UW Health Kids

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Madison, WI
UW Health Kids

Through every stage of life, our pediatric experts help you create your child's healthier future.

Our pediatric experts have served the special needs of children for more than 100 years. From immunizations and well-child visits to rebuilding little hearts and creating new treatments for kids with cancer, we focus on each child’s unique needs and offer social and emotional support to help you and your child face even the most complex condition. Our long history includes the creation of medical advances that save lives around the world. UW Health Kids includes:
- 17 primary care clinic locations
- 70+ regional service locations
- 40+ specialty care programs
- Research funded by the National Institutes of Health and multiple clinical trials
- World class American Family Children’s Hospital in Madison, WI with Level l Pediatric Trauma Center,
Level l Pediatric Intensive Care, verified Pediatric Burn Center and Level lV Neonatal Intensive Care
- Women and Children’s Hospital in Rockford, IL

11/05/2025

For more than 10 years, Kris McArdle has been a steady source of strength for families whose babies begin life in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at American Family Children's Hospital. As a social worker in one of only two Level IV NICUs in Wisconsin, Kris supports parents of infants with complex medical needs, helping them navigate challenges they never expected to face. Whether it’s sorting through insurance paperwork, understanding family leave or finding the right words of comfort during an emotional day, she’s there to help families take the next step forward.

Kris joined UW Health in 1998 and has spent much of her career supporting pediatric patients and their families. But it’s in the NICU where her heart truly found its home. Many of the families she works with travel long distances, balancing jobs, other children and daily life while their baby receives care that can stretch on for weeks or even months. Through it all, Kris is there to listen and advocate to ensure parents feel supported and empowered every step of the way.

“The families I work with are incredible,” Kris says. “Despite facing incredibly difficult and unanticipated challenges, they find strength, hope and perseverance. Their resilience inspires me every day.” That inspiration drives her work with UW Health’s multidisciplinary team, where compassion and collaboration go hand in hand. From physicians and nurses to respiratory therapists and chaplains, every member of the team plays a role in helping the tiniest patients grow stronger each day.

10/31/2025

Halloween dance party on blast 🦄✨

10/30/2025

Being in the hospital doesn't mean missing out on Halloween fun! 👻
From a pretty peacock to a cuddly cowboy, our patients showed up in costumes that brought joy to everyone around them. Which one made you smile? 🎃

10/23/2025

When the world feels overwhelming, child life is there—grounding families, calming fears, and bringing comfort through connection. They’re the ones who turn hospital rooms into playrooms and tough moments into manageable ones. Drop a ❤️ if you agree.

Child life is made possible entirely by generous donations from our community. To see more stories of how philanthropy supports patients and families, visit: https://uw.health/3L2M74l

10/15/2025

Like many toddlers, Abraham loves kicking balls, playing with cars and trains, and building towers for the sheer delight of knocking them down. But unlike most toddlers, Abraham was born with a rare life-threatening heart defect called Taussig-Bing anomaly.

At just four days old, Abraham underwent a long, complex surgery to repair the abnormal “plumbing” of his heart. Too much blood was flowing to his lungs and too little blood was going to the rest of his body. The situation puts stress on the heart, and a baby cannot survive for long without surgery to correct the problem.

Fortunately, Abraham's surgery went better than expected, according to UW Health Kids heart surgeon, Dr. Petros Anagnostopoulos. Even so, infants who’ve had open heart surgery are at higher risk of delays with their physical, mental and social development.

Part of what makes the UW Health Kids Heart Program excel is its attention to every detail. Staff not only stay on top of everything but also make families like Abraham’s aware of the resources available to monitor and support their child’s development. Dr. Jesse Boyett Anderson, a UW Health Kids cardiologist, has a special interest in this topic and works closely with her colleagues to ensure that all patient families are aware of risk factors.

Many of these infants are seen at the UW Health Kids Brain Care Clinic for what is called a neurodevelopmental evaluation. If signs of a delay are found, the clinic refers the family to services such as occupational therapy, physical therapy or speech therapy.

