Patient Technologist
Overview
A patient technologist looks for various forms of technology that can implemented at Golisano Children's Hospital to help enhance the overall experience for our patients and their families.
We use technology that's educational, therapeutic, and recreational and also helps our patients cope with their pain, stress, and anxiety.
It's just another way our child life department helps normalize the hospital environment -- all while having fun.
Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida was selected for a grant by Child’s Play Charity, which helped establish this role at Lee Health.
Our technologist works closely others around the country to help grow and establish this program, and that allows us to showcase the immense benefits for our specific patient population. Technologists meet once a week via conference chat and share ideas, suggestions, and advice to one another.
Services
A patient technologist provides non-pharmacological services that assist with the management of pain, discomfort, and many other situations, all through distraction.
Along with seeing patients and providing therapeutic relief via technology, our technologist works with the child life director and senior leadership team on special projects that involve technology enhancements here at Golisano.
Technology services that we offer include:
- Virtual reality
- Augmented reality
- Coding
- Robotics
- Video games
A Personal Touch
Meet Ansel "Adam" Broome, our patient technologist!
“Teaming up and collaborating with one of our Certified Child Life Specialists (CCLS), Music Therapist and Hospital School Teacher to bring gaming and technology to Golisano pediatric patient’s is something I provide each day. Virtual Reality (VR) and gaming on different types of consoles is a high demand with the patient’s within the hospital and can be disguised to help the patient’s not only to provide normalization while in the hospital (whether short or long term) but also provide therapeutic play and help patients ambulate when they do need to get up and move around but don’t want to take laps through the halls of their units.”
“Virtual Reality can be such an amazing escape for a lot of patients. I know sometimes when I introduce the idea of VR to a patient who has never experienced it, isn’t always met with excitement but can sometimes be met with caution and uncertainty of the unknown if they will like it or not. I always explain each part of the equipment that I am using, show demos on YouTube, and will even try the goggles on myself so they see how it’s used. Once the patient is comfortable using the VR it can be such a great escape for them to “leave” the hospital and go somewhere that they may have never imagined. Or if they want to get some anger, frustration or other emotions out they can participate in a VR dancing, boxing, or Beat Saber (which is a huge favorite for a lot of patients)”
“Sometimes patients really just want to sit back and play a two-player game and not talk about what’s going on with them medically and that’s one of the reasons why I am here. Distraction can come in many forms and sometimes just having a person play a racing game with them for an hour can be beneficial to their stay. As of right now in the hospital we have a Playstation 4 & 5, Playstation 4 VR, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC Gaming Laptop, and Oculus Quest, so whether the patient wants to play a game one on one or if it’s a quick hello and request of a game, the option is there for whatever they need.”
Patient Success Stories
Ansel says: “I see patients every day, and each patient has their own success story. If I can provide a smile and a laugh from a patient who may be experiencing pain, discomfort from an injury, procedure anxiety or diagnosis stress, then I have done my job correctly, and not only in patients but their friends/family as well. I may be known as the “video gamer guy” in the hospital but I think I have one of the coolest jobs around because I get to use the fun and knowledge of technology to patients who sometimes don’t have a choice of being here."
Contact Us
Reach out to our patient technologist at 239-343-5894 or email [email protected]
For more information on how to give back to help us fund technologists and other positions on our team, please click on leehealthfoundation.org or childsplaycharity.org