kathleen for this award stated “Her efforts have ‘paid
forward’, producing scores of excellent pediatric staff and advanced practice
nurses that further her passion and dedication to excellence throughout the
region.” He indicated that “I work today with several of her protégées, graduates
of her programs – and all are indeed kind, compassionate and skilled advanced
practice nurse practitioners.”
In summary, Kathleen is an excellent role model, passionate, dedicated and highly
regarded. She has devoted herself to caring for and advocating for children. She
consistently goes above and beyond as she strives for the very best care for
children.
Clinical Excellence
Dennis L. Vickers, MD, MPH, Chairman, Department of Pediatrics, Mount Sinai Hospital,
Chicago.
Dr. Vickers attended the Chicago Medical School and completed his internship
and residency in pediatric medicine at Cook County Hospital (now known as John
H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County). He also completed a fellowship at
Michigan State University as part of a primary care faculty development program.
Over the years Dr. Vickers has worked in a variety of pediatric primary care,
ambulatory care and inpatient care settings. In addition he has served in such
roles as the Medical Director of the Infant Welfare Society of Chicago, the
Chairman of Ambulatory Pediatrics for the Cook County Bureau of Health
Services, Medical Director of the Children’s Memorial Hospital Uptown Medical
Clinic, the Pediatric Residency Program Director at John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital
of Cook County, and currently as the Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at
Sinai Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Vickers dedication to academia is evident. He is currently an Assistant
Professor of Pediatrics at Rush Medical College in Chicago, and over the years,
he has been actively involved in precepting and supervising medical students and
residents as they rotate through various pediatric clinical rotations. This includes
primary care and community pediatrics rotations, following clinic patients
through their inpatient stay, as well as supervising resident care of newborns in
both a general nursery setting as well as more specialized nursery settings. In
addition, Dr. Vickers has participated in lecture series and hospital grand round
presentations over the years, as well as presented at professional meetings and
conferences. Sharing his knowledge and advocacy for children so that a new
generation of pediatricians can carry the torch has been an integral part of his
medical career.
Dr. Vickers stays active in professional medical organizations and is a fellow of
the American Academy of Pediatrics and a member of the Academic Pediatric
Association, the American College of Physician Executives, and the American
Public Health Association. Of special note, he is currently the President-Elect of
the Illinois Chapter, American Academy of Pediatrics. This speaks to his
leadership capabilities and the level of recognition and respect from his peers.
It is important to note that his interests in cultural competence, racial disparities in
healthcare and improving care for immigrants and refugees has led to his being
awarded several grants over the years to address these critical areas of need.
It is clear from the nomination letters that were submitted on behalf of Dr.
Vickers’ nomination for this award that he is truly passionate about children and
pediatric healthcare. In fact, his nomination for this award was actually submitted
by professionals from another hospital. The community hospital that nominated
Dr. Vickers for this award does not have a pediatric inpatient unit, yet their
emergency department sees a large number of pediatric patients that on occasion
need to be transferred to a higher level of care. The staff conveyed the challenges
that are encountered with interfacility transfer situations, particularly the stress
that it creates for parents. Dr. Vickers, however, has created a level of comfort
for those parents and caregivers who arrive at a community hospital emergency
department only to find out that their child is seriously ill and requires transfer.
Multiple letters of support that were submitted in Dr. Vickers nomination
application spoke to his caring nature and his calming approach with anxious
parents. One nurse wrote “Dr. Vicker’s caring, compassionate and emphatic
manner are rarely seen in this age of ‘drive-thru, doc in the box’ medicine”.
Another letter of support identified that “He actively tries to assess situations and
gives us the opportunity to brainstorm with him to find solutions to problems we
have encountered. He cares about our opinions and suggestions”. Yet another
noted “I cannot thank Dr. Vickers enough for the compassion and care he brings
to each situation”. And lastly, one of those nominating Dr. Vickers identified that
“We have no way to compensate him for all he has done for our patients but to
offer him this nomination”. These letters of support convey heart-felt thanks for
his competence, understanding and caring.
