Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters

After five busy years as a Navy spouse, #CHKD Child Life Specialist Alyssia Smoes-Land knows a thing or two about embracing the challenges of military life. Engaged and nearly done with graduate school, Alyssia supported her then-fiancé, Erik, as he joined the U.S. Navy in 2019. The duo sped up their wedding plans and were married later that year before moving to South Carolina in early 2020. They were in for constant change over the next few years between boot camp, a pandemic, additional schooling for Erik’s job as a nuclear electronics technician, and a move to Virginia. Once stationed in Hampton Roads, Alyssia began volunteering with CHKD's Integrative Care department where it didn't take long for her to become a full-time child life specialist. Alyssia’s been an integral member of #TeamCHKD for two years! Her husband serves on the USS Helena, a nuclear submarine currently on its way to Washington to be decommissioned. During this time, they’ll have to be apart for 14 months. “This next year will be our most challenging with having to do long distance, and we are not looking forward to it,” Alyssia shared. Thankfully, she has support. “The Navy has helped me meet some of the best people - due to moving around - and for that I am forever grateful.” Thank you, Alyssia and Erik, for the many sacrifices you make in service of your country and for sharing your story. Your experience inspires us all to be better citizens and supporters of our local military families! #ChildLifeSpecialist #NavySpouse

Join us as we welcome Katherine Ross, NP, to Suffolk Pediatrics, a #CHKD Medical Group practice. Katherine is a pediatric nurse practitioner whose clinical interests include newborn and preemie care as well as breastfeeding. Born in Suffolk and raised in Windsor, Va., Katherine was inspired to become a nurse in high school after her nephew was born and needed care in the NICU at CHKD. Visit bit.ly/3XW2Afd to learn more about Katherine. #NursePractitioner

Get to know Kerri Milliken, a licensed practical nurse at CHKD’s Cleft and Craniofacial Center in Norfolk, and the important work she’s doing for patients and families in her Q&A below! #TeamCHKD #CleftAndCraniofacialAwarenessMonth #Cleft #Craniofacial #LPN 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂𝐇𝐊𝐃? I have been with CHKD’s plastic surgery department and Cleft and Craniofacial Center for three years. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐝𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝? I always wanted to be a nurse but was inspired to focus on pediatrics during nursing school. When I applied for a clinical nurse position at CHKD, I was also offered the opportunity to work at the Cleft and Craniofacial Center for three weeks each month. After my first day, I immediately knew I was where I was meant to be. 𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩 𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐧/𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭/𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐛𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬? I have the pleasure of working face-to-face with patients and their families to ensure they meet with all necessary providers and have their concerns addressed. To improve this process and the patient experience, I created a clinical "passport" for patients. The passport includes activities to enjoy while waiting to see their providers. After their appointments, they receive a personalized sticker from the provider they saw, which enhances their clinical experience and gives children something enjoyable to anticipate during their visit. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝? The best advice I could offer is to always embrace your creativity. You never know when it will prove invaluable. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐇𝐊𝐃? I find immense joy in working with children and knowing that I make a positive impact on their lives and the lives of their parents. Being able to ease anxiety and offer a warm welcome at the clinic, reassuring families that we're here to address any questions or concerns they may have, is incredibly fulfilling. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞? My ideal weekend involves spending quality time with my kids and husband, whether enjoying a day at Water Country or simply relaxing at home and doing crafts together.

Congratulations to #CHKD Director of Pharmacy Nikolaus (Nik) Lawson, who was recently appointed president-elect of the Virginia Society of Health-System Pharmacists (VSHP) for the #Tidewater region. The mission of VSHP is to inspire innovative pharmacy practice by promoting education, advocacy, and collaboration to help people achieve optimal health outcomes. Upon his election, Nikolaus shared, “I am excited to give back to the pharmacy profession and advocate for practices across the state. As region president-elect of VSHP and a representative of CHKD, I hope to highlight the importance of pediatric pharmacy practice and collaborate on regional initiatives with pediatric pharmacy leaders throughout Virginia.” Congratulations, Nik! #Pharmacy #VSHP #PediatricPharmacy

Join us as we welcome Angela Marko, MD, to the Pulmonology practice at #CHKD. Dr. Marko has an interest in asthma and severe asthma management, as well as asthma quality improvement work. She also treats patients who have conditions such as chronic cough, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, recurrent pneumonia, and other chronic lung diseases. Learn more about Dr. Marko at bit.ly/4eF4IOp. #Asthma #Pulmonology #Pediatrics

Congratulations to #CHKD's 2024 Health Care Heroes, named by Inside Business, who work so hard to make life better for our patients and community! This year's winners are Dr. Wilson File, pediatric hematologist and oncologist, and chief of pediatrics at CHKD; Dr. Robert Obermeyer, a pediatric surgeon for more than 20 years, and chief of surgery at CHKD; and the CHKD Safer Futures Program, consisting of Kamron Blue, Program Coordinator, and Vickie Madison, Clinical Case Manager. Read more from The Virginian-Pilot at bit.ly/4cwmpxy.

CHKD is proud to be the career home to many incredible individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community, like #CHKD chaplain Kit Tate. Kit recently shared a story about CHKD’s Day Surgery nurses, who took the initiative to order rainbow pronoun badge buddies to be more welcoming and affirming to #LGBTQ+ patients and families. “They recognized the unique challenges faced by our queer patients. They are deliberate in making sure that patient’s preferred names are used and that patients are not misgendered,” said Kit. “The nurses also do a terrific job in educating the providers before they go into a patient’s room to ensure they do the same.” For Kit, celebrating #pride is more than a month on a calendar. “Pride is hope, visibility, affirmation, and the releasing of shame,” she says. “Pride is sanctuary, it is a place where everyone is able to be fully themselves, to be the unique person they are, whoever that may be.” #PrideMonth

#CHKD is the first in the nation to receive the DNV Advanced Pediatric Spine Certification! 🏆 Hear from Dr. Carl St. Remy, chief of orthopedics and director of the pediatric spine program at CHKD, about why this is important to patient families, and what we are doing for our community moving forward. #Orthopedics #ScoliosisAwarenessMonth

Ashley Koto, a talented physical therapist and athletic trainer at #CHKD, will join the Women's National Gymnastics Team later this month as they travel to Paris for the Olympics. She will help the alternate gymnasts maintain their peak performance in the weeks leading up to the Olympics. Read more about Ashley's journey to France in the WAVY-TV 10 story here: bit.ly/3VAfJb1. Way to go, Ashley! #TeamCHKD is rooting for #TeamUSA!

CHKD is proud to be the career home to many incredible individuals in the LGBTQIA+ community. #CHKD Mental Health Coach Nyonna Byers identifies as a transgender woman of color, and is passionate about supporting transgender youth during their transition. Whether advocating for legal change, or creating safe spaces to promote better physical and mental health, Nyonna is breaking down barriers for the transgender community. “Providing a safe haven for trans youth is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my job as a mental health coach at Children’s Pavilion,” said Nyonna. #PrideMonth #TeamCHKD #LGBTQIA+