Child Life
Our Child Life Department focuses on enhancing patients’ emotional, social, and cognitive growth during their hospital stay through developmental play interventions and procedural support. Child Life Specialists promote effective coping and facilitate healing through play, preparation, and education. They provide emotional support for families and encourage optimum development of children facing challenging experience related to healthcare and hospitalization.
Child Life specialists provide encouragement, information and guidance to parents, siblings, and other family members to incorporate a family-centered care outlook.
About Our Department
Our Goals
The goals of our Child Life team are to:
- Ease a child’s fear and anxiety through offering therapeutic and recreational play activities.
- Encourage understanding and mastery by providing preparation and support for children undergoing surgeries and procedures through education and medical play.
- Engage children and families by coordinating special events, entertainment, and activities to help normalize the hospital environment.
- Support the needs of siblings or other who may also be affected by a child’s illness, trauma, or procedures.
Our Staff
From left to right: Olivia Bowie, Caleigh O’Leary, Christina Listernick, Haley Hutchings and Aubree Ronan
The members of the Child Life Team are certified professionals that, at a minimum, have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree in child life or child development. We are also additionally certified in infant massage, car seat installation, PeaceLove trainings, and Life is Good Playmakers.
Haley Hutchings, MS, CCLS
Lead Certified Child Life Specialist
Olivia Bowie, MS, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Christina Listernick, MS, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Caleigh O’Leary, MS, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Aubree Ronan, MS, CCLS
Certified Child Life Specialist
Child Life Internships
We are not currently offering internship opportunities. Please check back at a later date.
Resources
Inpatient Rehabilitation Programs
- Download our Kid Welcome Book – a unique visual resource designed to walk you and your child through what a stay in our inpatient rehabilitation programs will look like
Surgical Services
- Watch Annie’s Surgery Adventure – a video that walks you through what a patient/family’s experience would be like when visiting our outpatient Surgical Services department
- Download our Surgical Services Parent Handbook