Halloween may be over, but Michelle Nolen Senner and her coworkers at Truly Nolen spend the entire year thinking of new ways to help hospitalized children celebrate the holiday.
For five years running, they have provided Truly Spooktacular – Truly Nolen employees dress in themed costumes to visit TMC for Children, bringing fun activities, gifts and cheer.
“It’s my favorite time of year,” said Senner, the director of public relations and philanthropy at Truly Nolen Pest and Termite Control, who was dressed as Princess Fiona form the Shrek series of movies (this year’s theme). “It’s a holiday where kids get to be creative and show off their true selves.”
The annual visits were Senner’s idea, which started right here in Tucson. The festivities have become a company staple, with Truly Nolen employees visiting 16 children’s hospitals across the country in 2018.
“Our business is keeping pests and insects out of people’s homes and businesses,” Senner said. “Insects and spiders and Halloween – there’s a connection there.” But for Senner, the connection is much more than spiders and Halloween.
“My own child has spent a lot of time in the hospital and I understand that a joyful distraction can bring a sincere smile for the kiddo and relief for their family,” she said. “That’s really why we are doing this – it’s a chance to support the communities and families that support us.”
Whether it’s decorating no-carve pumpkins, posing with Shrek or just laughing and giggling with Truly Nolen team members, there’s no doubt that the kids staying at TMC for Children got their fill of Halloween fun.
“We hope to make it bigger each year,” said Senner. “More of our offices are taking part and we’re dedicated to growing the effort.”
So, what is the theme for next year’s Truly Spooktacular? “I can’t say just yet,” said Senner. “I can say that we will be back and we’re bringing the smiles with us.”
TMC for Women’s Cord Blood Coordinator: Kristen Wilt
Whether it is 2 a.m. or 2 p.m., at home or on vacation
Can’t make it to the polls on Election Day, 
I love celebrating Halloween with my family, but I must admit I feel like I’m holding my breath all evening. Like many Tucson neighborhoods, ours has few street lights and on Oct. 31, kids are EVERYWHERE, often in dark costumes, often zigzagging across the roads to trick or treat. It’s a safety nightmare! Did you know that children are more than twice as likely to be hit by a car and killed on Halloween than on any other day of the year?
Jessica Mitchell is the Safe Kids Pima County program coordinator. Safe Kids Pima County is a network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury, a leading killer of children aged 19 and under. Spearheaded by Tucson Medical Center, the local coalition is part of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of more than 600 coalitions in 23 countries bringing together health and safety experts, educators, corporations, foundations, governments and volunteers to educate and protect families.
Tucson Medical Center and CODAC Health, Recovery & Wellness are partnering with the Connie Hillman Family Foundation to launch an important, transitional housing program for mothers in recovery from substance use disorders, promoting sustainable recovery and keeping families together.
At some point it was scary, but the first feeling Susan Smith remembers having when she was told she was having a heart attack was anger at the inconvenience of it all.
Art and movement classes. Social connections. Fitness activities and balance work. Lecture series. Caregiver support.
Each was presented with a rock, hand-painted by senior volunteers with messages of gratitude and hope, as part of the TMC Kindness Initiative. Each month, seniors paint the rocks to lift and inspire others in need and then place them at TMC patios for patients and families.
Who doesn’t remember their parents shouting “Look both ways!” as their 10-year-old-self jetted out the front door?
Empowered – that’s how Sandra Goza describes the feeling she gets as she arrives at TMC to begin her nursing shifts. “When I walk through that door I know I have the power to make a positive difference in someone’s life.”
Cooking with your child can be a fun, enlightening, and a valuable bonding experience for you and your impressionable child. If your child feels involved in the cooking process and has a positive experience you have an opportunity to teach them control and proper food safety in the kitchen.
Helping our community right here in Tucson get and stay healthy and keep on dancing is what Tucson Medical Center is all about. We’re showing off some of our fabulous community members in our latest commercials and you get to find out a little more about them here on our blog. Meet TMC dancer, Yesenia Lopez.
When Linda Anderson turned 40, she got serious about getting fit.
As for Anderson, she said she believes in the purpose of the program.
Do you have a hankering to take your craft to the philanthropic level? We asked our Child Life and Mom/Baby departments what the current needs are.
As a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network, Tucson Medical Center looks forward to THE MAYO CLINIC: FAITH – HOPE – SCIENCE, a two-hour movie that explores the Clinic’s 150-year history and what it means to “Put the Needs of the Patient First.”
Eggs are out. Eggs are in. Carbs are out. No fat is out. Just get rid of the sugar!
There was a time when in the first fresh days and weeks of a baby’s life, a new mom would be surrounded by the women of her family and community. They would provide her support and guide her through breastfeeding and caring for her new child. Today, that is often not the case. A new mom may find herself without that sisterhood to draw upon. Breastfeeding support groups, lactation consultants and postpartum doulas provide valuable resources, but for day-to-day the support of dad or partner is critical in determining whether breastfeeding is successful.
