Wellstar Children's of Georgia
Child Life Specialists
At Wellstar Children’s of Georgia, our Child Life Specialists are expertly trained in helping children and youth navigate the challenges of illness, injury or disability, hospitalization, treatment or new diagnosis.
About Us
- What is a Child Life Specialist?
- The Healing Power of Play
- Understanding Care
- Preparation
- Support for Patients and Family
- Grief and Bereavement Support
- Grief Resources
What is a Child Life Specialist?
A Certified Child Life Specialist (CCLS) is a healthcare professional who helps children, teens, and families understand and cope with injury, illness, hospitalization, or death and loss. Their goal is to help reduce anxiety, fear, pain, and misconceptions pertaining to medical experiences. Often through play, child life specialists enable children to explore, learn, and develop effective coping skills for facing challenging events.
What education does a Child Life Specialist need?
To become a CCLS, a four-year undergraduate degree is required. Some Child Life Specialists also choose to earn a master’s degree, which offers advanced training in working with pediatric patients.
Every member of our team is a CCLS by national examination.Association of Child Life Professionals.
The Healing Power of Play
Play helps children make sense of the world—and it’s especially important in a healthcare setting. Our Child Life Specialists use play to:- Support healthy development and positive coping strategies
- Prepare children for medical procedures in age-appropriate ways
- Help children process their experiences and emotions
- Give children choices and a sense of controlEncourage normal development and positive coping throughout healthcare experiences
Helping Children Understand Care
Our team of Child Life Specialists understands that children and teens cope best when they are prepared for healthcare encounters in ways they can understand. We use our knowledge of child development to provide education tailored to each child’s age and needs. Using play, technology and realistic medical equipment, Child Life Specialists help explain diagnoses, procedures and tests in developmentally appropriate ways.We’re also a resource for caregivers and parents who want to better understand how children develop, respond to challenges and cope with stress.
Preparation
Hospital visits and medical procedures can be stressful for children and their families. Children may feel nervous, have questions or misunderstand what’s happening based on unfamiliar medical terms. By preparing children honestly and in age-appropriate ways, Child Life Specialists help to:
- Reduce anxiety
- Build trust with care team members
- Identify stressors and teach coping skills
- Offer choices and a sense of control
We guide children through what to expect—what they may feel, see, hear, taste and smell—so they feel more confident and informed. Using developmentally appropriate language, pictures and medical tools, we help children make sense of their experience and express any fears or concerns.
Support for Patients and Family
Child Life Specialists help children and their families develop positive coping skills and establish plans and techniques for facing challenging events. Coping strategies are unique to each child and family.For Parents
- Honestly explaining to your child how something may feel without minimizing their emotions or the experience
- Informing team members of important facts about your child
- Remaining positive, calm and supportive toward your child
- Providing your presence/full attention and offering specific praise before, during and after a procedure
- Utilizing comfort positioning so that your child can always see and touch you
- Preparing yourself for your child’s upcoming procedure
For Children
- Distraction: Refocusing your child’s attention on an activity they find engaging
- Imagery: Asking your child to close their eyes and recall a positive place or memory
- Breathing: Encouraging your child to take slow, deep breaths
- Comfort: Bringing along your child’s favorite blanket or stuffed animal to hold before, during or after the procedure
Grief & Bereavement Support
Child Life Specialists are trained in how children understand and respond to the death of a loved one. They provide guidance on talking to children about a loved one who has died or is nearing the end of their life. Using play, art and developmentally appropriate language, Child Life Specialists help children and teens understand the death, express emotions and create keepsakes in memory of their loved one.Helping Children Deal with Grief
Camp Tranquility and Camp Dogwood are one-day events for children and adults who have experienced the loss of a loved one. Both are sponsored by Wellstar Hospice Care.Camp Tranquility
Camp Tranquility is a community workshop for families who have lost a loved one. Adults and children ages 6 and older participate in sessions designed to support healthy grief expression. Participants connect with others experiencing similar losses while learning:
- Age-specific strategies for processing grief
- Self-care and stress reduction
- Parenting through loss
- Talking to children about death and grief
- Activities for family healing over time
Camp Dogwood
Camp Dogwood is a free, one-day event for children ages 6 to 12 in West Georgia and surrounding areas who have experienced the loss of a loved one.Founded in 1997 as an outreach of West Georgia Hospice, the camp now serves up to 60 children each summer, supported by about 80 volunteers.