In summary, Dr. Vickers is a dedicated and highly regarded pediatrician who is
always striving for the very best care for children. He definitely goes above and
beyond, and has devoted himself to caring for and advocating for children.
Community Service
The Illinois Poison Center (a program of the Metropolitan Chicago Healthcare
Council, Chicago.
The Illinois Poison Center has been in existence since 1953 and is currently the
largest center in the country. Its vision is for an “Illinois that no longer suffers
from the harm of poisoning”, and the mission statement indicates that the center is
“dedicated to reducing the incidence and injury of poisoning in our communities
through immediate expert telephone treatment recommendations, innovative
public and healthcare professional education and focused research”. While these
statements put into perspective what the poison center is all about, their impact in
the lives of children is unmatched.
The Illinois Poison Center truly excels in providing support and addressing the
needs of children. In 2009, 66% of calls to the Poison Center were concerning
children and adolescents. While poisonings affect everyone, small children are
one of the most at-risk groups for poisonings.
The Illinois Poison Center provides the residents of Illinois with access to
comprehensive and trusted information and treatment advice on potentially
harmful substances through a 24-hour hotline for both English and non-English
speaking callers. The hotline is staffed by specially trained medical experts,
including doctors, nurses and pharmacists. The Illinois Poison Center also serves
as the state’s leading source of advanced toxicology training and consultation for
healthcare professionals that care for children.
Studies have shown that if no poison center is available, 70% of would-be callers
would go to the nearest emergency department (ED) instead. For children, a trip
to the ED can be a traumatic experience. By providing poisoning information and
assistance, the Poison Center saves many children a visit to the ED. In addition,
this greatly assists emergency departments in light of their current overcrowding
issues.
The Poison Center doesn’t just treat the problem – they are instrumental in
helping to prevent poisonings from occurring in the first place. Through its
education and outreach activities, the Poison Center has reached over 300,000
Illinois residents in 2009 alone. An online education course was launched to
educate participants on the basics of poison prevention and awareness education.
After course completion, individuals become poison prevention educators and can
help further promote poison safety. Schools and libraries are major beneficiaries
of this program and they in turn impact the lives of children through poison
prevention education.
The Poison Center also promotes poison prevention directly to children. The
center’s website contains information as well as fun, educational games for
children and provides them with a special certificate called a “Poison Pro” once
they have completed all the games. The latest activity is a “Magic Paint Palette”
where children find hidden potential poisons in a picture and then paint it using a
magic paint palette.
Of special note, the Poison Center also monitors hazardous threats. In 2009, the
Illinois Poison Center identified a potential source of illegal rodenticide that was
being imported into the US. The substance which was very toxic and banned in
the US was confiscated, due to swift action on the part of the Illinois Poison
Center. This is very significant since rodenticides are a frequent source of
accidental ingestion by children.
During the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, the Illinois Poison Center was called upon by
the Illinois Department of Public Health to house and manage the flu helpline for
the state of Illinois. This 24/7 medical helpline was quickly set up to receive
medical-related calls from the public. To date, over 5,000 citizens in the state of
Illinois have received immediate assistance via the hotline. Many of the questions
received were related to children and vaccine safety. The helpline helped greatly
in allaying public anxiety.
Letters of support that were submitted in the nomination application conveyed
appreciation and respect for the Illinois Poison Center. One of the letters noted
“We find their staff to be extremely responsive, knowledgeable and particularly
effective in their follow up.” In addition, it was noted “Our staff, as well as the
community we serve, have the utmost confidence in the Poison Center and
appreciate the services they provide.” It is evident that there is much recognition
for the Illinois Poison Center’s knowledge, expertise and dedication. Over the
years, the dedicated staff of the Illinois Poison Center has handled millions of
calls from citizens and clinician from around the state, saving countless lives year
after year.
In summary, there is a great commitment to the children and families within
Illinois by the Illinois Poison Center. Their work is exemplary and helps to
ensure a healthy future for children and families.