Hospital teacher makes a difference

PHOTO MICHELLE L. START HealthPark Medical Center teacher Laurie Gill helps 10-year-old Typhani Kulikowski with math homework in Typhani's hospital room. Gill is a full-time teacher at the Children's Hospital in south Fort Myers. Diagnosed with leukemia in February, 10-year-old Typhani Kulikowski has missed a lot of class because of medical appointments and hospitalization. But she's been able to keep up with her work thanks to the help of HealthPark Medical Center teacher Laurie Gill.

"I know you were working with fractions," said Gill, 31, during a recent afternoon lesson at Typhani's bedside. "You did do the work! What about this one? Let's see you do it. Two times six is....what do you put in?"

Typhani grumbles, cajoles and laughs at Ms. Laurie, as the teacher is called, but completes the same work the rest of her fourth grade class at North Fort Myers Academy for the Arts is doing.

"I have what they are using in the classroom here, which has been very helpful," Gill said. "We are working on getting a classroom so we can have computers and materials in there and they can come to the room to use them. However it is difficult because some of our kids can't be combined with other kids."

Gill has worked with children like Typhani since the hospital added an onstaff instructor. A partnership between Lee Memorial Health System, Suncoast Federal Credit Union and the Lee and Collier County School Districts made it possible for The Children's Hospital to establish the full-time position during the 2005-2006 school year.

"We feel it is our responsibility to meet all of our patients' needs while they are hospitalized, not just their medical needs," says Kathy Bridge-Liles, executive director of women's and children's services for Lee Memorial Health System. "This collaborative effort with the local school districts and community partners like Suncoast Federal Credit Union is an innovative way to help meet our children's educational needs."

Tom Dorety, President and CEO of Suncoast Federal Credit Union, said his organization is helping to fund the position because it fills a gap that was being created when sick children missed school. He said officials were hoping the program gave these kids a sense of normalcy.

"A lot of these kids are really worried about their school work," Gill said. "I see six to seven kids a day. It's kind of like a cycle. I'm a kindergarten through 12th grade teacher. My background is in elementary education. I went to Western Michigan University and once I graduated, I moved down here. I went to Lee Memorial at first, but they said they didn't have a program like this."

So, Gill went to work teaching middle school math. When the position at Health- Park Medical Center was created nearly four years later, she applied and landed the job. She works from 9 to 5 year-round.

Once a child has been admitted to the hospital, Gill obtains permission from the parents to call schools and request assignments. Despite facing illnesses that are sometimes terminal, Gill said most of the kids are eager to learn and appreciate her efforts on their behalf.

"I had a student who passed last year and he was so excited that he was able to graduate from the third grade," she said.