Through art, games and stories, campers:
- Understand that everyone grieves
- Learn healthy ways to cope
- Find meaningful ways to remember loved ones
- Build coping skills while enjoying fun, supportive activities
Additional Resources & Grief Support Materials
Services & Resources
- Opportunities for play, growth and development in the healthcare setting
- Healthcare education for children and families
- Procedural and surgical preparation and support
- Strategies for coping with stressful situations
- Advocacy that promotes emotional safety for children, teens and families
- Support of siblings during their brother's or sister’s hospitalization
- Illness education and coping support for children and teens whose loved one is hospitalized
- Grief and bereavement support
- Guidance for parents and caregivers on child development and ways to manage stress and trauma
News
Related Articles
Highlights
5 Habits to Become the Healthiest You
Small changes add up to big results. By incorporating simple habits into your life, you can kickstart your wellness journey and stay on track for the long run.
Setting healthy, realistic goals
Use the SMART goal-setting system to help define your goal and develop attainable resolutions.
- Specific—Be clear about exactly what you want to accomplish. Include as many details as necessary, such as potential obstacles or extra requirements.
- Measurable—Measure your progress and determine how to meet the goal. If you have a big goal, you may need to set smaller milestones to stay on track.
- Achievable—Attainability is an important factor to consider when it comes to goal setting. It’s not fair to yourself to set an impossible goal.
- Relevant—Align your resolutions with your overall life goals and think about what you hope to accomplish by reaching that goal.
- Time bound—Set a realistic, target deadline to reach your goal with checkpoints at intervals along the way. Markers provide an opportunity to measure progress and reassess any changes needed to stay on track.
Keep in mind, you may encounter some bumps in the road along the way. Recognizing all the small accomplishments can help you stay motivated and win in the long run, so focus on what you’ve achieved so far.
Build new habits into your regular routine by beginning small and adding on over time. With this “habit stacking” technique, you pair your new habit with something you’re already doing. For example, if your goal is to drink more water, drink a glass of water while making your morning coffee or tea.
Schedule a wellness exam
Seeing your primary care clinician at least once a year is the single most important thing you can do for your health.
At your annual exam, your care team will help keep you healthy and reach your wellness goals. They screen for diseases to stay ahead of medical issues and check in on your overall well-being.
Set a reminder on your phone or calendar to prompt you to book an appointment. You can also use an important date, such as your birthday, anniversary or a holiday, as a marker to remind you to schedule a visit.
Get moving to stay well
If you’re focused on improving your fitness routine, put a plan in place to be more active.
“Begin to incorporate a little more exercise into your daily routine,” said Wellstar Primary Care Physician Dr. Jeremy Boyd. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a suggestion of 150 minutes of aerobic activity a week. I like to break that down to a good 40 minutes four times a week.”
Set a sleep routine
Having a bedtime routine is essential to catch more Zs throughout the year. When you wake up feeling rested, you often feel more productive and energized throughout the day.
Get started by setting a specific time to go to sleep—and stick to it. Make sure you reserve at least seven to nine hours per night for sleep.
Limit your screen time before getting in bed. Bright screens from a phone, computer or TV can keep your brain awake and make it harder to fall asleep.
If you’re having trouble getting to sleep, have a decaffeinated cup of tea or take a warm bath to help you relax.
Eat a balanced diet
When it comes to losing weight, many people look for a quick fix, which can often create unhealthy ways of eating. Creating a healthy eating plan from the start can help avoid any fad diet pitfalls.
Nutrition plans that restrict or eliminate food groups and those with extreme calorie deficits are difficult to maintain and can often produce more weight gain or undesired results, according to Wellstar Registered Dietitian Kelly Prian.
Diet trends can also create a negative relationship with food, which can make it harder to achieve your goals. Prian shared that those with long-term success focus on maintaining a plan that enables steady weight loss over time.
