Bob Iger (left of center) president and CEO of Disney, toured the hospital and participated in the Grand Opening ceremony.

Unique Features Make Newly Unveiled Pediatric Hospital World Class 

When Florida Hospital initiated a partnership with The Walt Disney Company on a venture combining the nation’s largest not-for-profit hospital with the global leader in family entertainment, hospital leaders knew the mission to create a truly special environment for Central Florida children to receive medical care would require deeply creative thinking.

“When you work with the Disney organization, you learn a lot about how to deliver the best project,” said Tim Burrill, assistant administrator of the Florida Hospital for Children. “Disney does that very well. When we started conversations, it became very clear that we couldn’t have a Disney children’s hospital and be second best. This project needed to be world class. As a result, we began thinking about things differently, some that hadn’t been done before, and came up with a pretty good game plan.”

The media, families and medical providers were impressed with the result when Florida Hospital and Disney Corporation leaders unveiled the Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital for Children earlier this spring.

Nearly 100 pediatric sub-specialists covering roughly three dozen pediatric sub-specialties are on staff at the seven-story, 200-bed pediatric facility. The hospital-in-a-hospital also features a three-story lobby; an 81-bed NICU; four new nursing units; specially trained therapists—the Child Life Team—that help children cope with hospitalization through education and play, music and pet therapy programs; the region’s first neuro-oncology and neurofibromatosis programs; and Central Florida’s only pediatric bone marrow transplant program.

The Details

Phillips, a global company representing Florida Hospital’s second significant partner on the project, provided ambient lighting throughout the hospital—and other illumination enhancements.

“Phillips has a group in the Netherlands that works on improving clinical and hospital environments, especially to complement Phillips’ medical equipment, such as an MRI machine,” explained Burrill. “The group created projection distraction technology for patients in an MRI, for example. For a child, and even to adults who are claustrophobic, an MRI can seem to be a very scary place.” 

Other details making a major impact on patient and provider experience technology in the ICU and ER include electrified glass, an infection control improvement device for patient privacy. With the flip of a switch, the glass turns from transparent to opaque, eliminating the need for a curtain.

“It’s one of the more simple technologies that changes the method of care,” said Burrill. “Glass is cleaner, and there’s no curtain contamination between patients.”

Special Disney-themed surgical suites feature lighting that’s easier on surgeons’ eyes.

“We’ve learned that when you use green-tinted light in a surgical environment, surgeons can see better,” said Burrill. “They tell us it makes a difference.”

Other Differentiators

The ER is staffed with pediatric-trained emergency doctors around the clock. Examination rooms have a projection imagery system that allows families to customize their surroundings while awaiting treatment.

“When we installed the projection system a couple of years ago, we found that not only did it distract children from the reason they were in the ER; we were pleasantly surprised to see that it had a bigger impact on parents,” said Burrill. “They became more relaxed, which immediately trends to a positive reaction to children.”

Nature themes featured in the lobby—ocean, savannah, jungle and mountains—flow throughout the hospital and are incorporated into the artwork, design, and family waiting areas. Each floor has its own theme to help transition patients and families to a relaxing environment beyond the walls of the hospital, and custom scents that mimic themes are piped into selected areas. Every patient room features the GetWellNetwork interactive TV system, which also reflects the themes. 

“A hospital can be an overwhelming place, and we’ve worked very closely to learn how to make each experience special,” said Florida Hospital for Children administrator Marla Silliman. “Our mission is to provide the best care possible for our patients. I believe that we’ve achieved our goal by creating a hospital that brings world-class physicians, top-of-the-line technology and a truly patient-centered experience for children all under one roof.”

Pediatricians may call (407) 303-KIDS to initiate the referral process.

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