Creating a Child Friendly Environment in our ED
Hospitals Are Scary for a Child
Hospitals are scary and the emergency department can be crowded with sights and sounds that are intimidating for an adult, let alone a child.
By providing Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Care, patients come to us for exceptional care at critical moments. As the busiest emergency department in the state, over 95,000 individuals and families enter our doors by foot, car, ambulance, or helicopter each year.
However, the same emergency department that serves ill or injured adults is not as friendly to our youngest patients as it could be. In fact, it has become a deterrent for some to bring their children into our facility. With top health outcomes in the nation for pediatric trauma, we don’t want any child to miss out on the expertise of our team because of an outdated environment.
Philanthropic Goal: $200,000
It's time to refresh this....
Not updated since the 1990s, an enhanced setting for children visiting the emergency department is long overdue. Extended family spill out into the lawn. Healthy siblings have no distractions to keep then occupied. There is no dedicated waiting room or exam rooms for children and their families. Everyone is exposed to adult behaviors, wounds, and sounds that can be more traumatizing then their actual injuries. Our youngest patients deserve a welcoming space designed for their comfort and safety during moments of pain and uncertainty.
You can help.
The level of trauma we see today has heightened the urgency to address this renovation now. As a safety-net hospital, we are honored to serve patients regardless of financial capacity. This mission elevates the power of generosity at Hennepin Healthcare. Only through philanthropic gifts, can we advance this effort to create an environment tailored to calm and heal our most vulnerable. You can join us.
- A $25,000 investment enhances the exterior appearance of the emergency department entrance with clear signage and a more welcoming environment for children and their family members.
- $15,000 promotes calm with child-friendly window and wall graphics on freshly painted walls in five patient exam rooms tailored to pediatric patients and their family members.
- $12,000 supports additional comfort with new furniture in a dedicated pediatric waiting room and in patient exam rooms.
- $10,000 illuminates the refreshed space with dimmable soothing lighting.
- $7,000 installs new flooring in the waiting room into the hallway to the patient exam rooms.
- $5,000 provides toys, books, and art kits to calm and distract our young patients while they wait comfortably in their new child-friendly space.
