Healing Hearts: Empowering Pediatric Critical Care Providers

In this episode, Dr. Laura Ortman, MD, Critical Care Pediatrics talks about Acute Viral Myocarditis - how it presents, what causes it, how we treat it, and what outcomes to expect.

Meditation for Heart Coherence with Holly BaynesTake a few minutes to reset with this guided meditation led by Holly Baynes, Nurse Practitioner and HeartMath-trained practitioner. This session helps you achieve heart coherence—a state that supports stress relief, emotional balance, mental clarity, and resilience. Perfect for mindfulness, heart health, and overall well-being.Background music provided by Sydney Timmons, Music Therapist at Children’s Nebraska, who uses the power of music to support healing and emotional well-being for patients and families.

Start the New Year with Mindful LivingJoin Holly Baynes, Nurse Practitioner in Cardiothoracic Surgery, for an insightful session on meditation and its impact on your well-being.Holly brings special training from HeartMath, teaching you how to access a healthy, high-performance state called heart coherence—a balance of mind and emotions that:Reduces stressImproves clarity for better decision-makingEnhances overall resilienceYou’ll also learn about heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback and the science behind meditation. Plus, stay tuned for future meditation episodes with Holly!

Listen in to Melissa Shade, Endocrine Registered Nurse, and Molly Paskach, Diabetes Clinical Educator at Children's Nebraska tell their story of running and working at Camp Hot Shots, a camp for pediatric patients diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. Listen in to hear their passion about their work and creating this wonderful summer experience for their patients.

We are proud to hear from a beloved team member at Children’s Nebraska, Barb Schwarz, who shares the story of her 46 years of service before her retirement in December 2025. Barb, who most fondly remembers her many years in the OR as a nurse, leaves a legacy of passion and care for the patients and families at Children’s Nebraska. Listen in as Barb reflects on her journey and shares her hopes for the future of Children’s Nebraska.

At Children's, we get the opportunity to spend time in service of others within the community through our BeInvolved community volunteering program. The BeInvolved community volunteering program empowers our team members to demonstrate the same kindness, care and compassion that we demonstrate daily to our patients, families and colleagues and extend that to our community. Listen in to hear Jessica Haywood, Director of Clinical Operations & System Integration at Children's Nebraska, as she shares her BeInvolved story.

In our tenth episode of this storytelling series, meet Amber Phipps, Vice President Patient Experience & Regulatory Readiness at Children's Nebraska. Be inspired by her story of allyship from her hero and how this has guided her career and leadership philosophy.

In our ninth episode of this storytelling series, meet Jerry Vuchak, EVP Chief Information & Innovation Officer at Children's Nebraska. Be inspired by his hero and her leadership amidst a crisis and how that guided his career.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska, discusses the cardiac lesion Cor Triatriatum. Listen in to learn more about this rare defect and how it inspired Dr. Ortmann's career. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows RV to PA conduit episode. The TAPVR episode discussed in this podcast is linked here. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

In this bonus episode, we share the inspiring journey of Sheri, a former administrative assistant in Child Life and Healing Arts. Though recently retired, Sheri generously shared her story with us before stepping into this new chapter. She reflects on finding strength, balance, and resilience in the midst of life’s challenges—offering a powerful reminder that even in seasons of uncertainty, hope and healing remain possible.🎧 Listen to Sheri’s full story here, and explore the abridged version in the Fall 2025 issue of WeThrive Magazine.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses Right Ventricle to Pulmonary Artery Conduit (RV to PA Conduit) . Listen in to learn more about caring for heart transplant patients. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows the second heart transplant episode. Note that PTLD stands for Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

In our eight episode of this storytelling series, meet Renee Rafferty, Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health & Wellness at Children's Nebraska. Be inspired by her hero and how this has guided her career.

In our seventh episode of storytelling series, Hero of Heroes, meet Laurie, Vice President at Children's Nebraska. Listen in to her story about her hero, Paula, and the importance of being honest, even when it is hard.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses Heart Transplant. Listen in to learn more about caring for heart transplant patients. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows the first heart transplant episode. Note that PTLD stands for Post-transplant Lymphoproliferative Disorder. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Listen in to hear the full interview from Diane Varnes, a guest contributor for the Spring 2025 WeThrive Magazine. Diane works for Dr. Bruce Perry, who co-authored the book with Oprah Winfrey: What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing.

In our sixth episode of storytelling series, Hero of Heroes, meet Chelsey, Respiratory Therapist Clinical Educator at Children's Nebraska. Listen in to her story about the life-saving power of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and the compassion of strangers.

In our fifth episode of our storytelling series, Hero of Heroes, meet Bob Davidson, Vice President of Marketing and Communication at Children's Nebraska. Listen to his inspiring story about the surgeon who became his childhood hero.

