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:
- Teen lounges stocked with books, movies, music and video games.
- Game rooms with pool tables and foosball.
- Children’s play areas with blocks, books, arts and crafts supplies, climbing structures and more.
- Outdoor playgrounds.
- Spacious indoor recreation areas for games like wheelchair basketball or group yoga.
Even the clinical areas of our hospital are child-friendly.
- Our outpatient clinic treatment rooms have examination tables shaped like fire trucks and hippos.
- Our radiology suites have lots of pictures on the walls and ceilings to keep kids engaged during procedures.
- Our physical therapy rooms include video games and lots of toys to help kids have fun while doing important therapeutic activities.
- Our hospital lobbies are stocked with toys and games to keep patients and siblings busy while waiting for appointments.
- Small children are taken into surgery in bright red wagons just their size.
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.