Dana Thornquist, CCLS
Dana Thornquist is a certified child life specialist at UI Health in Chicago, Illinois, and works primarily in the inpatient pediatric and pediatric intensive care units where some of the most common diagnoses are oncology, sickle cell, neurology disorders, asthma, and diabetes. She also works on a consult basis in many other areas of the hospital, trying hard to spread resources and donations to any area that treats children. Dana has been at UIH for over 4 years. "Being a one-person program, trying to balance the administrative duties of this role as well as meet all the patient needs can be challenging. I try to always prioritize patient care over everything, and remember that reducing stress and helping children cope is the most important part of my job. I am especially passionate about providing procedural support to reduce pain and empower children to gain control of their experiences," Dana says.