Grant Funds Media Center For Pediatric Emergency Dept.

DANBURY — Waiting time for children in the Danbury Hospital Galante Pediatric Wing of the Emergency Department just got a bit easier thanks to a grant from the national Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation.

Children will now be able to watch movies and educational programs, and play interactive games, while they wait to be seen by medical staff. The gift from Starlight Starbright, an organization that brightens the lives of seriously ill children and their families, provides new state-of-art LCD monitors, equipped with DVD/VCR players and headphones. The $10,000 grant also provides DVDs and videos.

While no one likes to wait to see a doctor, especially when they are sick, scared, or in pain, an Emergency Department waiting room can be especially intimidating for a child.

 “The DVDs and videos will distract, entertain, educate, and relax children, and help take their minds off the wait,” said Patrick Broderick, MD, chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine.

“Research shows, and our experience proves, that reducing anxiety and tension in an emergency health care setting helps facilitate better doctor/patient relationships and promotes faster healing and less discomfort,” he added. Siblings who may be waiting with their family will also be able to use the resources.

The new media and technology is a welcome addition to the Galante Pediatric Wing, which was unveiled last summer, and includes a child-friendly atmosphere. Each of the four brand new pediatric patient treatment rooms is decorated with a fun theme, from outer space to an under-the-sea adventure. More than 250 children each week are cared for here.

The Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation was founded in 1985 by Steven Spielberg and Peter Samuelson to help children and families through illnesses by healing spirits and alleviating pain, fear, and isolation. Its programs are estimated to benefit 180,000 children and their families each month. Its Hospital Grant Program, started in 1996, provides art and music therapists, computers, AV equipment, toys and books into pediatric care units.

In the past, Starlight Starbright has awarded Danbury Hospital with two Fun Centers, interactive media equipment, including a Nintendo GameCube system. The hospital has also received hundreds of toys and books from the foundation’s Holiday Joy Drive.