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WWW.IDAHOFALLSMAGAZINE.COM 47 to great lengths to customize the environment and treatments for young patients. Whether arriving at the hospital via the Emergency Room or through a direct surgical admission, specialty-trained pediat- ric team members provide care for young patients from start to finish. "No other facility nearby offers such specialized pediatric care as soon as young patients ar- rive. All our subspecialties are also specifically trained for pedi- atrics – speech, occupational and physical therapy, anesthesiologists, surgeons, nurses, intensivists, and we even have pediatric dietary specialists," Jeanette said. "Families also benefit from our invaluable child life specialist." Child life specialists are specially-trained health- care professionals who help pediatric patients navigate illness, disabilities, trauma and hospital- ization. ey oen ease and comfort pediatric pa- tients as they endure medical procedures and treat- ments (e.g. if a burn victim feels anxious or fearful of a needed bandage change, a child life specialist can introduce different coping mechanisms). ey also implement therapeutic play to promote devel- opment and happiness during the recovery process. "Medicine is a science but caring for patients should be individualized. e way we care for an infant with asthma is not the same as how we care for a teen with asthma. We customize our commu- nication styles, coping methods and treatments," Jeanette said. "I'm thankful to work in a hospital that prioritizes personalized care. All staff receive specialized training on treating different age groups; from pediatric intensive physicians to nurses to anesthesiologists, we learn tricks of the trade so we can provide the best, most compassionate, age-ap- propriate care." Personalized care for the whole fam- ily During their 201 days in EIRMC's NICU, Baby Ruth and Mama Brandie came to love and depend upon every member of their specialized team. Ruth experienced complex gastroin- testinal issues and underwent six sur- geries while at EIRMC. She benefited from the vast and deep expertise within her team, including the region's first-ever pediatric surgeon, Dr. Adrian Curnow. "I knew she was in such good hands. One time Dr. Curnow told us, 'I'll treat your baby as if she's my own granddaughter …' I had so much peace from that. I mean, I was still terrified, but I knew the right people were there, and they were doing everything they could for her," Brandie said. Brandie also noted how the nurses paid close attention to the family's needs as well as her baby's. When Brandie desperately needed rest or a shower, she could go to the Ronald McDonald Family Room within EIRMC for restoration and rejuvenation. ere, she and other families of pedi- atric patients could access sleep rooms, a kitchen, laundry facilities and more. Today, Baby Ruth keeps growing and progress- ing. Due to chronic health conditions, Ruth and her family continue to visit EIRMC for pediatric healthcare; in fact, Ruth has been ill enough to require hospitalization in EIRMC's Pediatric Inten- sive Care Unit. is is oen a very difficult time for families, but Brandie says she's thankful to have a hospital that feels like home and a medical team that feels like family. "I never feel isolated or forgotten. ey show gen- uine interest in me, answer my questions and I feel like I am in a safe and happy place, regardless of the circumstances," Brandie said. IF