Fortunately, Abraham has not shown signs of neurodevelopmental delays, but doctors and nurses have advised his parents — Sarah and Lee — to read to their son regularly and be sure he gets plenty of “tummy time,” which helps strengthen his neck, shoulder and core muscles. He also will return to the Brain Care Clinic for future evaluations.

“These babies may show no signs of significant delays, which is what we always hope for,” says clinic coordinator, Lynne Sears, NP. “But even if something is found, outcomes are better when they’re discovered early, so having this service is incredibly reassuring to parents.”

10/13/2025

When a boy named Niko met a dog named Kiko.

4-year-old Niko has been making weekly trips to our infusion and day treatment unit since spring 2023. He receives infusions that help manage his bleeding disorder, hemophilia. Each appointment involves an IV placement. A Child Life staff member is always present to offer distraction and help to provide a positive experience. Our CHAMPs facility dog Kiko also attends these procedures and is someone Niko looks forward to seeing. Kiko offers normalization, consistency and predictability with each appointment. Seeing each other weekly has helped them form a special bond made even stronger by their rhyming names. 🦮💕

09/30/2025

Have you seen or met our facility dogs? 🦮💕

Our Canine Health and Medical Pals (CHAMPs) are bred, born and raised in Georgia by a non-profit organization called Canine Assistants. These working dogs are employees of American Family Children’s Hospital, working full 40-hour weeks side by side with their handlers. They are trained to support and help our patients during stressful situations.

The CHAMPs program is a part of our Child Life department. Both programs are funded by donations. If you would like to support the CHAMPs program with a gift, we would be most grateful. Donations can be made online: https://uw.health/4nYoLMm

09/23/2025

Owen had just started his sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse in the fall of 2023 when his health started to go sideways. It began with intense leg pain caused by blood clotting. When he should have been having the time of his life in college, Owen was struggling to walk and feel well enough to attend classes.

Physicians at Gundersen Health in La Crosse diagnosed Owen with leukemia. His particular form of the disease is quite rare in young people—chronic myeloid leukemia with a B-cell acute lymphoblastic blast crisis.

Conventional treatment, such as chemotherapy, would not be enough for Owen. He also needed a bone marrow transplant, a procedure that wipes out the body’s immune system and creates a new one by infusing the patient with new bone marrow provided by a donor. Tests determined Owen’s younger sister Lydia was a perfect match and the transplant happened in spring of 2025.

Bone marrow transplants are only performed at major medical centers, so Owen and his girlfriend Nikki moved from La Crosse to Madison to be closer to the American Family Children’s Hospital and to Nikki’s family who live in the area. Owen learned of his cancer diagnosis just seven months into dating Nikki, but she didn’t hesitate about staying. Nikki was all in with Owen.

Owen was admitted to American Family Children’s Hospital in April 2024. He initially thought his stay might be a few weeks but he kept getting sicker, eventually spending 111 days there. For part of his stay, his disease confounded not only his UW Health Kids care team but other childhood cancer experts around the nation who were consulted.

Getting past the 100-day mark following a bone marrow transplant without major complications is a major milestone. “It takes time for his new immune system to put down roots.” says Dr. Becky Richards, a UW Health Kids cancer expert who specializes in bone marrow transplantation. “That’s why he spent about six weeks in the hospital after the transplant. We also discourage contact with more than just a few people, especially during those first 100 days. Owen has gotten past that point and that gives us more encouragement for the long term.”

Dr. Cathy Lee-Miller, Owen's primary hematologist-oncologist, is among many who are moved by his relentless upbeat outlook. “Owen is a remarkable young man who has been dealt a pretty rough hand,” she says. “You wouldn’t blame him for being angry at the world, but he just sees the positive and doesn’t complain. He’s the kind of kid you want your child to be. He is truly a light.”

09/19/2025

Reading to babies supports brain development, builds language skills, promotes social-emotional development and provides opportunities for early bonding between caregivers and families.

Our NICU recently participated in a global Babies With Books NICU Read-A-Thon. Books were provided to parents and other caregivers by the Madison Reading Project, Inc.. Reading with infants in the NICU provides an important path for baby’s development and supports family involvement with their baby's care in the NICU.

Address

1675 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI
53792

Telephone

+16088905437

Website

http://uwhealth.org/kids

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