The Muma Children's Hospital at TGH now offers
robot-guided virtual aquarium tours to pediatric patients.
Video Link:
https://vimeo.com/948343262/064327d2cc
TAMPA,
Fla., May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Tampa
General Hospital (TGH) launched the first phase of a new,
innovative program in partnership with The Florida Aquarium to
provide pediatric patients with the opportunity to participate in
immersive virtual tours of the aquarium from their hospital beds,
with the help of a custom-built robot. As of its launch, the
program is one of only a handful of such programs in the
nation.
"We are tremendously proud to partner with The Florida Aquarium
to revolutionize the care experience for our pediatric patients and
their loved ones who are along for the duration of their care
journey with them," said John
Couris, president and CEO of Tampa General and president of
the Board of The Florida Aquarium. "When we think about innovation
at Tampa General, we're really thinking about new and unexpected
ways to create value for our community and our team members. This
program is an exceptional example of how an unconventional
partnership can elevate the standard of care patients can expect to
receive from an academic health system."
As the region's leading academic and research health system,
Tampa General treats patients with some of the most critical and
complex conditions, meaning some patients admitted to the Muma
Children's Hospital at TGH may spend several weeks or months in the
hospital from the time they are admitted through their
rehabilitation and recovery process. Recognizing that long-term
pediatric patients may be unable to leave the hospital for extended
periods of time, Tampa General and The Florida Aquarium
collaborated to enable a meaningful connection to the world outside
of the hospital's walls.
"Both The Florida Aquarium and Tampa General share an unwavering
commitment to healing and teaching, and a partnership to deliver on
that with an exciting, first-of-its-kind educational experience for
our community's pediatric patients has been a rewarding
opportunity," said Roger Germann,
president and CEO of The Florida Aquarium. "This has also been an
incredible opportunity for our team to expand the impact of our
work by engaging children who are excited to explore and learn,
especially with their families or classmates, but may not otherwise
have the opportunity to visit us."
To support these patients at every step throughout their
hospitalizations, Tampa General's dedicated team of Certified Child
Life Specialists (CCLS) promote effective coping through education
about procedures and diagnoses, preparation and play to reduce
stress and anxiety. The Muma Children's Hospital at TGH's CCLS
team, through consultations with patients and their families,
identify patients who are interested in taking 30-minute virtual
tours of one of the aquarium's four distinct habitats and work
closely with their counterparts at The Florida Aquarium to schedule
the tours, which are then conducted virtually using a remotely
controlled robot driven by the patient using a laptop. Guided by a
team member on the ground at the aquarium and a CCLS in the room
with them, participating patients can freely explore the aquarium's
exhibits, moving the robot's cameras up and down, and zooming in or
out, to simulate the experience of an in-person tour.
This program was created with a patient-centered approach,
tapping into Tampa General's Patient and Family Advisory Council, a
committee of former patients and their loved ones who regularly
review and provide feedback that is incorporated into new policies,
protocols or initiatives that impact patient experience.
Additionally, prior to the program's launch, Tampa General's CCLS
team engaged patients at the Muma Children's Hospital by asking
them to complete coloring sheets of the robot with a name
nomination, which were then hung on the hospital's walls for a
voting period and determined the robot's official name, Aquabot
3000. Once the Aquabot 3000 arrived at The Florida Aquarium, their
staff teamed up with Tampa General to have real pediatric acute
care and rehabilitation patients preview the program to ensure a
fun and seamless user experience for future participants.
"We are thrilled to be able to partner with The Florida Aquarium
in such a meaningful way to set a new standard for what a stellar
patient experience can and should look like for some of our
youngest patients," said Melissa
Golombek, vice president of the Muma Children's Hospital at
TGH and the TGH Women's Institute. "Not only does this program
offer our pediatric patients something fun to look forward to
during what is often a challenging time in their lives, but it
gives them a sense of autonomy and an opportunity to create joyful
childhood memories despite their illness or injury."
Tampa General and The Florida Aquarium will continue to scale
this partnership during a second phase, when they will acquire a
second robot and create more opportunities for patients to engage
with this cutting-edge technology.
ABOUT TAMPA GENERAL
HOSPITAL
Tampa General Hospital, a 981-bed, not-for-profit,
academic health system, is one of the largest hospitals in America
and delivers world-class care as the region's only center for Level
l trauma and comprehensive burn care. Tampa General Hospital is the
highest-ranked hospital in the market in U.S. News & World
Report's 2023-24 Best Hospitals, with six specialties ranking among
the top 50 best hospital programs in the
United States. Tampa General Hospital has been designated as
a model of excellence by the 2022 Fortune/Merative 100 Top
Hospitals list. The academic health system's commitment to
growing and developing its team members is recognized by two
prestigious Forbes magazine rankings – in the top 100 nationally in
the 2023 America's Best Employers for Women and top 25 in
Florida in the 2023 America's Best
Employers by State. Tampa General is the safety net hospital for
the region, caring for everyone regardless of their ability to pay,
and in fiscal year 2021, provided a net community benefit of
approximately $240.3 million in the
form of health care for underinsured patients, community education,
and financial support to community health organizations in
Tampa Bay. It is one of the
nation's busiest adult solid organ transplant centers and is the
primary teaching hospital for the USF Health Morsani College of
Medicine. With six medical helicopters, Tampa General Hospital
transports critically injured or ill patients from 23 surrounding
counties to receive the advanced care they need. Tampa General
houses a nationally accredited comprehensive stroke center, and its
32-bed Neuroscience, Intensive Care Unit is the largest on the West
Coast of Florida. It also is home to the Muma Children's
Hospital at TGH, the Jennifer Leigh Muma 82-bed neonatal intensive
care unit, and a nationally accredited rehabilitation center. Tampa
General Hospital's footprint includes TGH North which is comprised
of three hospitals and several outpatient locations in Citrus and Hernando counties, 17 Tampa General Medical
Group Primary Care offices, TGH Family Care Center Kennedy, TGH
Outpatient Center, TGH Virtual Health, and 21 TGH Imaging
outpatient radiology centers throughout Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas and Palm
Beach counties. Tampa Bay
area residents also receive world-class care from the TGH
Urgent Care powered by Fast Track network of clinics. To see a
medical care professional live anytime, anywhere on a smartphone,
tablet or computer, visit Virtual Health | Tampa General Hospital
(tgh.org). As one of the largest hospitals in the country, Tampa
General Hospital is the first in Florida to partner with GE Healthcare and open
a clinical command center that provides real-time situational
awareness to improve and better coordinate patient care at a lower
cost. For more information, go to www.tgh.org.
Media Contact: Beth Hardy,
APR
Assistant Manager
Publications & Physician Communications
(727) 510-6363 (cell)
ehardy@tgh.org
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SOURCE Tampa General Hospital