A heart as big as Texas

Jill Koss with Neely, one of our facility dogs

Jill Koss earns national recognition for her work with patients

“Jill’s heart is as big as the state of Texas. She combines a strong commitment to caring with her professional skills to create a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone.” – Stan Davis, president of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth

Hard work gets noticed at Cook Children’s, especially when it comes from the heart. But when an outside professional association takes note of one of our own, it’s extra special.

Jill Koss, MS, CCLS, director of Family Support Services, earned the 2023 Distinguished Service Award earlier this year from the Association of Child Life Professionals (ACLP).

The award, deemed by many in the field to be the pinnacle of a professional career, is an accolade and honor of Jill’s service to children in North Texas and around the world.

“Cook Children’s is so special because leadership recognizes the importance of our valuable service to children in the clinical setting,” Jill said. “When we have an idea for making that experience even better for kids, management tends to find ways to make it happen.”

When Jill’s co-workers think of the recognition she has received over the years, they immediately bring up the kind words offered by Garth Brooks regarding the Child Life Zone, a project supported by his foundation. Other projects under Jill’s mentorship have garnered less limelight but equally impacted children in need.

“While brainstorming and trying to capture who Jill Koss is and what she means to the Child Life department at Cook Children’s and to the field of Child Life, the analogy of a tree resonated,” Katie Campbell, CCLS and Child Life manager, wrote in her nomination letter. “Being from the South, surely she is a strong, established oak tree! Jill has spent the length of her career growing and establishing roots at Cook Children’s. Under her leadership, the Child Life department has grown from a handful of Child Life specialists to over 80 staff. Jill has advocated for and pioneered programs such as the Creative Artist in Residence Programme, the Sit…Stay…PLAY facility dog program and the Camps for Kids program, which is a collection of camps for children with chronic health conditions. Additionally, Jill has been creative in developing programs through our partnership with Teammates for Kids and Child Life Zones.”

ACLP Awards Chair Anita Pumphrey, CCLS, also commended Jill for the efforts she’s made around the globe.

“Jill has led change internationally through her work in Romania, Honduras, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur, training hospital staff on the psychosocial care of children and parental support,” said Anita. “In addition to her international work, she also prioritizes her commitment to the profession through her involvement with the ACLP. She has served in a variety of leadership positions, ultimately as president.”

According to Jill, more goes into the patient experience than just exceptional clinical care — especially when the patient is a child. Being in the hospital can make it feel more difficult to do what kids do best: play. That’s why our team of Child Life specialists is so important. It’s their top priority to make an uncomfortable situation less scary for children who are ill or injured, as well as their families.

Serving the whole patient means helping alleviate fear and anxiety, providing opportunities for laughter and play and offering distractions and emotional support, such as art therapy and facility dogs. These supports are critical. Child Life specialists like Jill step up in creative ways to help hospitalized children and their parents and siblings feel less overwhelmed.

“Through the work of Child Life specialists, children can instantly be in a safe place,” said Megan Chavez, vice president of Cook Children’s Experience. “Jill’s team is especially interested in how a child processes what’s happening in the hospital and actively finds ways to involve them in the success of their care.”

And the success of care is important when it comes to quality outcomes, according to Cook Children’s Chief Quality Officer Joann Sanders, M.D., CHCQM, FAIHQ.

“What sets Jill apart is that she has made Cook Children’s the premier place in the nation known for Child Life excellence,” Joann said. “And the way she does it is simple. She advocates for children. When she is in the patient’s room, she is the one voice that matters to the child and to the care team.”

Stan Davis, president of Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, said, “Jill keeps the well-being and support of patients and families at the center of her mission.”

“Jill’s heart is as big as the state of Texas,” Stan said. “She combines a strong commitment to caring with her professional skills to create a welcoming and supportive environment for everyone.”

Evidence shows that play and just generally being able to still have a childhood — even in a hospital setting — can improve clinical care and outcomes. Clinical success goes hand in hand with the work of Child Life specialists. Mental and emotional well-being is deeply intertwined with physical healing.

The work of a Child Life specialist goes beyond entertaining sick children … it’s about being there for young patients in their times of greatest need.

No family ever receives a bill for Child Life services. Thanks to the generosity of donors, our patients can express themselves through art and music, escape to the Child Life Zone, attend a medically safe summer camp and much more.