The Power of Play is the theme for the new Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Hollywood.
The design is a colorful and concerted effort to make a medical facility more kid-friendly and less intimidating. It's more than the pirate-themed decor in the CT scan room.
Dr. Debra Lau, chief of pediatric radiology. said that even the equipment is more kid-friendly.
The actual imaging machine is designed to reduce radiation exposure "so that we can still get the same quality image but the radiation dose is significantly less to the child, about 30 to 40 per cent less,” she said.
The new Joe DiMaggio Children’s hospital officially opens Thursday, July 21. Scans and surgeries have already been scheduled.
The kitchen staff is preparing to literally cater to kids. Food on trays won't be delivered at designated meal times. There will be room service from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Every patient will have a room service menu. The healthy items have the baseball glove next to it.
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“They're going to tell us when they're hungry," said Megan Faul, director of food and nutrition. "We're going to provide them with what they want to eat and what they're desire is that day. And we're going to provide it within 30 minutes of that phone call”
There are 48 private hospital beds and six operating rooms. However, heart and complex brain surgeries will still be done at Memorial Regional.
For the first time pediatric cancer patients here will have their own floor.
Half of the hospital beds are for them. There are two family suites for the most ill patients.
The emergency room, however, is not moving to the new building. Neonatal and pediatric intensive care units will also remain at Memorial, located just across the street.
An open house for the public is scheduled for Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
