Interview: Mary Pat Winterhalter, MS, RN
Today, I am very excited to present our first blog interview!
Part of my current position in EI includes a weekly visit to Lauren's House in Boothwyn PA, which is a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center (PPECC). Every Thursday I co-treat with three colleagues, an OT, a PT and a Special Instructor and together we run a dynamic multi-disciplinary group for the children we treat at Lauren's House. The children at this daycare facility are medically fragile and are cared for daily by a dedicated team of nurses.
Today's interview with Mary Pat Winterhalter, the Nurse Administrator at Lauren's House, will highlight the benefits of the program, the challenges it faces and how speech and other therapies play a crucial role in care of the children.
Stephanie: Mary Pat, tell us about yourself and what you do at Lauren's House:
Mary Pat: Well, I'm the Nurse Administrator here at Lauren's House in Boothwyn, Pennsylvania. I'm a Registered Nurse with a Master's Degree in Health Administration. I came to this position one year ago from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In my position I wear many hats. I oversee everything involved in the Lauren's House program. I manage the professional nursing staff and the unlicensed support staffs, oversee the maintenance of the building, and coordinate the care of every child in the program. I communicate with the primary physician, specialists, & therapists on a monthly basis for each child. I should also mention, we have two sites and my colleague, Beth Hoy, is the Nurse Administrator in our North Philly Lauren's House.
Stephanie: Tell us now about Lauren's House and the type of children you care for at your facility:
Mary Pat: Lauren's House is a Prescribed Pediatric Extended Care Center (PPECC). We take care of medically fragile children in a fun, active, stimulating environment. The staff is all nurses and the children come to Lauren's House in lieu of one to one shift nursing in the home. Funding is from insurance not the family and transportation is provided free. The center allows for socialization with peers and stimulation they may not get in the home. We take the burden of child care off the parents so they can go about their life with work or school. Children with a delayed ability to PO feed are a large constituent at Lauren's House. We care for children with GT's or NGT's while therapists work on increasing the child's ability to eat or drink.
Stephanie: Which leads me to my next question - tell us about the therapies the children receive at Lauren's House:
Mary Pat: Every child at Lauren's House gets some kind of therapy. Therapists come from all different agencies, backgrounds and funding sources. I get great feedback from therapists indicating Lauren's House is a safe, clean, wonderful environment to treat a child. Because of the convenience, many children are co-treated by different disciplines. Children receive speech and feeding therapy, as well as occupational, physical, vision and educational services. Therapy is an integral part of our program and, along with the nursing, is what sets our program apart from others.
Stephanie: Now, I know I enjoy my weekly time at LH, but can you tell our readers what LH can offer therapists as well.
Mary Pat: The center has various rooms which can provide privacy for the therapist and client if needed. Sinks are easily accessible for preparing food along with a full kitchen. The kitchen allows for baking or experimenting with food. Several bathrooms are available for the staff and a specially equipped bathroom is available for the children. In addition, the advantage of this type of setting and team-based approach is that nurses are able to carry over each child's exercises or feeding regimen when the therapists leave.
Stephanie: Wonderful. Now tell us some of your own future goals for Lauren's House.
Mary Pat: Looking towards the future, I see Lauren's House as a vibrant community center that provides a bridge between parents, physicians and therapists. It can be a stepping stone for all special needs children who also need medical care. Parents can take advantage of our services before school age and then as a wrap around nursing service during the school years. Unfortunately there are lots of pediatric professionals who are unaware of PPECC's in Pennsylvania. I hope to reach out and educate all pediatric providers of the wonderful resource Lauren's House has become.
Stephanie: I often have people ask if I know of families or facilities that are in need of supplies and are willing to take donations. What is the policy at Lauren's House?
Mary Pat: Lauren's House accepts all donations. Donations of children's toys, especially sensory integration toys, would be wonderful. Also, we can use any toy that lights up or plays music as well as any baby swings, high chairs, crib sheets, etc. New or used would be terrific. The best gift of all would be a pediatric size exam/treatment table!
Stephanie: Thank you so much for your time today. Before concluding, is there anything else you want our readers to know?
Mary Pat: Thank you as well. I would like to let everyone know to please feel free to stop in, meet me and see our center. I'm proud to be associated with an organization that provides such first-rate care. I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and tell you all about Lauren's House. If you are working with a child who you believe could benefit from our services, give me a call. I would be glad to answer your questions.
I hope that you found today's interview informative. If you are interested in contacting Mary Pat she can be reached at 1-888-340-9420. Lauren's House is located at 17 Creek Parkway in Boothwyn, PA and is located about 30 minutes or so from Philadelphia.