Children's Nebraska

Watch as we celebrate a major milestone—raising the final beam of the Behavioral Health & Wellness Center at Children's Nebraska! Opening in early 2026, this comprehensive, world-class facility will help us address the growing pediatric mental health crisis, providing area families with the behavioral health services they need, close to home. We are grateful for the leadership and vision of the Mental Health Innovation Foundation and our community of supporters who recognize the need for expanding mental health services for children and adolescents.

May marks #KangarooCareMonth and, to celebrate, a special visitor hopped around our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to educate parents and caregivers on the benefits of kangaroo care. Similar to how kangaroos hold their young in a pouch, kangaroo care is the practice of holding babies skin-to-skin on the chest. This is a powerful tool for premature and full-term infants, resulting in better weight gain, improved sleep, heart rate, temperature regulation and more. NICU families, join us in celebrating by practicing skin-to-skin and fostering a deeper connection between you and your little one. 🦘💛 #NICU #KangarooCare

We’re proud to share that Chanda Cashen Chacon, President and CEO of Children’s Nebraska, received the 9th Annual ICAN Leadership Award, presented in partnership with Kiewit. 👏🏼 Chanda’s bold, authentic and People First leadership helps us remain the region’s pediatric health care leader and live out our mission to improve the life of every child. Chanda, congratulations on this well-deserved recognition!

Nurses are great patient advocates and, at Children’s Nebraska, we want to ensure they’re advocating for themselves, too. Crystal Smith, DNP,RN,NE-BC, director of the medical-surgical unit at Children's, spoke with Minority Nurse to share how we’re prioritizing wellbeing and working to support team members in new and meaningful ways. Check out the feature article on pages 12-14 to learn more. 🤍🩺 https://lnkd.in/gKUS8_XK #Nursing #Healthcare #Wellbeing #SelfCare  

Walmart and Sam's Club are huge supporters of Children’s Nebraska, raising funds to support our mission: to improve the life of every child. Last week, associates from stores across Nebraska gathered to celebrate 2023’s success, kick off their 2024 campaigns and meet this year’s Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Champion, Sloan. 13 Walmart stores across the state selected Children’s as a recipient of this year’s Community Grants, totaling $20,500. These stores serve the communities of Omaha, Lincoln, Kearney, Hastings, Fairbury, York, Bellevue, Beatrice, Crete, Blair, Gretna and Council Bluffs. This generous funding will support Children’s Criss Heart Center, which provides the most comprehensive cardiac care to patients and families in the region. We’re grateful for these strong partnerships! ❤️ https://lnkd.in/g9vBjHUW.

We think moms are pretty awesome – and so do their kids. This #MothersDay, we’re sharing a special message from some of our patients. 💌   At Children’s Nebraska, it’s an honor to care for children and their families, and we have the privilege of witnessing the unconditional love of mothers in action every day. Today and every day, we celebrate the strength, resilience and compassion of moms, mother figures and caregivers.

This #NursesWeek, we recognize and thank the more than 1,000 Children’s Nebraska nurses who make a difference every day for our patients, families, team members and across our communities. Children’s will join hundreds of organizations nationwide this week by lighting up the Hubbard Center blue in celebration of nursing excellence. We also look forward to honoring our pediatric nursing team during Pediatric Nurses Week, Oct. 7-11. 💙🤍 #BelieveInBetter #nursing #pediatrics #Omaha #Nebraska

13-year-old Jordan lights up our Weight & Wellness clinic during appointments with his positive, infectious energy and passion for storytelling and singing. He brings so much joy to his care team and, recently, they were able to return the favor by helping him secure the opportunity of his dreams: performing the national anthem at an event.   Watch as Jordan takes center stage at an Omaha Storm Chasers game, living out his passion. 🎤🎵    We are grateful for our team members, like Sara, who specialize in helping our patients reach their full potential – and for the children we serve, like Jordan, who inspire us with their bravery and positivity.

For 1-year-old Lionel and his dad, José, Children’s Nebraska has long been a familiar destination. The father/son duo from Sioux City, Iowa, share the same type of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a condition characterized by fragile bones that can break easily. As a child, José was seen by pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Paul Esposito, the founding leader of Children’s trusted OI Clinic. Lionel now receives his care from new clinic surgical leader Dr. Vivek Dutt and medical specialists from Orthopedics, Genetics, Medical Management and more – a collaborative, multidisciplinary team that cares for the whole child. Lionel was diagnosed prenatally with OI by geneticist and medical director, Dr. Danita Velasco. He continues with semi-annual clinic visits at Children’s, which offers unmatched expertise from every clinician across nearly a dozen specialties, and receives bi-monthly bisphosphonate infusions at Children’s Infusion Center. “We knew Lionel had OI before he was born because of his femur bones, which were shaped in the womb,” his mom, Mayah, said. “We came to Children’s Fetal Care Center right away while I was around seven months pregnant. It’s a comfort for our family that we have the Omaha clinic within driving distance, and we’re confident that Lionel can be seen and get help as he needs.” This OI Awareness Week, learn more about Children’s nationally-renowned multidisciplinary OI Clinic at https://lnkd.in/grXGyKTH. #BelieveInBetter #OIAwarenessWeek #OsteogenesisImperfecta #pediatrics #Omaha #Nebraska

This #NationalSchoolNurseDay, we thank and celebrate the dedicated team members who bridge health care and education, helping promote student, community and public health year-round. School nurses play an important role in students’ wellbeing and academic success, and we’re grateful for everything you do to support the children in our local communities.