The BMT multidisciplinary group has been meeting weekly since June 4, 2014, to discuss our patients. As one of the BMT managers, I love the participation of the members and the input each discipline provides. Since we have interns that rotate through it was very important to embrace all attendees. We have goodies to munch on and coffee for an afternoon burst of energy. The bedside nurses present every patient and we discuss how they are doing. The new patients are evaluated for art, movement or music therapy. These therapies have been key in supporting the children, helping them cope with anxiety and music has been used to help the parents bond with their sick babies. The patients also write songs about their feelings.
Child life therapists and activities coordinators are always finding the right activities available for our patients. They also facilitate and support procedures for our patients.
Physical therapy, occupational therapy and hearing, and speech also do a great job with our patients. They prepare the patients for discharge and help the parents prepare for requesting regional center. The rehab team has said that they could not take care of our patients as well without this group input so they always know how much to push the patients for their therapies and they know when they need a lighter therapy or to just be present. We make sure that the children are not having mobility issues or feeding issues on a weekly basis and the NPs and hospitalists order the appropriate therapies as needed. The OT team has been wonderful in engaging our patients and team in the baby lead weaning that introduces food to the babies at six months of age. It is so fun to see our babies licking and waving chicken legs and having a great time with their food. Our Clinical Coordinator makes sure that everything is ready for discharge.
Our chaplains support our families and even performed a marriage ceremony.
We had a patient who was on the unit for a year with BMT complications a few months post discharge. We really wanted to get him to rehab and home. He had been through a lot and he needed to be able to sell himself to be accepted for rehabilitation therapy. He had been so debilitated that he needed to turn off his phone by putting it against his chin. It often took a lot of effort to get him to participate in his therapies and not have excuses. So EVERYONE worked together to support him in this endeavor and motivate him. On the first assessment, he was accepted to transfer to rehab. He did great and so did the rehabilitation team caring for him.
So, it is really the team doing its best together. I love the input that each person provides so we get such a great well-rounded assessment of the patient and family. We have learned so much about what each discipline does and how we can work together. We are treating our patients and families in such a holistic manner and that is so encouraging for our team.