Center brings together eight existing programs focused on mental health prevention and intervention

To kick-off Mental Health Awareness Month, Dayton Children’s Hospital is announcing the new Center for Emotional Wellbeing, bringing together eight existing Dayton Children’s programs to promote positive mental, emotional, behavioral and physical health development in children and adolescents.  
 
Emotional wellbeing gives children the ability to cope with the ups and downs of life. It doesn’t just make you feel good—it impacts a child’s outlook, relationships, and mental and physical health. Unfortunately, many children and adolescents in the Dayton region don’t experience emotional wellbeing. Poverty and food insecurity, unstable family relationships, the influence of social media and lingering effects of the pandemic all play a role. These and other stressors increase a child’s risk for mental health conditions—the number one health concern facing youth in our community and nationwide.  

With this background in mind, Dayton Children’s aligned programs that already existed throughout the continuum of mental health care “under one roof” to share the broad scope of work being done throughout the community.

“The programs go beyond the hospital’s walls to meet children where they are,” says Sue Fralick, director of the Center for Emotional Wellbeing at Dayton Children’s. “The center’s 100-plus employees serve children and families wherever there’s a need—at home, in school and at local pediatrician offices. We provide support, education and skill-building early on to prevent crisis situations in the future that are more challenging and expensive to treat.”  

Programs that fall under the Center for Emotional Wellbeing include: 

clinic-based programs  

• HealthySteps — Parenting and child development support for families of children ages zero to three 

community-based programs  

• Mental Health First Aid and suicide prevention training — Available to community members and Dayton Children’s staff  
• On Our Sleeves — Provides tools to educate adults on childhood mental wellness to break the stigma around childhood mental health  

home-based programs  

• Community health workers—Support for children and families to equip them with information and tools to address their mental and physical health outcomes 

school-based programs  

• School-based therapy —Therapists embedded in elementary through high schools, as well as after-school programs
• Student Resiliency Program —Student resiliency coordinators provide resiliency development for students and families impacted by trauma by working full-time at area schools helping students build on their strengths  

resource programs  

• Mental Health Resource Connection — works with community pediatrician offices to connect patients and families to mental health services  
• Youth and Family Resource Connection — works with area school staff to connect students and families with local resources that promote social and mental wellness

“Helping children who struggle emotionally is critical,” says Sue. “If we wait too long, symptoms of anxiety, depression and other mental health concerns may develop. They can become chronic, lasting weeks, months or even years.”   

The Center for Emotional Wellbeing is the latest step that Dayton Children’s is taking to address the growing need for behavioral health services in the Dayton region. In addition to the new center, Dayton Children’s continues its work on a new behavioral health building, scheduled to open in 2025, which will double the number of beds for behavioral health patients and will allow for strengthened and smoother continuity of care by bringing behavioral health inpatient, outpatient and crisis services all under one roof. 

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care that goes above and beyond

Because every child deserves care that goes above and beyond, Dayton Children’s provides compassionate, expert care for kids of all ages. Find a provider, schedule an appointment, or learn more about conditions we treat today.

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American College of Surgeons recognizes hospital for quality surgical care

Dayton Children’s Hospital received verification from the American College of Surgeons (ACS) as a Level 1 Children’s Surgery Center. This is the highest level attainable, proving once again to parents that they can rely on Dayton Children’s to provide the best care for their child, even in the toughest circumstances.

The ACS Children’s Surgery Verification (CSV) Quality Improvement Program confirms that Dayton Children’s provides the highest quality, safe surgical care. It specifically addresses the surgical care of infants and children, because they are not just little adults. They have unique needs before, during and after surgery. This program is based upon the standards that define the resources believed necessary to achieve optimal patient outcomes for children’s surgical care.

To achieve this verification, Dayton Children’s underwent a comprehensive review of hospital data and a site visit at the hospital’s two surgery centers in Dayton and Springboro. Through the verification process, ACS surveyors looked at quality measures, multidisciplinary clinical programs and surgical staff.

