When kids and families come to CHoR, our team is here to help them feel comfortable, safe and cared for.

Each month, we recognize a team member who’s given a little extra to nurture patients when they need it most.

Join us in congratulating the team members of the month for the first half of 2021!

January: Schoni Marchio, child life specialist

Schoni works in the emergency department, helping patients and family members with difficult situations. Sometimes this includes preparing them for what to expect during a procedure. Other times it’s offering comfort and reassurance when they’re scared. During a recent emergency that involved multiple family members, she split time among the patients and their loved ones doing everything in her power to ease their pain – even staying several hours after her shift to make sure she accomplished this.

February: Donna Chisholm, RN

Donna was reassigned during the pandemic to support the units with adults who tested positive for COVID. In addition to being nimble and transitioning to a new setting, her commitment to her patients and their families really stood out when she helped a patient’s spouse find hotel accommodations in the middle of the night. They were extremely grateful for the help during a very stressful time. Donna is a shining example that caring for patients and families well often extends beyond the bedside.

March: Annette Robinson, patient access representative

Annette welcomes children and their parents with caring kindness, helping them feel at ease. She doesn’t allow a single person to walk through the door and get lost. She remembers the names of many of the kids who come and greets them all individually. Annette is an empathetic ear and calming presence for parents too. Even when they’re stressed or frustrated, they’re often able to relax after talking with her for a while.

April: Ebony Hobson, patient business services manager

Ebony is remarkable in advocating for our families who have had services, in particular, cochlear implants for their babies, denied by insurance. Ebony recently fought to make sure several patients and families got the care they needed. She made numerous phone calls to the insurance companies and spoke at length with families – at all hours, even late into the evening. She really cares for our patients and goes well beyond the extra mile to fight for them.

May: Michelle Froede, physical therapist

In addition to her role as a PT at our Brook Road Campus Michelle is a volunteer with REACHcycles, a nonprofit that provides adaptive bicycles for kids – many of whom are CHoR patients. Insurance doesn’t cover these extremely expensive cycles and most families can’t afford to purchase them. Michelle has dedicated endless hours to helping to recycle bikes since new ones have been difficult to obtain due to COVID-19 supply chain and shipping problems – a commitment that has brightened the days of many kids!

June: Melanie Jacoby, RN

Melanie is the nurse navigator for our concussion program. Her reassuring, timely calls to parents helps them gain confidence in understanding their child’s injury and the resources available to them. When patients have specific needs, she takes the time to make the necessary phone calls and arrange for services in the community – sometimes staying in contact with the family for several hours until she is sure they have what they need. She is truly an example of caring for every kid as if they were her own.

Learn more about how our entire CHoR team cares for kids through the stories on our blog.