UNION COUNTY, NJ — From chronic illnesses and complex physical disabilities, like brain and spinal cord injuries, to developmental and behavioral issues such as autism, the Children’s Specialized Hospital works to treat all children.
“As a pediatric rehabilitation hospital, we treat children facing a variety of special health challenges,” marketing and communications coordinator Erin Shevlin told LocalSource on Nov. 6.
The nonprofit hospital with 13 locations across New Jersey has a Mountainside facility — located in a wooded setting on New Providence Road just down the street from the borough’s Municipal Building — that is now the largest outpatient site, Shevlin said.
According to its website, the hospital has become the nation’s leading provider of inpatient and outpatient care for children from birth to 21 years old.
The hospital prides itself on the quality of care provided by its professional staff of doctors, advanced practical nurses and volunteers.
The hospital has 1,344 employees, with 67 doctors and advanced practical nurses on staff, supplemented by 400 volunteers.
“I am amazed everyday by the incredible care our doctors, nurses, and therapists provide to our patients and families,” hospital President and CEO Warren E.Moore told LocalSource. “Not only are they motivated in their never ending pursuit of quality and safety, they do this while always keeping the patient and family at the center of all they do.”
Moore described the staff’s approach as innovative, and highlighted their teamwork, which he said ensures the fact that every child walking through the door can reach their full potential.
“Pediatric specialists partner with families to make our many innovative therapies and medical treatments more personalized and effective so children can achieve more of their goals,” Moore said.
In addition to teamwork and innovation, the hospital boasts an organizational culture, according to Ruth Bash, the hospital’s vice president and chief culture officer.
“Each and every day our staff displays positivity, creativity, resilience and determination in all that they do, Bash told LocalSource. “However, what truly drives the success of our staff is the never-ending love and dedication they have for our patients and families.”
While the hospital promotes its innovation and culture, at the end of the day, child life specialist Jesse Guzik told LocalSource that she truly seeks to make a positive impact on patients.
“Even if it was just providing a listening ear while a parent shares with me their fears for their child’s future, or playing a game of UNO with a teenager who didn’t feel like talking,” Guzik told LocalSource.
“I have found that even the smallest of gestures makes a difference in the life of a patient or family member and that is what keeps me going each and every day I spend at Children’s Specialized Hospital.”