Rotary Happenings: Golisano Children’s Hospital serves youth in five-county region
The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club was active this past week: inducting two new members, Alan Cook and Charles Whitman; labeling the dictionaries/almanacs for the third-grade Dictionary Day on Oct. 15 at The Sanibel School and Fort Myers Beach Elementary; and helping to host the Central Region’s social/business/networking event “Rotary Means Business” on Sept. 13 at Ter-Tinis in Fort Myers.
Armand Liechu, chief administrative officer of the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida, was the guest speaker for the club’s recent meeting. A seven-story facility dedicated solely to treating sick, injured and critically ill children within the five-county region, the hospital opened in May 2017. It currently provides 128 beds, with daily occupancy averaging between 100 and 120 children.
Liechu joined the hospital in June 2017. Although not part of the medical staff, he is dedicated to the mission of providing the best possible medical care for the hospital’s most vulnerable patients. As chief administrative officer, Liechu is responsible for working with the staff and physicians to develop, execute, monitor and report on strategic planning and operations; ensuring continuous improvement in quality, safety, financial performance, employee, physician and patient satisfaction; being involved with philanthropic opportunities, with the goal of improving the health status of the region’s children.
Liechu and his wife have four children and experienced the crucial medical invention for a preemie baby and a child with special medical needs. That experience is what led him to change his career path from a general hospital administrator to employment with the Miami Children’s Health System, now known as the Nicklaus Children’s Health System, for nine years before joining the Golisano hospital.
Liechu loved the challenge that the Golisano presented him. A new hospital, the development of new and emerging areas of care at the hospital, and helping to fundraise for a $15 million overage cost for building the new hospital. Happily, that number is only $2 million away from its goal. Southwest Florida residents and businesses helped to build the hospital by matching the $20 million donated by Tom Golisano, founder and chairman of Paychex, and for continuing their financial support.
Liechu provided the club with the following information on the hospital for 2017: The hospital had 4,370 inpatient admissions and 30,038 emergency department visits, with 11 percent of the visits resulting in admission. The hospital performed 3,823 surgeries. The hospital cared for 711 preemies in the only state-designated regional perinatal intensive care unit, with 64 private rooms with space for parents to spend the night. The unit has the capabilities of caring for the tiniest premature newborns.
The hospital employs 400 specially trained pediatric nurses, 93 physicians and 38 advanced providers – in most major pediatric specialties – who have advanced training to treat children and adolescents. After accidents, cancer is the second leading cause of death in children ages 1-14. In recent decades, more than 80 percent of children with cancer survive five years or more; at the Golisano Children’s Hospital, that percentage is 84 percent.
The hospital has a pediatric emergency department with its own ambulance entrance and is staffed by pediatric emergency physicians 24/7. Three dedicated transport ambulances and a pediatric and neonatal transport team are always “at the ready” to transport critically ill children from anywhere in the region to the hospital. Services include a perinatal intensive care center, cystic fibrosis center, sickle cell disorders referral center, pediatric hematology/oncology program, prescribed pediatric extended care center, Ronald McDonald family room and child advocacy programs for educational support.
The hospital goes beyond medical care by providing social, emotional and psychological care and initiatives providing needed care for the families of patients. Included in the six areas of focus for the Rotary International and Rotary clubs is maternal and children’s health. Area Rotary clubs participated in raising funds for the building fund for the Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida.
For the future, the hospital is looking to reconfigure space to provide for more hospital rooms, with plans for an eight-bed inpatient psychiatric unit and outpatient mental health services. The hospital in treated 119 children last year, who eventually needed involuntary mental health evaluation under the state’s Baker Act.
Golisano deals with many types of health emergencies, but prevalent in today’s society is the effect opioids have on the well-being of a number of children treated at the hospital. They are the cause of many pre-mature births. Wrap-around care for expectant mothers can provide a means to prevent negative outcomes for children of addicted mothers.
For information about the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club, visit sanibelrotary.org or www.facebook.com/sancaprotary. The club meets every Friday at 7 a.m. at the Dunes Golf and Tennis Club, at 949 Sand Castle Road, Sanibel; visitors are welcome to attend. The next guest speaker is Assistant State Attorney Amira Fox on Sept. 28.