June 6th 2019
The Mission Hospital in Western North Carolina, Ashville, is home to the only children's hospital in Western North Carolina. This hospital serves over 18 different counties. The fact that this children's hospital is a hospital within a hospital is a unique experience. We toured the pediatric unit, pediatric ICU, and NICU. I know that the fact that Mission Hospital services 18 different counties is hard for patients and their families because the patients and families could be driving for hours to come to and leave the hospital. There is a lodge near the hospital that is has the capability of housing 60 people for the families that have to travel hours to get to the hospital. The lodge has stocked food and a kitchen for the family to cook in. This facility applies patient centered care in their primary care facility as well as the hospital. Reuter Family Outpatient is a wonderful facility that is a one stop shop for the children around and in Ashville. The clinic even has a behavioral health office, physical therapy, and an office for pediatric assault/neglect. The facility has started using T.V. goggles for children to watch their favorite movie, as young as three, to keep them distracted during a MRI instead of having to sedate the children. There are certain procedures that can be done in the office now instead of having to be done over at the hospital and that is great patient centered care. VCUGs, rectum stretching, and Botox injections for children with Cerebral Palsy are just a couple of the inpatient procedures that can be performed there. The hospital atmosphere at Mission in Ashville is closer to the hospital system that I am used to back home in Illinois, compared to the hospital atmosphere in Cherokee. However, Reuter Family Outpatient has a 70% population of pediatric patients that are on Medicaid and unfortunately children in Illinois do not have the opportunity to go to an amazing facility on Medicaid insurance. I think that the favorite part of my day or the thing that stood out the most to me was the amazing atmosphere at the Reuter Family Outpatient Clinic. They even have a real bear family that comes to the clinic for the blueberry bushes. There is a picture of one of the cubs going down the outside slide on the therapy playground.
The Reuter clinic is definitely child and family focused. Many of those babies that survive the NICU will have needs that require follow up during childhood. They make great efforts to coordinate care so the family (who may drive 4 hours to get there), have appointments all in sync.
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