Just for Kids: New Pediatric Center Welcomes Young Patients
Located on the fourth floor of the
hospital, the Pediatric Center can
accommodate 15 patients in seven
private and four semiprivate rooms.
The seven private rooms are large
enough for a second bed to be moved
in to allow a parent or guardian to
stay overnight. Each room has its own
bathroom and window, and some
rooms feature a view of the Manatee
River. The rooms form a circle around
a centralized nursing station, which
was designed at a kid-friendly height
to allow patients and staff to see each
other easily.
The Community Comes Together "The entire community really came
together to make the Pediatric Center a
warm, healing place for the children of
Manatee County," says Becky Bouchard,
Manager of the Pediatric Center.
"We know that being in the hospital
is never an easy experience for children
or their families," says Debbie Mann,
Director of Women and Children's
Services. "We hope that the Pediatric
Center will help make the experience
a little less frightening and a lot more
comfortable."
Caring for the Children
Manatee Memorial Hospital's
new Pediatric Center, which
opened November 15, is
providing a cheerful, comfortable place
for children to heal.
Highlights of the Center include
spectacular jungle-themed murals
painted by students at the Ringling
College of Art and Design in Sarasota.
Each room features a different animal
theme. The Center's playroom is
stocked with new toys donated by the
West Manatee Firefighters Association
and wagons donated by the Starlight
Foundation, which can be used
instead of stretchers or wheelchairs to
transport young children for X-rays
and other tests.
Students from the Ringling College of Art
and Design created colorful murals for
Manatee Memorial Hospital's new Pediatric
Center.
Other people and organizations that
we would like to thank for helping to
make the center a reality include:
Members of the fire department
generously stocked the playroom with
donations of toys, games, books and other
kid-friendly items.
The center is staffed with 15
pediatric nurses. "The nurses
specialize in caring for the physical
and emotional needs of children, from
newborns to teenagers," says Ms.
Bouchard. "We use special assessment
tools, such as pain scales that use
smiling and sad faces, to help children
express how they're feeling, and we're
trained to be attuned to the tiniest sign
that might signal a change in a child's
condition. We also help comfort and
educate parents and involve them in
their child's care."
George Van Buren, M.D., Chief of Staff;
Rajani K. Kondabala, M.D., Snehal Parikh,
M.D., Chief of Pediatrics; Xavier Sevilla, M.D.;
and Moody L. Chisholm, Chief Executive
Officer, were all instrumental in the
development of the Pediatric Center.
To learn more about Manatee
Memorial Hospital's Pediatric Center,
please call
 |
206 Second Street East, Bradenton, FL 34208 941-746-5111 FAX: 941-745-6862 |
