Fun Center Makes Hospital Stay Easier For Youngsters

From the Contra Costa Times

WHAT IS ABOUT 4 feet tall, has four wheels and plays games? Stumped?

Here's another hint — it can accomplish the difficult task of bringing smiles and laughter to just about every child in the pediatric unit of John Muir Medical Center's Walnut Creek campus. Still don't know?

In that case, you probably haven't talked to a youngster who has undergone treatment at John Muir since Dec. 15. That's when a multimedia Fun Center was unveiled at the medical center.

The mobile unit — for traveling around to the young patients — was redesigned in 2002 and is now equipped with a "Sharp AQUOS liquid-crystal television, a DVD player and a Nintendo GameCube system," said Barbara Hepner, senior public relations associate at John Muir Walnut Creek.

The compact entertainment system for the younger set "was donated through the partnership of Longs Drug Stores, Colgate-Palmolive Co., Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation and Nintendo of America," said Hepner.

"The 4-foot-tall, state-of-the-art Fun Center is specially designed with complete portability, creating accessibility to kids throughout the hospital."

And this little guy really gets around. Hepner said that in addition to making visits to patients' bedsides, it also can wheel into an outpatient clinic or emergency waiting room to help calm and entertain.

She added that the hospital staff is finding more and more uses for the multimedia unit.

"In addition to the obvious use for entertainment, (staff members) report the Fun Center is beneficial as post-op pain management, distraction during dialysis and chemotherapy sessions, and as a tool to diminish anxiety accompanying hospital admittance," said Hepner.

The group that gathered for the unveiling included John Muir staff members Chris Vernon, R.N., clinical coordinator/pediatrics; Nancy Horan, R.N., pediatric oncology; and Meredith Pence, R.N., executive director of John Muir Women's and Children's Services. Also at the ceremony were Larry Gatta, group vice president/category management, Longs Drugs; Bob Fyler and Linda Voracek, divisional merchandise managers for Longs; Luis Montalvan, Colgate-Palmolive Co.; and Karineh Moradian, director of programs/children's services, Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation. So far, Nintendo has donated more than $3 million to the children's foundation and it has placed more than 3,600 Fun Centers in hospitals worldwide, according to a news release.

Hats off to the corporate sponsors and to John Muir's Walnut Creek campus for making things a bit easier for the younger patients at the medical center.

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(Posted February 16, 2006)