Children’s Minnesota offers wraparound care for adolescents and young adults with cancer |
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Research shows that adolescents and young adult patients with cancer have better outcomes when they are treated at a pediatric facility using pediatric treatment protocols. That’s why Children’s Minnesota offers an adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancer program for patients ages 15 to 30.
The Children’s Minnesota AYA program features:
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Board-certified providers who create individualized treatment protocols based on tumor cell biology
- Access to more than 100 clinical trials
- Pediatric experts from more than 100 specialty areas, including psychosocial services, cancer genetics, fertility counseling, and group activities providing peer support
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Providers who consult with adult and pediatric trained colleagues to ensure the unique medical needs of the AYA patients are addressed
- The only fellowship-trained pediatric and adolescent gynecologists in Minnesota to assist with fertility preservation options
- Close collaboration with referring physicians and patient families to ensure holistic care
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Individualized care for patients with complex needs
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The AYA program offers individualized care tailored to the complex needs of each patient. The AYA care team includes specialized physicians and advanced practitioners, nurse case managers, psychologists and social workers.
The Children’s Minnesota AYA program provides consultation, evaluation and treatment to patients ages 15 up to 30 years. New patients are accepted within 48 hours of referral. To refer a patient, please contact Children’s Minnesota Physician Access at 866-755-2121.
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Spotlight: Trauma care at Children’s Minnesota dedicated solely to kids |
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The Children’s Minnesota trauma care program features the largest pediatric trauma team in the region, with pediatric surgeons and critical care experts in house 24 hours a day. The Children’s Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis is the only freestanding Level I pediatric trauma center in the region in a hospital dedicated solely to kids and was re-verified by the American College of Surgeons in 2023.
The Minneapolis emergency department also recently underwent renovations and launched process improvements aimed at lower wait times: low-acuity and mid-acuity patients have access to a provider sooner, getting them home faster. The Children’s Minnesota Hospital in St. Paul was re-designated as a Level 4 trauma center in 2022 and provides trauma care to children in an effort to manage lower acuity injuries and to expedite access to additional resources when necessary.
Last year the Children’s Minnesota emergency departments saw more than 86,500 visits, including thousands of pediatric patients with traumatic injuries ranging from fractures and concussions to life-threatening head and abdominal injuries. Over 800 patients required admission for surgical care or close observation as part of their injury care. Additionally, 65 percent of Children’s Minnesota trauma patients were transferred from other facilities, underscoring its status as a key regional referral center.
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“Our commitment to excellence and community engagement continued to shape our mission and vision, reflecting our role as the leading pediatric trauma center in the region,” said Nathan Kreykes, MD, trauma medical director.
Learn more about trauma care at Children’s Minnesota.
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New neonatal hemodynamics program addresses heart and lung ailments |
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Earlier this year, Children’s Minnesota launched a neonatal hemodynamics program—one of only a handful in the United States—offering individualized heart and lung support for critically ill babies. These programs have been shown to decrease some of the severe life-altering complications of prematurity.
Two Children’s Minnesota neonatologists, Jennifer Berger, DO, and Stephania Cavallaro Moronta, MD, who have additional training in hemodynamics, including targeted neonatal echocardiography, lead the program.
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| | Stephania Cavallaro Moronta, MD |
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“Neonatal hemodynamics is an emerging field in the United States,” said Dr. Cavallaro Moronta, who completed a one-year subspecialty program at the University of Iowa. “This field was developed to provide a more precise standard of care for sick premature infants with hemodynamic instability based on research and clinical principles. Globally, more NICUs are integrating echocardiography in the diagnosis and management of sick neonates.”
Indications for a neonatal hemodynamics evaluation include:
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- Transition of circulation: At birth, the newborn’s circulatory system adapts from relying on placental blood flow to independent functioning, which involves changes in blood flow patterns.
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Cardiac function: Evaluating how the heart pumps blood and responds to the demands of the newborn’s body, which can differ significantly from adults.
- Blood flow regulation: Understanding how factors such as temperature, respiratory function, and oxygen levels affect blood flow and blood pressure in neonates.
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Common conditions: Assessing how certain congenital or acquired conditions (such as patent ductus arteriosus, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, or sepsis) can affect hemodynamics and require specific medical interventions.
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Podcast: Fetal cardiology expert explains the challenges of detecting congenital heart disease |
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Detection of fetal congenital heart disease (CHD) is a significant challenge facing our country due to disparities in access to specialized medical care, but artificial intelligence (AI) could improve detection rates, said Lisa Howley, MD, director of the fetal cardiology program at Children’s Minnesota, on a recent episode of the Becker’s Hospital Review podcast. Dr. Howley speculated that AI automation on ultrasound machines could rapidly improve fetal and pediatric cardiac screening in the next 12 to 18 months. “I think that this can be really helpful, especially for reducing physician and sonographer interpretation fatigue.”
CHD is now a lifespan condition, Dr. Howley added, and that brings additional treatment challenges. “Now there are more adults living with congenital heart disease in the United States than children,” she said. “So, we need to improve transitioning those cared for in the pediatric system into adult congenital heart programs.”
Listen to the full episode of the podcast.
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Health care organizations and other allied health professionals can hear directly from Children’s Minnesota’s physicians and other providers about the latest in pediatric research, clinical procedures and innovations, and more through our Kid Experts On Demand program. To get started, submit a request.
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24/7 access to referrals, consults and admissions.
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