Helping our community right here in Tucson get and stay healthy and keep on dancing is what Tucson Medical Center is all about. We’re showing off some of our fabulous community members in our latest commercials and you get to find out a little more about them here on our blog. Meet TMC dancers Charles Colbath and Annie Collins.
There is nothing more beautiful than a sleeping baby, especially for parents who are often overtired themselves. Our experts share the following simple tips so you can create a safe sleeping environment for your baby:
When Marni Gould topped out at 248 pounds, it became evident she needed to make a change.
Four months after her surgery, she started a high-intensity endurance workout called Insanity Live. She modified everything and kept plugging away. She learned to love it.
From cooler temperatures to pumpkin pie, we welcome many things that come with the fall season, but the flu is not one of them. 
Tucson Medical Center routinely achieves critical treatment timelines for patients that give them the best outcomes after heart attack or stroke.
Dr. David Teeple, the medical director for TMC’s stroke program, said the program has been growing in effectiveness for the last 10 years, to the point that TMC has for many years been recognized for putting proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis.
Helping our community right here in Tucson get and stay healthy and keep on dancing is what Tucson Medical Center is all about. We’re showing off some of our fabulous community members in our latest commercials and you get to find out a little more about them here on our blog. Meet TMC dancer, Sergio Gonzales. 
Making the transition back to work after your maternity leave ends can be difficult, especially switching to pumping. Our lactation consultants provide these tips for success once you’re back at work:
When your child experiences an asthma attack it can be terrifying for both your child and for you.
Dr. Ruderfer graduated from the University of California, Irvine Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a B.S. in biological sciences with emphasis in cell biology. She received her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine, and completed her 3-year residency in pediatrics at Winthrop University Hospital and a 3-year fellowship in pediatric pulmonary at Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Children’s Hospital. She is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Dr. Ruderfer is married to Dr. Daniel Ruderfer (TMCOne pediatric infectious disease) and has two sons, Ethan and Josh, ages 3 and 6.
Thank you, Tucson, for your support in the Arizona Daily Star 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. We have been serving Southern Arizona for 75 years and are proud to be recognized as the top choice in these categories:
It’s National Dog Day* and we’re celebrating our furry friends, their companionship and the health benefits they bring to our lives.
Helping our community right here in Tucson get and stay healthy and keep on dancing is what Tucson Medical Center is all about. We’re showing off some of our fabulous community members in our latest commercials and you get to find out a little more about them here on our blog. Meet TMC dancer, Gail Black.
Checking people in for breast screenings. Making home visits to hospice patients. Sharing the love of a therapy pet. Cuddling babies. Playing soothing instruments. Sewing heart pillows for cardiac patients. Running a resale boutique. Making daily visits to patients. Praying with patients under the guidance of pastoral services. And on and on.
In fact, our volunteers donated nearly 92,000 hours in 2017 to support TMC’s mission to provide exceptional health care with compassion.
Laurie Ledford is our very own Georgia peach, a registered dietitian from Atlanta, Georgia, the land of grits, collard greens and super-sweet iced tea. She now works as a registered dietitian in the Tucson Medical Center Wellness Department. She enjoys helping people improve their health through sustainable dietary changes while still relishing occasional indulgences. In her off hours, Laurie engages in foodie pursuits such as sampling unusual flavor combinations (olive oil and basil ice cream was a good one) as well as hiking and cycling.
The enthusiasm, energy and compassion of one of TMC Hospice’s longest-serving home-health aides earned her the Heart of Hospice for the third quarter.
The colleague goes on to give an example:
Helping our community right here in Tucson get and stay healthy and keep on dancing is what Tucson Medical Center is all about. We’re showing off some of our fabulous community members in our latest commercials and you get to find out a little more about them here on our blog. Meet TMC dancer, Susan Smith.
Orthobiologics is a tongue twister, but the science behind regenerative medicine seems so simple. By taking our own healthy cells, extracting the growth factors, platelets or stem cells and then using those cells to heal our chronic pain, doctors are reducing the need for harmful therapies like steroids exponentially.
Selma Marks was an accomplished attorney and community advocate who cofounded the Marks Fund – an endowment to assist TMC employees experiencing financial hardship.
LaJeana Hall never looked into her future and saw “fitness instructor” as a skill she would attain.
Breastfeeding at its best is inexpensive, easy and provides a whole host of health benefits for both mother and child. But 
The TMC for Women Outpatient Breastfeeding Clinic was created to help women and babies with breastfeeding once they have left the hospital or birth center. Lactation consultants can help address latch problems, provide nipple shields and help with supplemental nursing systems (for those babies who are ineffective at nursing, preemies or special needs babies, or for moms who have a low milk supply or whose bodies need encouragement to lactate).
Helping our community right here in Tucson get and stay healthy and keep on dancing is what Tucson Medical Center is all about. We’re showing off some of our fabulous community members in our latest commercials and you get to find out a little more about them here on our blog. Meet TMC dancer, Clayton Green. 
