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INVESTING IN THE
REGION
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By Debra Solomon Baker
Laureen Tanner
president & CEO,
Ranken Jordan
Some people’s jobs are so herculean that others seem a breeze
by comparison.
Many would agree that Laureen Tanner’s is one such job. A one-woman
band, of sorts, Tanner is a nurse, an entire marketing department,
and a president and CEO. However, these alone are not what
make her work so impressive. Rather, Tanner has fulfilled her
life-long dream to care for medically fragile children, children
who are often invisible to the world at large.
These youngsters, who range in age from a few weeks to 18 years
old, oftentimes find themselves at the doorstep of Ranken Jordan
after a lengthy hospital stay. They are often impoverished (more
than 90 percent come from families with income below the poverty
line) and are typically fighting against tremendous odds.
Ranken Jordan is one of only five pediatric specialty hospitals
nationwide that cares for both sick and seriously injured children
regardless of their ability to pay. The facility provides 24-hour,
sub-acute nursing care, rehabilitation, and treatment for the
children, who stay an average of thirty-one days.
They often have brain injuries, burns, neuromuscular disease,
paralysis, and complications from premature birth, to name just
a few.
Without Tanner and her staff, these children, too sick to go
home and too well to remain hospitalized, would be lost, and
many of their families would be broken.
“We see kids come in with such a medical lineup, that even the
specialists often think there is not much potential,“ says Tanner.
“But we see kids beat the odds. They live through what they
‘shouldn’t’ live through.
“I can count on one hand, the number of children who have not
progressed physically during my time here.” she says.
Tanner hopes to continue to build the reputation of Ranken Jordan,
which has been in existence since 1941, back when children with
illnesses were hidden from the general population. Tanner says
that the current 62,000-square-foot facility is one of the best-kept
secrets in town. It’s colorful and inviting, not a typical hospital
setting, which, she hopes, will move to attract nurses, despite
the widespread shortage.
Ranken Jordan houses a therapy pool designed specifically for
children, has art therapy classes, community integration “field”
trips, and, most importantly, an extensive child-development
program where “kids can be kids.”
Throughout the years, Tanner has never regretted her decision
to work with this needy population. Though the stress level
can be high, the rewards, are beyond compare.
LEADERSHIP CIRCLE INSIGHTS
What is one aspect of St. Louis that you hope to see change
or grow in the upcoming year?
“An aspect of St. Louis I hope will grow in the upcoming year
is the continued development of our existing life science and
healthcare companies and the fostering of new such companies
from within our research centers and incubators. I believe that
the future of our City depends largely on the proper and timely
leveraging of our superior resources in these areas.”
Cynthia Haines,
MD President,
Haines Medical Communications Inc.
“I would like to begin to see significant academic improvements
of our students served by public school systems in our urban
core.”
Ward Klein
CEO,
Energizer Holdings Inc.
“I hope that our business, community and political leaders will
continue to develop a regional approach to addressing the challenges
and opportunities that the St. Louis area has.”
Allan D. Ivie,
IV President and COO,
The PrivateBank
For more information on the Leadership Circle, please contact
John Diefenbach, vice president-membership, (314) 444-1184 or
jdief@stlrcga.org.
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