Hospital stays can be a difficult and stressful experience for children and adolescents as well as their families. Child Life Services was established at Endeavor Health Evanston Hospital in 1977 to help alleviate these anxieties. Today, the Child Life team collaborates with medical staff to positively affect every aspect of their patients’ treatment.
Child Life Specialists are skilled clinicians who wear many hats. Using evidence-based practices and a deep understanding of child development, they use play, preparation and coping tools to guide children and families through their hospital journeys.
“Our mission is about fostering emotional resilience, reducing medical trauma and promoting family-centered care, thus enhancing the healthcare experience for children and families,” said Katelyn Beyer, Child Life Services Coordinator at Evanston Hospital.
“As Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLSs), we prioritize the emotional wellbeing of patients and families during medical experiences, offering developmentally appropriate support, education, preparation and therapeutic play opportunities within the healthcare environment,” she continued.
The power of play
Sarah, a parent of twins who had tonsillectomies at Evanston Hospital, shared how her daughters’ experience with a Child Life Specialist greatly helped in their first surgical experience.
“Both of my twins were in the pediatric unit last year for tonsil surgery,” Sarah shared. “The other night, I found them playing doctor together. I pretended to be the patient, and my son confidently announced he was Dr. Chen, one of our hospital ENT specialists. Then my daughter Maddie—with her bag of distraction tools and toys—introduced herself, saying, ‘Hi, I’m Nadine,’ playing her chosen hospital role as a Child Life Specialist.”
Typically, children engage in doctor-themed play with roles like doctor, nurse and patient. Maddie’s addition of “Child Life Specialist” highlights its essential role in the healthcare system.
“It’s a priority of mine to make families and patients feel comfort from the moment they walk in the door,” said Nadine Fiorito, CCLS, Maddie’s Child Life Specialist.
“Working with Maddie was easy with her bubbly and playful personality,” she recalled. “Seeing the lasting impression carry over to siblings and into future medical experiences makes me proud of our field and the work we do.”
The power of preparation
Bridget Wild, MD, an Endeavor Health pediatric hospitalist and the Alvin H. Baum Family Fund Chair of Simulation and Innovation, knows firsthand the valuable role of the Child Life Specialists. She experienced this from a parent’s perspective when her 8-year-old son was getting a blood draw for the first time.
“My son needed a large blood draw, and I was simultaneously nervous to know the results and nervous that he’d be traumatized by the experience,” Dr. Wild reflected. “I reached out to Katie Altieri from Child Life Services to see if she’d be able to support us during his lab draw.”
“Katie prepped the room with the phlebotomist, created a plan with my son and walked us in,” Dr. Wild continued. “Honestly, the blood draw itself was anticlimactic because my son was so well prepared. The toys and the tools were important, but it was the way Katie spoke to him and prepared him psychologically that was special and beyond what I could offer as a nervous parent.”
Providing education and support tailored to the patient’s needs transformed what could have been a daunting experience into an opportunity for growth and empowerment.
The power of assessment and emotionally safe care
Navigating the hospital environment coupled with frequent tests, procedures and surgeries accompanying a chronic diagnosis is a challenging experience, especially for a pediatric patient with autism facing both sensory and communication challenges.
Simana’s son, Alex, was diagnosed with autism at age 3 and later diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, a chronic disease, in his pre-teen years.
“Without Katelyn Beyer and her Child Life team, our time here would have been very difficult for both my son and me, Simana shared. “Their compassionate approach not only eased Alex’s anxiety but also equipped him with invaluable coping skills, transforming his healthcare experience.”
Simana continued, “The Child Life Specialists were able to meet him at his level, understand his quirks, and most importantly exemplify their skillsets to cater to his mental and emotional health.”
Katelyn Beyer added that the team’s collective efforts transformed Alex’s relationship with healthcare. His story exemplifies the personalized support and emotionally safe care at the forefront of our care at Endeavor Health.
Celebrating Child Life Services
The Child Life program at Evanston Hospital relies on the continued generous support from organizations and individual members of the community to continue to provide such crucial care programs.
Over the past three years, The Associate Board of Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospitals has allocated a portion of the funds they raise annually for the Child Life Services program, totaling $75,000. Those funds have helped the Child Life Services program increase a part-time Certified Child Life Specialist position to a full-time position.
The Associate Board also approved a one-time funding request of $30,000 in 2023, enabling a third Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS), Nadine Fiorito, to become full-time. This funding supports 11.5 hours per week, increasing her total hours to 40 per week. With three full-time CCLS positions, Child Life Services has expanded to cover pediatric patient needs at Evanston, Highland Park, Glenbrook and Skokie hospitals—up to three simultaneously—maintaining coverage at all Endeavor Health NorthShore Hospital sites and piloting a program at Endeavor Health Northwest Community Hospital.
Additionally, The Associate Board has funded equipment to support the Child Life Services program, including a Deluxe Vecta Mobile Multi-Sensory Station.
“Thanks to this generous support from The Associate Board, we’re able to meet more kids earlier in their healthcare journey,” said Katie Altieri, the Certified Child Life Services team member whose position was increased thanks to The Associate Board’s support. “As a result, our community will be receiving not only excellent medical care, but also access to emotional support and coping resources that will empower them as they navigate stressors both before and after discharge.”
Each March, the healthcare community celebrates Child Life Month—a time dedicated to honoring the invaluable contributions of Child Life Specialists worldwide. At Evanston Hospital, this special celebration holds profound significance, resonating deeply with our Child Life team’s mission to empower pediatric patients and their families through knowledge, preparedness and therapeutic expression tools.
The efforts and programs described here would not be possible without philanthropic support. We are powered by the generosity of donors who directly impact our hospitals’ ability to deliver on our commitment to community-connected care.