We are pleased to announce that Debby and Ken Novack fulfilled their transformative gift commitment, creating an endowment for Novack Family Child Life Services at California Pacific Medical Center. Read all about it in the Press Release (PDF).

When Debby and Ken Novack committed to establish and name an endowment for the Novack Family Child Life Services at California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC), they did so because, as Ken put it at the time, “I can’t think of anything more traumatic for a child than being hospitalized. Anything that can ease that journey for a child is critical.” The Novack Family Endowment has enabled CPMC’s Child Life Program to grow significantly over the past five years.

Novack Family Child Life Services Touchpoints:

• 26,305 total touchpoints in 2020 (even with COVID-19 pandemic restrictions) including education and preparation for procedures, school liaisons, music therapy, expressive arts therapy, and visits from medical clowns and therapy dogs.
• Now Child Life specialists are available every day in CPMC’s emergency departments, pediatrics department, pediatric intensive care unit (PICU), Deikel Family Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and antepartum units, outpatient surgery and radiology.
• Child Life specialists also support the children of adult patients with chronic illness or at the end of their lives.
• Dedicated Child Life supervisor ensures that Child Life specialists spend more of their time working with children and their families.
• Two full-time certified music therapists provide another mode of expression to children, teens and families in pediatrics, pediatric intensive care unit, Deikel Family NICU, Acute Care for the Elderly Unit (ACE), and Coming Home Hospice.
• More Teddy Bear clinics to educate children through medical play, and more support for children with chronic diseases to return to school.

The Novacks are focusing on the child’s emotional wellbeing, and that is very profound. That is the key to pediatrics.

– Judy Fuentebella, M.D., pediatric gastroenterologist, CPMC