A healthy nutrition plan is balanced and emphasizes whole foods, such as fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, low fat dairy, nuts and seeds, and whole grains.
Try not to overcomplicate healthy eating. You can start by filling half your plate with vegetables or having fun trying new recipes.
Also, be mindful of the connection between your emotions and what you’re eating.
“To lead a more healthy lifestyle, we need to learn to manage triggers that can work against us. Triggers are things in life that we tend to react to in a certain way—without even thinking about it,” said Wellstar Psychologist Dr. Amanda Perkins. “When we respond to a trigger in the same way over and over again, we build a habit. Feelings, thoughts, the sight or smell of food, and other people’s actions can all serve as triggers for unhealthy eating.”
Managing stress and knowing what triggers unhealthy habits can help you make healthy lifestyle changes.
“There are several ways we can change problematic triggers. First, avoid the trigger or keep it out of sight. This might include limiting unhealthy food options in the home,” Dr. Perkins said. “Next, we can change how we respond to the trigger. For example, find an alternative behavior to replace eating when bored. Finally, we can add new cues to help us make healthier choices. This could include placing our walking shoes within sight.”
Take care of your mental health
Self-care is an important aspect of your mental well-being and should be made a consistent part of each day.
If you feel overwhelmed by stress or anxiety, Wellstar behavioral health specialists are here for you.
“After identifying our sources of stress, we can directly address what is within our control. For stressors that we cannot control, we can cope using stress management techniques such as deep breathing, distraction, valued activities or engaging in social support,” Dr. Perkins said.
Need support? Connect with a Wellstar behavioral health specialist.
Newsroom
Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center Expected to Open in Late August
Wellstar Columbia County Medical Center is nearing completion and is scheduled to open Aug. 26. The six-story, 100-bed hospital is located at 5000 Gateway Blvd. in Grovetown.
“It’s phenomenal to get to this level of substantial completion with construction because it means we’re that much closer to increasing access to care across the Central Savannah River Area (CSRA),” said Ralph Turner, president of Wellstar MCG Health Medical Center.
The new medical center expands healthcare services already offered in Augusta for more rural counties like McDuffie and provides additional learning opportunities for students at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University. Students will train using the latest technologies in healthcare.
“This is 12 years of a dream that began with a commitment to better serve this community,” said Augusta University President Russell Keen. “What’s being built here is an investment in the CSRA as well as an important part of strengthening the healthcare workforce across Georgia through Wellstar MCG Health, Augusta University and the Medical College of Georgia.”
Wellstar Columbia County will feature new technologies that improve the way healthcare is delivered. While the hospital will have dedicated intensive care unit (ICU) rooms, every patient room is acuity adaptable and can function as an ICU room, with minimal investment, if the need arises.
Patient rooms will also include cameras, enabling patients to access telehealth visits with specialists or family members.
“That is the pivotal piece of the telehealth technology at a community hospital. We’ll be able to digitally connect specialty providers at Wellstar MCG Health in downtown Augusta with patients and their care team in Columbia County without having to be in the building,” said Tammy Moore, chief nursing officer of Wellstar Columbia County.
A digital whiteboard will display the patient’s name and medical history, allowing greater visibility between patients and their care teams. It will also help ensure care teams have the most up-to-date medical information when making diagnoses or medical decisions at the bedside.
In addition, the hospital was built with larger windows to incorporate more natural light, which has been proven to have a positive effect on patients’ overall well-being.
A 92,000-square-foot Medical Office Building—adjacent to the hospital and featuring 11 outpatient clinics—remains under construction and is scheduled to open later this fall.
Highlights
Wellstar Cobb Medical Center Supports Women and Families With Comprehensive Maternal Care
OB/GYN care
The OB/GYNs at Wellstar Cobb provide personalized care for women through every stage of life. Our team offers a range of maternal services, including:- Family planning and sexual health
- Prenatal care and delivery
- High-risk pregnancy care
- Postpartum care and support
- Infertility evaluation and treatment
Beyond pregnancy and postpartum care, OB/GYNs also support women’s long-term health through preventive screenings, gynecologic care, menopause care and wellness services tailored to individual needs.