In our fourth episode of our storytelling series, Heroes of Heroes, meet Ryan Cameron, Vice President of Technology and Innovation at Children's Nebraska. Listen in as Ryan shares the story of his hero- a former professor, mentor, and boss.

In our third episode of our storytelling series, Heroes of Heroes, meet Megan Connelly. Megan is the Vice President of Community Health and Advocacy at Children's Nebraska and shares a story from her nursing background about struggling with a patient loss and her hero in that difficult moment.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses Heart Transplant. Listen in to learn more about caring for this cardiac lesion. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows Pre-operative Single Ventricle Management. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

In our second episode of our storytelling series, Heroes of Heroes, meet Ashley. Ashley is a nurse in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children's Nebraska and shares her story of the loss of her daughter Libby.

We are proud to introduce a new Series on Healing Hearts: Empowering Pediatric Critical Care Providers. In this series, we will be sharing stories from our heroes at Children's and the impact another individual made on them. Listen in to Hannah, Cardiac Care Unit nurse and her story.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses Pre-operative single ventricle management Listen in to learn more about caring for this cardiac lesion. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows Double Outlet Right Ventricle. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses Double Outlet Right Ventricle. Listen in to learn more about caring for this cardiac lesion. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows L- Transposition of the Great Arteries. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Join your WeThrive team at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, David Huskey, Sarah Wheeler, Rebecca Crawford, and Madeline Quinn as they embark on this fun journey to inspire wellbeing habits.   In this episode, we discuss Howie, our emotional support therapy dog at Children's, and a habit that he incorporates in his daily life.

Join your WeThrive team at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, David Huskey, Sarah Wheeler, Rebecca Crawford, and Madeline Quinn as they embark on this fun journey to inspire wellbeing habits.   Delve into how to incorporate physical activity in your daily life.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses L-Transposition of the Great Arteries. Listen in to learn more about caring for this cardiac lesion. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows double inlet left ventricle. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children's Nebraska discusses Double Inlet Left Ventricle. Listen in to learn more about caring for this cardiac lesion. If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows TET Absent Valve. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Join your WeThrive team at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, David Huskey, Sarah Wheeler, Rebecca Crawford, and Madeline Quinn as they embark on this fun journey to inspire wellbeing habits.   In this episode, we unravel the timeless practice of sending letters through the mail—an atomic habit that holds the power to forge meaningful connections and create lasting memories. Join us as we delve into the art of penning heartfelt letters, sealing them with intention, and sending them on a journey of heartfelt communication. Discover how this seemingly small act can ignite a chain reaction of positivity, strengthening relationships, and fostering a deeper sense of human connection in an increasingly digital world.

Join your WeThrive team at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, David Huskey, Sarah Wheeler, Rebecca Crawford, and Madeline Quinn as they embark on this fun journey to inspire wellbeing habits.   In this episode, we dive into the transformative habit of volunteering—a small yet profound action that can create a ripple effect of positive change. Discover the science of altruism and the joy of giving back, and learn how the act of volunteering can be a catalyst for larger transformations in your wellbeing and sense of purpose.

We are celebrating Pediatric Nurses' Week at Children's Nebraska and to bring a little joy today, we have a special bonus episode to bring a little laughter to your day. Join Dr. Chris Maloney as he interviews Gabby the Glove and asks her about the secret life of being a rubber glove in the pediatric unit. Gabby the Glove is voiced by Anne Dey.

Join your WeThrive team at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, David Huskey, Sarah Wheeler, Rebecca Crawford, and Madeline Quinn as they embark on another wellbeing atomic habit: preparing your own food. Join us as we unravel the science behind how this atomic habit can nourish not only your body but also your mind and lifestyle. Discover the ripple effect of crafting your meals, and learn how this small yet significant change can lead to a cascade of positive transformations in your health, mindfulness, and daily routine. Tune in for a delectable conversation that will leave you inspired to savor the journey of culinary self-care. Click here for the yellow chicken curry recipe Rebecca loves from Pinch of Yum.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, discusses TET Absent Valve. Listen in to learn more! If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows IAA and Yasui Procedure.  #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics  

We are delighted to present a fresh series featuring our WeThrive Wellbeing team at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center! Allow us to introduce insightful tips inspired by the concept of atomic habits, designed to seamlessly integrate into your daily routine. Witness how a single modest habit has the remarkable ability to ripple across various dimensions of your overall wellbeing. Join your WeThrive team, David Huskey, Sarah Wheeler, Rebecca Crawford, and Madeline Quinn as they embark on this fun journey to inspire wellbeing habits.  In this introductory episode, we discuss the wellbeing habit of decreasing screen time.

