With this issue, readers will note a difference in our signature lines, as Dr. Banwell recently joined Johns Hopkins and joined me as co-director of the Children’s Center. She succeeds our much-valued former co-director Dr. Maggie Moon, who has returned full time to her clinical and research work in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins after a highly effective four-year tenure.

New partnerships bring new energy and fresh synergy, and Brenda and I are excited to work together in guiding the efforts of the outstanding faculty and staff members who make the Children’s Center such an extraordinary hub for healing. To get a sense of just how extraordinary, read on.

You’ll learn how our pediatric burn center has grown to become the state’s designated center for children who have suffered all types of burn injuries. There are few pediatric burn centers nationwide, and we are particularly proud to offer a team that provides holistic care as the only pediatric burn center in the state of Maryland. Here, we focus on healing physical burns while also addressing the emotional trauma that many young patients and their families experience.

Providing support and healing for the entire family is so vital in pediatric care, particularly for children with complicated medical conditions, who may spend more time in the hospital than at home. Like a warm blanket, our complex care team surrounds these children and their families with wraparound support — easing navigation of appointments and medications and providing much-needed continuity.

As seasoned health professionals, we are constantly learning. One thing we have both recognized is that healing is as much an art as a science. While all of us at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center are excited to offer patients the very latest in surgical techniques and treatments, we know that true healing requires more. It is by listening to and connecting with patients and families, easing their fears and anxieties, and honoring their hopes and dreams that we collectively make a difference.

Brenda Banwell, M.D.
Co-Director and Pediatrician-in-Chief, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center

David Hackam, M.D., Ph.D.
Co-Director and Surgeon-in-Chief, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center