One of the first things you notice when you walk into Shriners Hospitals for Children® is that they do not look very much like hospitals, which is exactly how we want it to be. After all, our hospitals are a reflection of our patients – bright, hopeful, happy and full of possibility.
Every aspect of our hospitals' physical design and overall atmosphere is based on putting children at ease and creating an environment that allows kids to be kids. In our hospitals you will find things like:
- Game areas with pool tables, video games, ping pong, and foosball
- Activity room filled with movies, music, video games, and more
- Children’s play areas with blocks, books, arts and crafts supplies, and more
- An outdoor playground
- Spacious indoor recreation areas for games
- Bear Cub Club program: An exclusive program which allows each new surgical patient to choose a Build-a-Bear™ and an outfit that can be taken into surgery with them.
Even the clinical areas of our hospital are child-friendly:
- Our outpatient clinic treatment rooms have DVD players and art kits to keep patients engaged
- Our radiology suites have lots of pictures on the walls and ceilings to keep kids distracted during procedures.
- Our physical therapy rooms include video games and lots of toys to help kids have fun while doing prescribed therapeutic activities.
- Our hospital lobbies are stocked with toys and games to keep patients and siblings busy while waiting for appointments.
- Bright red wagons are available to parents with small children to use while in the hospital
And the most unique thing you will find in our hospitals is the Shriners themselves, giving their time to entertain and visit our patients, talk with parents about how they are doing, and even driving patients to and from hospital visits.
For those of us who work at Shriners Hospitals for Children, watching kids run, jump, explore, laugh and play is our greatest joy and proof that our mission is making a difference.
No matter what their medical condition, kids are always looking ahead, always wanting to move forward. These hospitals are designed solely for the purpose of making that happen.