Every Tuesday, Chris and Nancy Simon of Simon’s Gardens in Mukwonago, Wis., bring a truck loaded with fresh fruits and veggies to Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee. They set up tables and tents near the Children’s Hospital Clinics Building with sweet corn, musk melons, beets, potatoes, peppers and more, all picked earlier that day.

The farmer’s market is sponsored by Children’s Hospital and Health System’s Employee Health and Wellness team. It provides employees, as well as patients, their families and other employees at the Milwaukee Regional Medical Center, with easy access to farm-fresh produce.

Stop by the Children’s Hospital farmer’s market every Tuesday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. through late September.

Check out this video to see more of the advantages of buying produce from local growers:

Did you hear about the new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association warning that one in five teenagers now suffers from hearing loss? I know you probably often wonder if your teen ever listens to a word you say, but maybe he or she really doesn’t hear you.

There are many different causes of hearing loss, but the increased popularity of MP3 players and iPods®, especially when used with ear buds, has been recognized as a major contributor to noise-induced hearing loss. Ear buds actually can be more damaging to your hearing because they are placed directly into the ear and can increase the sound signal by as much as six to nine decibels. That’s the difference between the sound made by a vacuum cleaner and the sound of a motorcycle engine. (more…)

For so many Americans who lost their jobs and their insurance, Medicaid is an important safety net. Now imagine you lost both your job and your insurance benefits and your child gets sick, but you have the Medicaid safety net. So, you call your doctor, only to be told that your doctor’s office can’t see your child because he or she cannot see any more Medicaid patients. You are told this is because the state can’t afford to pay the costs for the services. (more…)

Last month, Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin opened the Noel Family Healing Garden. Thanks to a generous contribution from John and Patty Noel, our patient families and staff now have an outdoor space where they can escape, take a break and regroup.

The Noel Family Healing Garden is more than just a beautiful outdoor space. In fact, studies show that being exposed to peaceful, outdoor areas such as this one can help our patients heal. (more…)

Having a baby is one of the most exciting times in any woman’s life. So many fun, new changes happen when we have a baby. There are so many decisions to make, especially about what to feed this new little wonder. Most people have heard that breast milk is best, but often they don’t know why.  Being a nurse and a lactation consultant, I have learned so much about breast milk and why it’s so fantastic. I have a few insights that may help you in making your decision about whether to breastfeed. (more…)