Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital’s Certified Child Life Specialist Improves Kids’ Outcomes (19459000)
Leticia Clegg, a certified child life specialist at Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital, will help children in the emergency and surgical departments. This is to improve outcomes.
Leticia Clegg, a certified child life specialist at Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital helps young patients understand their diagnoses. The hospital has already seen a reduction in the amount of medication required to relieve stress.
Clegg helps children who are receiving surgical and emergency care. He also supports and encourages inpatient children to follow their treatment plan, by finding ways that they can enjoy taking medications, walking, or eating.
Brandon McBride said, “The community will rest assured that their children, when they come to Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital for treatment, will be treated as though they are one of us.” Child life specialists are trained to deal with the emotional and social side of treating sick children or those who have been injured. “Investing in children’s health is an investment into child life.”
Intermountain Health’s child life services are funded entirely through philanthropy, community donations, and they are provided free of charge to all patients. The donations fund salaries for specialists and the supplies they use, including Barbie dolls and medical toys, as well as crayons and bubbles.
The child is more than just a child.
Children’s life specialists are trained psychosocial health professionals who have a focus on child development and assessment, coping and family strategies, as well as evidence-based supportive intervention.
Play, education and a normalized medical environment help to reduce stress in children and improve coping skills from early childhood through adulthood.
Leticia Clegg, certified Child Life Specialist at Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital, said that “when a child is in need of surgery it can be a very scary experience. Many children are unsure what to expect, and tend to fear the worst.”
Clegg said that “Child Life uses age-appropriate play to educate children about what is going to happen and help them feel less fearful.” It makes a real difference to the ability of children now and in later life to recover from experiences.
Marcie Sherner RN, the nurse manager for same-day surgeries and post-anesthesia-care unit (PACU), at Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital, reported that in the first month after the implementation of child-life services in their hospital, the number of kids needing sedatives dropped by 90 percent. This is in line with findings from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Kobi Egbert, a 9-year old boy who was helped by Clegg’s expertise.
Kobi required a same-day procedure. Jesica, her mother, told her that the idea of surgery was making her anxious.
Egbert explained, “We were both worried that Kobi would react to this and were afraid of leaving her behind.” Letitia was fantastic from the start.
Clegg showed Kobi pictures and real medical equipment to make her feel what surgery was like. She also brought toys that Kobi liked.
Egbert stated, “She made Kobi feel safe and comfortable. This isn’t always an easy thing to do.” When it came time for Kobi to have surgery, she was sad. But leticia was there to accompany her. Kobi was able to cope with the day because Leticia was there. “She just removed all of the worries.”
Clegg visited the waiting area during surgery to speak to Kobi’s parents.
Egbert: “She said she had held Kobi’s hand till she fell asleep and told us how she was feeling.” She made us all feel better.
Clegg, one of the 70 child-life specialists at Intermountain, is helping to care for children in 11 hospitals, care centers, and sites. These include all Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospitals, Utah Valley Hospitals, McKay-Dee Hospitals, Riverton Hospitals, St. George Regional Hospitals, American Fork Hospitals, Park City Hospitals, Heber Valley Hospitals, Layton Hospitals, and Logan Regional Hospitals. Intermountain Medical Center also offers virtual consultations by Child Life.
Leaders at Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital hope to expand the child life services. This will require support from the community.
For more information about how to help child life at Intermountain Logan Regional Hospital, visit https://www.justserve.org/projects/7a642119-b37e-4431-8f50-13c2caf5ca89/donations-to-logan-regional-hospital?shiftId=f74cb5e6-8ad0-481c-ada6-a6a51e28d078.
Intermountain Health
The company is headquartered in Utah, with additional locations across the Western U.S. Intermountain Health Select Health, which has more than 1 million members and is part of a non-profit health system, includes 34 hospitals and approximately 400 clinics. It also offers other services. Intermountain’s mission is to help people lead the healthiest possible lives. It is widely acknowledged as a healthcare leader who uses evidence-based practices in order to deliver consistently high-quality results at affordable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.
