March is Child Life Month!
March is Child Life Month, a month where hospitals celebrate child life specialists and the Child Life profession through education and awareness of their work. Child Life Specialists help normalize the hospital experience and bring joy and comfort to hospitalized kids and their families. Many of the funds raised by CMN Hospitals are used to fund Child Life programs and help make up the gap between what government and insurance pay for and the actual cost of caring for kids in our member hospitals.
To honor these dedicated professionals during the month of March, CMN Hospitals will highlight the top 10 nominees submitted for the 2020 Delta Child Life Specialist of the Year award. We invite you to get to know these nominees and read their amazing stories throughout the month.
- WINNER! Mattie Dunn, Cincinnati Children’s
- Angela Locke, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- Racheal Niensteadt, University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital
- Charlene (Carly) Primavera, Cincinnati Children’s
- Erin Panzella, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
- Amanda Banker, Riley Hospital for Children
- Ashleigh Schopen, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Beth Fitzpatrick, OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital
- Sara Jane Gibson, Levine Children’s Hospital
- Carol VanDiest, University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital
The winner of the 2020 Delta Air Lines Child Life Specialist of the Year award, chosen from the top 10 nominees above, is Mattie Dunn from Cincinnati Children’s. Congratulations!
