December 2, 2014

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Texas Children’s Neonatologist Dr. Jennifer Arnold, her husband, Bill Klein, and their two children, Will and Zoey, are back for another season of their hit reality show, “The Little Couple” on TLC, December 2.

The family’s adventures begin again with a trip to Washington, D.C. as the family represents Texas Children’s to advocate on Capitol Hill for the ACE Kids Act which stands for “Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act.” The proposed legislation will ensure that children with medical complexities who rely on Medicaid are able to receive the care they need from a center equipped to provide comprehensive care, even if they are required to cross state lines to receive the appropriate care.

12314littlecoupleinsideThe Kleins joined other families from across the nation for Children’s Hospital Association’s (CHA) Family Advocacy Day, which supports a grassroots initiative called Speak Now for Kids. The family visited the offices of members of congress where they spoke about their personal experiences and asked them to support the legislation by signing on as co-sponsors for the bill. ACE Kids Act, H.R.4930, currently has 97 cosponsors.

Watch the first episode and join the efforts to Speak Now for Kids:

  1. #Speaknowforkids. Use this hashtag and saturate social media with your stories about why children’s hospitals matter.
  2. Get social with your policymakers. Find the social media pages for your representatives and senators and post messages on their pages about why you want them to Speak Now for Kids. Encourage them to sign on as co-sponsors for this important piece of legislation.
  3. Call, write, and reach out. Lawmakers are elected by you to stand up for you. Make your voice heard. Contact their offices and let them know why you care about Medicaid reform for medically complex children. Click here to find out who represents you.
May 6, 2014
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Sandi Sands received the award from Carol Santalucia and Jason Wolf of the Beryle Institute.

Sandi Sands, senior family advocate, Family Advocacy and Spiritual Care, received the Ruth Ravich award for her leadership and mentoring capabilities locally, regionally and nationally regarding advocacy. Sandi’s philosophy regarding advocacy has always been about placing an attitude of teamwork into the fabric of everything she does for the patient. She has never been about boasting about what she does simply because her area of strength is in taking care of others, especially individuals desiring to embark upon a career in advocacy and become caregivers that ultimately impact care teams! Sandi is a behind the scenes whirlwind who gets it done!

Ruth Ravich was the founder and first president of the former Society for Healthcare Consumer Advocacy (SCHA). Ms. Ravich organized the Patient Representative Department at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, was the author of numerous healthcare consumer articles, and lectured on patient advocacy both in the United States and abroad.

In 1991, the SHCA Board of Directors established the Ruth Ravich Founders’ Award, sponsored by rL Solutions, to recognize an individual whose work supported the vision of the Society – to bring the patients’ needs to the center of healthcare. The first award was presented in 1991 to Ruth Ravich, the Society’s first president, and for whom the award is named.

Sands received this award while at the Beryle Institute Patient Experience Conference (as SCHA no longer exists) for her willingness to step in and serve in the patient advocacy community of the Beryl Institute.