Proactive or reactive? How many adverse outcomes have to happen until there is an impetus to change? If we change nothing, nothing will ever change.

Sign our petition if you also desire to see Midland Memorial Hospital change and better their ability to deal with critical care pediatric patients.

We’re calling for change in the name of Kennedy, Miliana, Brooke, Jude, Jaymecin, Bryce, Brandt, Charlotte, Colten, Jemma,  Poppy, Aiden, Samantha, Hannah, and all the children whose stories we don’t know and future children yet to come. We are calling for change in the name of the wounded hearts of mothers and fathers that hold hope for the future. We are calling for change at Midland Memorial Hospital. If you have a child, if you know a child, then this is incredibly important in helping to change the landscape of the healthcare community in the Permian Basin.

Why Midland Memorial Hospital? You don't know the quality of care in a hospital until you are a patient. Nothing can describe the hopeless feeling of watching the clock tick while your child lies dying in a hospital bed. A week before Christmas in 2016, despite a referred diagnosis by an urgent care facility, my daughter, Kennedy Grace, was never considered for the diagnosis she came in for and was actually misdiagnosed on multiple occasions. She continued to get worse and because of the lack of specialized training in critical care pediatrics, the doctors were unable to give her adequate or timely care. After pressing in, posting publicly, and asking some tough questions, we have discovered this seems to be a common theme at MMH. Dismissed diagnoses, lack of adequate treatment, refusal to treat if patients could not pay, lack of specialized equipment in stock to stabilize pediatric patients... Kennedy Grace is still with us today because we insisted on a transfer to Cook Children’s Hospital, in spite of the fact that they tried to discharge us twice. If we had gone home, our sweet Kennedy Grace would not be with us today. As a result of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment, her tiny body was shutting down from septic shock. The transport team had to spend two hours stabilizing her before she could even get on the plane. What if we didn't know we had the right to transfer? What if we had accepted and trusted the diagnosis given? What if we had accepted the "run around" that was given both times we asked to transfer? This cannot happen to another family.

The hospital is currently structured around adult medicine. In the ER especially, our children fall through the cracks. My inbox is filled with heartbreaking stories of children with adverse outcomes at the hands of MMH. We've had the privilege of talking to former MMH nurses, former MMH physicians, as well as current MMH employees both openly and under the condition of anonymity. Even though they have a newly adapted "culture of ownership" many members of administration have refused to acknowledge these concerns by staff, both former and current. There are unsafe patient ratios, vastly underpaid nursing staff, and a lack of staff retention due to a culmination of these issues and more.

We stand with them in our dedication to grow Midland Health, as they have so recently rebranded themselves. We stand with them, but no longer silently. We have spoken with administration. Many times! We will continue to communicate with them to help advance the hospital. We will join the patient advisory council and help teach from our perspectives how to have excellent patient outcomes, satisfaction in their stay/hospitalization, and delivery of quality care. These things are not mutually exclusive. We seek accountability, specialized training, and sepsis protocol implementation hospital wide, with an emphasis on pediatrics. This isn't about bad press, far from it actually. We've tried to be very careful about acknowledging our good experiences there and the effective policies that are already in place. Since Dr. Nabulsi has been Chief of Staff, many pathways have been implemented making the facility much safer and more effective. He is a proponent of developing a child life program which is geared toward child advocacy, therapeutic care/play during tough procedures and more. Our hope is that our presence will start a conversation. We desire constructive, positive dialogue and a plan of action. We want our voices to be heard. Could we have filed a lawsuit? Absolutely, but it doesn't change the landscape of the healthcare system. We want better for the children in this area. No family should ever be put in the situation that we faced, that so many others have faced...

Our heart and hope is to come alongside the hospital in truth and love to help make change that will better the quality of care for our families and bring peace to all of us here concerned for safety, especially of our children.

In closing, we seek patient advocacy, accountability, a just culture, and departmental change that enhances skills and training of those that handle critically ill pediatric patients. West Texas is a huge community of families. These children deserve a better standard of care. Midland Memorial Hospital has the capability to set that standard of care, and to raise that bar high. Kennedy's heart (and life) was saved because we demanded a transfer and wouldn't accept the treatment plan here. Our goal is to save the next heart that comes in. And the next. And the next. We have an opportunity and obligation to advocate for families here.