“When it comes to your child, any surgery, regardless of how minor it may seem, is a big deal,” said Daniel Robie, MD, surgeon-in-chief and associate medical officer at Dayton Children’s. “We take that responsibility very seriously. Our goal is to make the entire experience exceptional by providing wrap-around support and getting your child back to doing what they do best – being a kid.”

what it means for Harper

This attention to detail and wrap-around care was crucial to Jessica Teegarden when her daughter Harper was born with gastroschisis. Gastroschisis happens when the abdominal wall does not close during fetal life, and the abdominal organs are outside at birth. In complex cases, like Harper’s, there may also be a twist in the intestine which results in a significant loss of intestine. This can cause the infant to be dependent on nutrition through an IV.

After she was born, Harper was transferred to the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) at Dayton Children’s Hospital. She underwent a series of surgeries over the next year to reconnect her intestine and place it back into the abdomen. Today, Harper is a happy, thriving three-year-old who eats what she wants and all she needs.

“It all seems like it’s never going to end but these kinds of complex cases just take time,” says Jessica. “When you look back on it, you just become so appreciative of everyone who was involved in your child’s case.”

surveyor’s comments

Some of the strengths the surveyors pointed out included:

• Sensitivity and support of the child with special needs with innovative sensory rooms
• Programs that support the child before and after surgery such as:
  • The child life program
  • The hospitalist program
  • The dialysis program
• Programs that support the treatment of abused children
• Participation in the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to track surgical data, measure quality and improve outcomes
• Inclusion of information technology and automation
• Creating and implementing educational and outreach programs
• Involvement at state and regional levels in care planning and development
• Leadership of the surgical program, operating room and anesthesia
• Support from the hospital administration
• Research productivity

fast facts

• There are only 57 Level 1 Children’s Surgery Centers nationwide.
• Dayton Children’s performs more than 13,000 surgeries every year at two surgery centers.
• Some of the most common surgeries at Dayton Children’s are:
  • Ear tubes
  • Hernia
  • Circumcision
  • Scoliosis
• Some unique and specialized surgical programs at Dayton Children’s include:
  • Advanced pain management techniques including cryoablation
  • Leading provider of ApiFix spine correction surgery
  • Minimally invasive techniques
  • Use of the Rosa Robot for epilepsy surgery
• The hospital employs 116 board-certified surgery staff
  • 37 board-certified surgeons across eight surgical subspecialties
  • 20+ pediatric anesthesiologists
• The child life team at Dayton Children’s helps patients feel less anxious before and after surgery with distraction and calming techniques.

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03/12/2026 | news article

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care that goes above and beyond

Because every child deserves care that goes above and beyond, Dayton Children’s provides compassionate, expert care for kids of all ages. Find a provider, schedule an appointment, or learn more about conditions we treat today.

find a provider

schedule appointment

conditions we treat

the hospital is one of the first 20 sites selected for the procedure in the country

Dayton Children’s Hospital performed the first ApiFix spinal procedure in the state of Ohio on November 12, offering children who need surgery to correct scoliosis the opportunity to be among the first in the country to benefit from the latest innovation in care. The hospital is one of the first 20 sites selected for the procedure in the country. 

The ApiFix system offers substantial benefits over a traditional fusion surgery to straighten a curved spine, including a smaller incision, faster operation and shorter hospital stay. It also naturally expands as the child grows and allows for greater range of motion.   

The U.S. News and World Report Best Children’s Hospital ranked orthopedics division at Dayton Children’s has long been on the leading edge of innovation. Michael Albert, MD, chief, division of orthopedics, was the first surgeon in the country to use the BandLoc spine correction system in 2018 and trained surgeons internationally on its use. Dayton Children’s is also the only children’s hospital in the country to offer Scolio-Pilates, a treatment option that improves flexibility, strength and quality of life in young scoliosis patients.  

