Today marks 40 days until Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin’s new west tower lobby opens. We’re absolutely busting with pride and excitement about what this will mean for our patients and our staff. Our average daily patient census recently has been hovering consistently in the high 200s. With our current bed count at 236 that means many families are doubling up during this, our busiest time of year. We’re grateful for their patience, but we really want to give them more. With that said, here is a random list of things about the west tower that we can’t wait to share with our patients, our staff and the community when the front door opens on Monday, March 30.

40 random things about the new west tower expansion:

1. We will have 100 percent private rooms, which will make absolutely everyone happy.
2. Our total bed count will be 294 when the West Tower opens.
3. It will add three new critical care floors and three new acute care floors.
4. It has two floors of shell space (floors 7 and 8) for future expansion.
5. Rooms are substantially larger than our current rooms (and by the way, they’re gorgeous).
6. Patient rooms are organized into three zones: the staff zone, the patient zone and the family zone.
7. The tower was built on researched principles of design that include safety, flexibility and adaptability.
8. We will have separate public and private traffic areas and state-of-the-art workspaces to facilitate the best patient care.
9. We will have family amenities like wireless internet access.
10. At 12 stories tall, Children’s Hospital now is the tallest building in Wauwatosa and a stunning addition to the skyline. (more…)

Meteorologists predict winter will be making a big comeback this week, whether we like it or not. When it does, we need to make sure our kids are playing safely outside.

There’s nothing more fun for kids in the winter than to sled down a hill that’s blanketed with fresh snow. Before your kids hit the hill, remember to top off their winter gear with a helmet. Nearly 25,000 kids are injured in sledding accidents every year, and 3,000 kids receive serious brain injuries as a result.

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As the youth development coordinator at Children’s Health Education Center, I work with teenagers who, on a regular basis, remind me that I am not as tech savvy as they are.  In fact, I’m not even close. I don’t even deserve to shuffle their iPods.

Changing your status on Facebook or posting a blog on MySpace, while as ubiquitous to teens as pep rallies or skin cream, can present unforeseen dangers. Bullying happens in every school and at every level.  However, unlike other forms of bullying, cyber bullying can prove to be more mean-spirited and dangerous because it is likely under the radar of school officials and parents.

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