For children and their parents, facing a hospital stay can be intimidating. This is not true at Good Samaritan thanks to its innovative Child Life Program. The Child Life Program, which started at Good Samaritan in 2003 with a donation from The Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation, focuses on making a child's health care experience more comfortable using tools familiar to them, such as art, play and education. The Child Life Specialists join with the pediatric health care team to promote and support the family's role in their children's hospital experience.

The Child Life staff currently consists of a program director and two Child Life Specialists. The staff has specialized training and education in understanding children's reactions to hospitalization and illness and are certified as Child Life Specialists by the Child Life Council. Their role is to assist children and their families to better deal with a hospital experience and to help young patients understand and cope with any fears or anxieties. The program promotes emotional well-being and normal development through a variety of therapeutic activities. Patients in the Pediatric Unit, those in Good Samaritan's Pediatric Emergency Room and pediatric ambulatory surgery patients can all benefit from this valuable program.

The Child Life Specialists serve as liaisons between medical staff and patients. The specialists mentally prepare pediatric patients for tests and procedures by explaining the steps and often demonstrating the process on a bear or doll. The staff also strives to keep children connected with their lives outside the hospital. In 2007 the program will offer a licensed teacher to act as a liaison between patients and their own schools.

Preparation for Surgery