“We are always looking for new ways to improve outcomes and patient satisfaction,” says Dr. Albert. “The ApiFix system will allow kids to have a faster recovery and less pain than traditional treatment for scoliosis—with recovery being measured in days, not months.” 

The Dayton Children’s spine team knows that each child needs a customized approach that’s just right for them. They offer a variety of techniques including Mehta casting, bracing and numerous operative techniques such as: ApiFix, spinal fusion, sublaminar band technique (BandLoc), anterior tethering procedures and Shilla procedures.  

innovative health care model will reinvent the path to children’s health care for families in our region and beyond

Dayton Children’s officially opens The Child Health Pavilion on Monday, May 20, 2019, reinventing the path to children’s health care for families in our region and beyond. This new space will support a truly unique, integrative model of pediatric primary care excellence unlike anything seen across the country.

The new and innovative care model integrates a primary care medical home, behavioral health and specialty clinical services for vulnerable populations (children in foster/kinship care, children with medical complexities, children with weight issues) alongside community-based programs to address the social determinants of health such as food insecurity, housing instability, durable goods and educational resources for children.

Despite having some of the best children’s hospitals in the country, the state of children’s health in Ohio is devastatingly low. Why? Because research shows the majority of a child’s health is determined by factors outside of health care.

”We cannot achieve our mission of optimal health for every child without addressing the struggles they face every day, like lack of food, substandard housing or even having the right school supplies,” says Deborah A. Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital. ”We envisioned The Child Health Pavilion as a place to not only elevate what happens in the doctor’s office but to bridge the gap to accessing the social services that will help our children be healthier, today and into adulthood.”

A few of the unique components built into the Child Health Pavilion in addition to the innovative primary care medical home include:

• A teaching kitchen where families can learn and practice preparing nutritious and tasty recipes
• The Food Pharm where, in partnership with the Dayton Foodbank, families in need can get emergency boxes of nutritious food.
• The Family Resource Connection where advocates connect families with an identified social need to the appropriate community resources, including food, housing, transportation, after-school care or baby supplies.

None of the work at The Child Health Pavilion could be done without collaboration and partnership with local, state and even national organizations and agencies. No one group could bring about the level of change necessary to truly impact the course of our children’s overall health. “We are incredibly fortunate to be blessed with a community that is rallying around our children and a Governor who has made children a key priority of his agenda,” says Feldman.

“Ensuring all of Ohio’s children are able to grow up in a healthy and safe environment so they have the opportunity to live up to their full potential is one of my top priorities,” said Ohio Governor Mike DeWine. “This new facility offers the Dayton-area’s most vulnerable children one place to access comprehensive medical care and a variety of community services. I am pleased that Ohio’s First Lady was able to attend the official opening of The Child Health Pavilion at Dayton Children’s, as we work to improve health and wellness for all of Ohio’s children.”

Hospital’s gift to the children of the community unveiled

Dayton Children’s officially opens the new patient tower on June 5, 2017 with a special event revealing the hospital’s gift to the children of the Dayton area.

In the middle of the hospital’s main campus on Valley Street, the new 260,000-square-foot, eight-story patient tower rises above the existing hospital.  “Each space inside the new patient care tower was created to embody Dayton Children’s unique patient care mission and to facilitate the delivery of world-class pediatric care,” says Deborah Feldman, president and CEO. “Patients, families, physicians and staff all gave input to create an operationally efficient, supportive environment that includes a flexible and innovative technology infrastructure.”

The design theme of the tower is “things that fly” to honor Dayton’s rich aviation heritage and innovation in flight.  Visitors will notice themed elements the moment they cross the family-friendly lobby into the three-story atrium called the Take Flight Gallery.  Filled with light, color and whimsy, this space houses the Culinairy Kitchen full service cafeteria, the Up Cafe for grab-and-go food items and the Altitude gift shop.  Visitors will also notice the main design feature in the Take Flight Gallery is the Dragonflyer.

