AnnMarie DiFrancesca, Director of Child Life at Mount Sinai South Nassau
AnnMarie DiFrancesca, Director of Child Life at Mount Sinai South Nassau, is called an unsung hero by Lynn Bert, Pediatrics Nurse Manager.
“AnnMarie is instrumental at turning fear and frustration in children to laughter and play. She makes children happy and puts parents at ease. Her energy is limitless, and her resourcefulness is tremendous. She keeps the patients on the Pediatric Unit stocked with toys and diversional activities. She has tools to prepare them for their procedures and surgical cases. She stays with children through IV starts, MRIs, and any test or procedure that might be frightening to them.”
But there is more, Lynn says. “AnnMarie helped lead a pain-reduction program using anesthetic cream prior to blood work, IV insertion, and lumbar punctures for all children on the Pediatric Unit. This program has now expanded to include the pediatric patients in the Emergency Department and Family Practice Clinic. She created a program for autistic children and is now expanding the program to ease the hospital stays of adults with autism or other special needs, and has attended Grand Rounds to educate staff about this patient population.”
Ann Marie exemplifies the Mount Sinai value of creativity. She brought tablets into the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) so siblings could virtually meet their new brothers and sisters. She organized graduation ceremonies for NICU babies for when they are finally big enough and well enough to go home, complete with diplomas and tiny graduation caps. And last year she designed a NICU reunion for children of 18 months.
AnnMarie’s contributions are not limited to pediatric units. When a young man was in a motor vehicle accident, she spoke with his children to prepare them for what to expect when they visited him in Critical Care. When a cancer patient passed away, she spent time with the family discussing how to explain things to their children.
AnnMarie is passionate about her work. “I love my job. I feel my role as a Certified Child Life Specialist is to meet each patient and family where they are and support their social, emotional, and developmental needs; to be their advocate for when they are most vulnerable and scared. I am also so happy and proud to be a valued resource for so many of the staff who want guidance when facing a challenging situation involving our pediatric patients. I am so appreciative to be part of a team that is welcoming of me, and the child life services I am able to provide.”