WVU Medicine Children’s to represent West Virginia at Family Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – A group of patients and providers representing WVU Medicine Children’s will soon travel to Washington, D.C., for Family Advocacy Day, a nationwide event that brings together providers and patient families from each state to meet with congressional leaders and advocate for the importance of specialized pediatric care. 

“We are excited to meet with our state’s representatives, who are making decisions that impact our patient population each and every day,” Amy L. Bush, B.S.N., M.B.A., R.N., C.N.O.R., chief administrative officer of WVU Medicine Children’s, said. “This is a chance for them to hear directly from our patients who rely on our world-class, life-saving care.” 

Representing WVU Medicine Children’s with Bush will be Lisa Costello, M.D., M.P.H., assistant professor of Pediatrics; Kari-Beth Law, M.D., vice chair of clinical services for the WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry; Youmna Mousattat, M.D., lead hospitalist for pediatric inpatient services at WVU Medicine Thomas Hospitals; and patient Cameryn Sypolt and her father James. 

“Cameryn is a wonderful representative of why access to care is so important in West Virginia,” Bush said. “She came to our hospital in a trauma situation where every moment mattered. During our meetings with lawmakers, we want them to hear Cameryn’s story and her plans to study nursing to help future patients one day.” 

Sypolt is a 17-year-old patient from Reedsville, who spent time at WVU Medicine Children’s after a very serious car accident. She had extensive injuries, including a traumatic brain injury, that required her to be sedated for several days. Thanks to the care she received, she now has a bright future. She just graduated from high school, volunteers with her local fire department, and plans to study pre-nursing at Potomac State College. 

“Being local, we already knew about the great things WVU Medicine was doing,” James Sypolt said. “Seeing them firsthand was something else. I am just so grateful to have this kind of care in our backyard.” 

Family Advocacy Day discussions with policymakers will include the importance Medicaid plays in the lives of patients as the largest source of children’s healthcare coverage in the United States. 

Patient advocates will also discuss the importance of having trained professionals who can meet the unique care needs of children and the mental, emotional, and behavioral health emergency that faces children and teens. 

For more information on WVU Medicine Children’s, visit WVUKids.com.