The Dragonflyer is a specially commissioned piece of art that is a play space for children as well as a place to imagine all the possibilities.  She began with an idea – an idea as big and bold as the blue sky above.  An idea to mash-up what is and what could be, only limited by the imagination of children. She combines the beauty of a dragonfly that skims over the green fields of Huffman Prairie and the daring spirit that launched two Daytonians on wings of canvas and wood from the very same spot.

While Dayton Children’s serves this community’s children, those children also provide the inspiration to soar higher, think bigger, dream fearlessly and hope that every heartbeat will bring an innovation to make life better.  So the Dragonflyer is a gift to them for supplying that vision. 

The new design also feature a children’s garden with a fountain on the ground level, as well as a rooftop garden with a mosaic created by Dayton Children’s patients, staff and partners. To make it easy for families to find their way, each floor has a designated number, color and playful icon, selected from things that fly, both man-made and those found in nature, such as hummingbirds or hot air balloons.

Key design elements of the new patient tower include:

• Continuity of care – The new Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center is a combined inpatient and outpatient unit and includes a pharmacy, infusion rooms for chemotherapy and an enhanced patient experience with dedicated child life specialists, indoor/outdoor play spaces, multiple space for family/patient interaction and a teen room.
• Better outcomes – The Newborn Intensive Care Unit further enhances the commitment to family-centered and developmentally-sensitive care through single-family room design which has been proven to increase skin-to-skin contact, enhance success rates of breastfeeding, further reduce infection and noise, and increase privacy – ultimately creating better outcomes for the region’s most fragile babies. The new NICU also has a dedicated milk lab.
• Critical care technology – The critical care complex is a custom designed space to maximize efficiency and patient safety, while also providing more space for technology and family comfort for our most critically-ill and injured children in the pediatric intensive care unit and technology-dependent patients in our transitional care unit.
• Optimal healing environment: Patients requiring an overnight stay will benefit from the enhanced general pediatrics inpatient unit which will feature larger single-family rooms, improved technology and upgraded family amenities.

Local investment

While Dayton Children’s built a new patient tower, it was also important to build our community at the same time.  Local firms Danis Construction and Champlin Architecture worked with national architecture firm FKP which specializes in building children’s hospitals. Spending on this project to date is 83 percent local with more than $101 million injected into the local economy and 506 people on the construction staff so far.

Community support

But as always, this would not be possible without the unwavering support of the community.   The goal of the Reaching New Heights capital campaign was $25 million and as Dayton Children’s officially opens the front doors of the patient tower, the community has graciously donated more than $27 million to the effort.  As a thank you to our generous and gracious community, the west side of the Take Flight Gallery showcases a beautiful donor wall that lists all those who contributed to the capital campaign. 

“There are miracles happening here at Dayton Children’s and we need to get behind that effort,” said Javan Conley.  Conley’s son, Ethan, was treated at Dayton Children’s and is the only person in the world to have survived a severe rare muscle virus.  “I look at my son as a miracle because he should be standing here today, but by the grace of God and the staff here at Dayton Children’s, he is. After seeing these new spaces today, I look forward to the future miracles that I know will happen here – it’s truly beautiful.”

“Anything is possible,” says Feldman.  “That is what we believe and that is what we want every family who comes through the doors of Dayton Children’s to believe.  So as we reach one ending, a new beginning takes shape. We will keep our hopes and aspirations for our children and their families, always above the clouds, always reaching for the stars to ensure that the kids of the Dayton region have world class pediatric health care close to home. We could not be more excited to share this wonderful new patient tower. It is our gift to the children and families of Dayton demonstrating them that this is a community that puts kids first.”

Community celebration

Dayton Children’s invites the community to an open house in the patient tower on Sunday, June 11, 2017 from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.  Everyone is welcome to see the amazing spaces and hear the inspiring stories here.  They will also see how the hospital is partnering with community agencies to improve life for children even if they never set foot inside the hospital walls.