Mindy Mullen Seeberger

As the Patient Navigator for the Joint Heart Care Program in partnership with Cincinnati Children's Hospital, I serve patients' diverse needs through active communication and responsive engagement with healthcare services and policymakers in our community.
My involvement in Project ADAM, which aims to build relationships and support schools and communities in sudden cardiac arrest preparedness, displays my ability to foster partnerships and enhance community engagement—a skill set crucial for coordinating initiatives across different hospital departments and external stakeholders.
I collaborate closely with the pediatric and adult dental clinic, radiology, PCICU, CVICU, cath lab, adolescent medicine, medical records, transport, adult cardiology, the Gill, pediatric echo lab, OR staff, preop staff, registration, surgery writing, CSPU, multiple labs, the anesthesia clinic in the KY clinic, and the Pediatric Congenital clinic along with its staff, leadership, sonographers, imaging providers, CV NPs, IT, ENT, and Hospital administration. Moreover, my role in coordinating Pediatric Cardiac Anesthesia resources underscores my responsibility in ensuring their availability and efficient utilization, thereby enhancing patient care and operational efficiency within the program.
This experience would complement administrative oversight of the nationally ranked program and your strategic efforts in expanding services and coordinating resources effectively.
Together, these roles demonstrate my comprehensive approach to managing complex healthcare initiatives and ensuring high-quality patient care and community outreach within the pediatric cardiology sphere.

• I am the on-site coordinator and the point of contact for the Project Adam initiative. I work with community partners and school systems at site visits. I attended the National Project Adam conference, where I represented UK Healthcare and its partnership with Project Adam.
• I discovered and resolved oral hygiene barriers often leading to canceling a patient's cardiac intervention. There are now toothbrushes and education given to all patients seen in Pediatric Cardiology both at UK Healthcare and in the community.
• I was involved in creating the parent handbook that each of our patients receives at their consult visit. The handbook was designed to inform parents and caregivers about everything from parking information to what to expect during the pre-op visit, details about the surgery, introducing our team, and what to expect after the surgery.
• I identified a significant need for parents when their children go to the operating room. I took the initiative to apply for and secure a 2023 Auxiliary grant to provide each parent with a thoughtfully curated drawstring bag from Kentucky Children's Hospital. Each bag contains items aimed at providing comfort, such as tissues, mints, my contact information, a bottle of water, ChapStick, colored pencils, and an adult coloring book.
• I attended the CHOP Pediatric Cardiology Conference in 2020 to better understand the challenges patients and families face. There, I was introduced to Hank the Heart book. This book teaches kids how each heart is a special part of what makes them so loveable. We applied for donor funds and were able to purchase this book, which we give to each one of our surgical patients with written notes from the patient's care team.
• Developed workflows for our fetal patients, which involve coordination among multiple internal and external disciplines. Additionally, I have led staff training for our fetal program.
• Collaborated with a small team to develop "One Stop Preop." Initially, patients and their families had to walk all over the KY Clinic to prepare for heart surgery at their preop visit. This often made the day much longer for families with children who were already compromised from a cardiac standpoint. A small team created the One Stop Preop. Now, when those under 21 come for preop, they go to the CSPU, and all the needed services come to the family in a quiet, child-friendly environment.
• I received multiple Star awards for my work in helping UK Healthcare staff and our patient families overcome barriers.
• I was nominated and won the Joy Hembree Oak Leaf Award for exemplifying excellence and working in the same spirit as Joy: thoroughly diligent, compassionate, honorable, and inspiring.
• I was one of the final four candidates across the UK enterprise for the Outstanding Staff Award, presented by the Staff Senate.
• I receive numerous praise for going above and beyond for our patients, colleagues, and leadership.
• I repeatedly receive high praise on my PE evaluations by consistently exceeding expectations.
• I attended the Cardiac Core Curriculum, where multiple specialties lectured, outlining the diverse needs of the ACHD population, the many different types of CHD, and the role we each play in caring for our heart patients.
• I ran and was elected to serve on the University of Kentucky Women's Forum Board. I currently serve on the Community and Outreach Committee. Our main focus is to mentor and connect with the Lexington Community while addressing its needs. Our activities include preparing and serving dinner to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, decorating at the Ronald McDonald House, and collecting toiletries for those at the Isaiah House. In addition, I work with other committees on our board to organize events such as Employee Appreciation Day and the Sarah Bennett Holmes Awards.
• I had the honor of being invited to dinner at the home of Dr. and Mrs. Capilouto, to discuss the challenges employees may face while working for UK Healthcare on a day-to-day basis.

• University of KY Womens Forum
• Heartwalk
• March of Dimes
• ProjectAdam
• Kentucky Children’s Hospital Mini Pro-Am
• Barbasol Championship
• KY Children's Toy Drive/Walmart