Guild Endowments: The Impact

By establishing this $5 million endowment, the Guilds were able to introduce a vital resource to our community which continues to give a voice to the voiceless. Prior to the Guild’s support, the Guilds Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Center did not exist. As a result, the Center is a multidisciplinary, kid-friendly program that ensures every child receives a comprehensive, head-to-toe medical evaluation to assess potential injuries related to abuse and overall health.

In 2007, the Child Abuse and Prevention staff consisted of a part-time physician who was on call 24/7 for suspected abuse cases, a part-time registered nurse and social worker consults – while experiencing a 33% increase in suspected abuse cases under review (300 cases in 2007).

Today, the Guilds Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Center has a team of 10 specially trained staff, led by medical director Dr. Wan-Keung Chen, and consists of three additional physicians, licensed clinical staff, forensic staff, mental health professionals and more. Together, they have ongoing collaboration with other Valley Children’s services including subspecialty clinics, patient and family services, spiritual care and clinical laboratories.

Through a community approach, the Center works closely with law enforcement, Child Protective Services and district attorneys’ offices in their investigative efforts of child maltreatment. Collaborative efforts include case consultation and monthly Suspect Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) meetings (established by our team in 2000) facilitated by our Center in an effort to track, monitor and advocate for the health and safety of at-risk children throughout the Valley.

Because of the Guilds’ support, the Center is recognized in Central California and the state as a leader in advocacy, injury prevention, clinical research and academic training.

With the help of the Guilds' $2 million endowment, Willson Heart Center patients continue to receive access to advanced tools, procedures and specialized training.

From 2014 to 2019, Guild members participated in a comprehensive, inside look at how Valley Children’s dedicated and highly specialized heart team interacts with and cares for some of the most fragile patients and families in need of life-saving heart care. As we shadowed the Willson Heart Center, members witnessed first-hand surgeries in our Cath Lab which uses fully digital and completely computerized equipment that has made our Center one of the most technologically advanced laboratories in the United States.

Today, the support of the Guilds has fostered expansion of the fetal-echo program, making early heart monitoring and detection available to expecting mothers in Bakersfield, Merced, Modesto and the Central Coast. The Willson Heart Center has also been able to provide extended care to families in need through the creation of a nurse navigator role to help with specific populations of heart disease, a dedicated cardiologist as program director for the echocardiography lab, and soon, a cardiologist focused on advanced cross-sectional imaging.

As it has from the very beginning, Guilds funding support continues to make the latest technology and interventions available right here in the Central Valley. Such advances include the implementation of a cardiogenetic clinic for patients with underlying chromosome abnormalities to account for structural and rhythm related heart disease, an electrophysiology program for patients with heart rhythm disorders, and home monitoring for patients on blood thinners through the CoagSense Stel program.

The Willson Heart Center cardiothoracic surgeons, interventional cardiologists and sonographers have also been an integral part to our ECMO/ECLS team that helped Valley Children’s reach the ELSO Platinum designation of excellence. Our incredible work has led to expanding our reach, making even more care accessible throughout our region by the creation of partnerships from the Central Coast to Northern and Southern California serving 13 counties.

We are able to be our best because of the work that you do.

In 2014, we shared with the Guilds a compelling need to support our Child Life program with $1 million to help build a vision for the future by expanding educational programs, surgery and procedure preparation, therapeutic and recreational play activities and bereavement support. We also shared that endowment interest would help increase the number of child life specialists and assistants (nine in 2014) and would provide 1,200 additional hours of patient care to expand coverage in areas like our emergency department.

Today, because of the Guild’s endowment and community support, we have 20 Child Life team members, including a music therapist. In FY23, Child Life provided services to more 13,000 patients and 8,092 hours of patient care.

Spiritual Care, like Child Life services, is not reimbursed by insurance, and Valley Children’s doesn’t receive local, state or federal support for the program. As healthcare resources continue to be stretched, we are thankful to be able to turn to the Guilds Spiritual Care Endowment for vital ongoing support.

In 2014, as we were seeking support of $1 million from the Guilds, Spiritual Support had the equivalent of 2.5 full-time chaplains to meet multiple needs - when on any given day, the hospital may care for more than 260 children on our inpatient floors, treat approximately 300 cases in our emergency department, conduct 50 surgeries and perform as many as 400 diagnostic imaging studies.

Today, we have the 2.5 full-time chaplains along with three per diem chaplains and a fourth to be hired. As an additional way to support patients, family, visitors and staff, Spiritual Services holds Chapel service every Wednesday and a Catholic Mass, led by Bishop Emeritus Armando Ochoa, every Friday. In FY23, our chaplains spent time with 4,023 patients and 336 hours with staff.

With the addition of 10 words to the mission of Valley Children's Healthcare in 2015 – to continuously improve the health and well-being of children – the next generational challenge to our organization became clear: How could we, as a hospital, do more to keep kids well where they live, learn and play so that their chances at long-term health are greatly improved?

In 2019, this challenge was presented to the Guilds to create the vision and infrastructure to improve the health of children outside the four walls of our hospital. As a result, the Guilds Center for Community Health took shape, the first of its kind in the region. The Center's intent is to bridge the “gap” that exists for kids after a hospital stay and then return to their homes, schools and neighborhoods. Through our own internal programs and services and, as important, in partnership with our community organizations, we set out to identify priority areas to increase the impact on the children we serve to ensure their chances for improved health.

Today, still in the early stages and through the diligence of our Guilds, the Guilds Center is a strong, emerging force for the health of children in this region. Our current “start-up” staff -consisting of the chief community impact officer, a Center director/medical director (.4 FTE) and with support from the director of public policy and advocacy and a 12-member internal advisory committee - has made great strides.

Early accomplishments include:

• Establishing a seven-county Safe Sleep Coalition to reduce infant mortality due to unsafe sleep to zero; obtaining a $100,000 grant to improve screening for suicide risk among our patients and to prevent youth suicide across the region
• Implementing a three-year commitment with the Central Valley Food Bank to serve more children and families in need of food through school pantries and the Fresh Foods Market (City Center)
• An innovative partnership with our Home Care team to deliver food to our families and kids in need
• Supporting more than 1,000 children with epilepsy and their families as their kids attend to school

Great things are ahead for the children of this region, thanks to our Guilds.