Join Sarah Wheeler, the Corporate Wellness Program Manager at Children's Hospital and Medical Center as she introduces the new Medical Director for Wellbeing at Children's, Dr. Suzanne Haney, MD, MS, FAAP. Dr. Haney is also the Division Chief for Child Abuse Pediatrics at Children's and is an associate professor at University of Nebraska Medical Center. They discuss goals and hopes for this role, as well as improving wellbeing for our providers at Children's.

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, discusses Interrupted Aortic Arch and the Yasui Procedure. Listen in to learn more! If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows the Reverse Potts Shunt. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

In this episode, join David Huskey, chaplain and Thrive program manager at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, as he interviews Dr. Kelly Kadlec, an intensivist at Children's Hospital and Medical Center. In observance of Mental Health month, they discuss Dr. Kadlec's journey and in sharing this story, hope to normalize challenges facing our healthcare providers. Sharing this story sheds light on the importance of caring for our mental health, understanding available resources, and asking for help when you need it. Find Dr. Kadlec's story in the Spring WeThrive magazine here: https://www.childrensomaha.org/for-providers/healing-hearts/

In the cardiac lesion series, Dr. Laura Ortmann, Pediatric Intensivist at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, discusses the Reverse Potts Shunt and its role in treating pulmonary hypertension. Listen in to learn more! If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows BTT Shunt. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Join Dr. Sean Akers, clinical psychologist, and Amanda Adams, patient relations coordinator, as they delve into the meaning behind your Why and how we can discover and harness the power of our Why. They discuss the power of recognition and keep us laughing until the end! Tune into this next episode in our Wellness series.

Tune into a special episode with Miranda Zimmer, Emergency Department nurse at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, and Abigail Handrich, Nurse Residency Program Coordinator and Preceptor Program Coordinator at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, as they share the tips of tricks of precepting and training new staff. They bring a variety of real world examples, as well as creative advice to have fun while precepting and how to take care of yourself as the teacher!

Tune into another episode in the wellness series! Join Sarah Wheeler, Employee Well-being Manager at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and Rebecca Crawford, Sr Benefits Analyst at Children's Hospital and Medical Center, as they discuss financial well-being. They specifically discuss how financial well-being impacts overall well-being and suggestions for improving your financial well-being with a healthcare lens. Disclosure: Rebecca Crawford is not a certified financial advisor.

In the cardiac lesion series, pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Laura Ortmann, describes the background of the cardiac lesion, what it looks like clinically, the most common complications post-operatively, and how the lesion is managed. In this episode, she will discuss a procedure, the Blalock–Thomas–Taussig Shunt. Listen in to learn more! If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows the Tricuspid Atresia episode. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Gratitude Meditation for Healthcare Providers Join Dr. Hope Voto, DO, a pediatric physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, as she takes you through a guided meditation for healthcare providers to explore and delve into feelings of gratitude. Children's Hospital and Medical Center is grateful for our many clinical and non-clinical team members that live out our mission daily. Background music is a royalty free song.

In the cardiac lesion series, pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Laura Ortmann, describes the background of the cardiac lesion, what it looks like clinically, the most common complications post-operatively, and how the lesion is managed. In this episode, she will discuss the cardiac lesion Tricuspid Atresia. Listen in to learn more! If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows the Kawashima Procedure. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Tune into another episode in the Wellness Series! Join Sarah Wheeler, Corporate Wellness Program Manager at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and Leslie Turner, Weight and Wellness Program Coordinator, as they discuss how to develop consistency in eating habits for both adults and children. She offers suggestions to promote healthy eating behaviors for children from the start. She also delves into options in hospital cafeterias for healthcare providers to make healthy food choices. #Wellness #WeThrive #ChildrensOmaha

In the cardiac lesion series, pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Laura Ortmann, instead of describing the background of the cardiac lesion, she will discuss the Kawashima procedure Listen in to learn more! If you plan to listen to the cardiac lesion series in order, this episode follows TET PA MAPCAS. #drortmanncicu #picu #cicu #pediatrics

Cardiac Lesion Series: TET PA MAPCAS by Children's Hospital & Medical Center

Transport Tidbits: Transverse Myelitis by Children's Hospital & Medical Center

Tune into another episode in the wellness series! Join Sarah Wheeler, wellness coordinator at Children’s Hospital and Medical Center, and Abigail Phillips, registered dietitian, as they discuss various aspects of nutrition and tips for healthcare workers to fuel their bodies before, during, and after busy shifts.

In the cardiac lesion series, pediatric Intensivist, Dr. Laura Ortmann, describes the background of the cardiac lesion, what it looks like clinically, the most common complications post-operatively, and how the lesion is managed. In this episode, she will discuss the Cardiac Lesion Truncus Arteriosus. There are four different types of Truncus Arteriosus and each type depends on how the pulmonary arteries come off the truncus. If you want to listen in order of the series, this episode follows ALCAPA. Listen in to learn more!