New Pediatric Surgery Clinic opens at the Stollery Children’s Hospital
The new clinic features accessible x-ray rooms, friendly designs, and sensory inclusive environments for families and children of all ages.
Julia Derus A new Pediatric Surgery Clinic at the Stollery Children’s Hospital officially opened on August 17 at the Kaye Edmonton Clinic on the University of Alberta campus.
The new space was supported by a $4.85 million investment from the Government of Alberta, along with a $13.8 million investment from donors through the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation.
Expanding space, accessibility, and sensory inclusion
The clinic fosters a welcoming environment throughout its space. Friendly graphics and calm colours like purple, teal, and pink are incorporated throughout rooms and hallways.
The incorporated colours also serve as wayfinding tools, helping families navigate their way around the clinic. The colours represent the Stollery Children’s Hospital’s foundation palette, paying homage to the organization.
Every room has the ability to dim the lights in order to create a calmer and more peaceful experience. Especially for neurodivergent children and those with sensory challenges. Illustrations by local artist Jason Blower help add to the calm environment and highlight Edmonton and Alberta areas.
“It’s designed for all age groups,” said Christine Westerlund, senior operating officer for the Stollery Children’s Hospital. Westerlund is a U of A alumna who graduated with a bachelor’s in nursing (honours) in 1995 and has over 30 years of health-care experience.
“[The art] will appeal to a four-year-old as well as a sixteen-year-old.” According to Westerlund, the illustrations serve a dual purpose as a distraction. Children can focus on the art during a procedure to feel more comfortable and at ease in the clinic.
“We’ve expanded our diagnostic treatment areas, our rehab space, [and] procedural space,” says Westerlund
Accessibility is one of the clinic’s greatest improvements. The space includes an x-ray room, removing the need for patients to travel to the main or adult areas of the hospital. Currently, the new clinic has only one x-ray room, but two were built to accommodate future capacity growth. The two procedure rooms include lifts to assist patients with mobility challenges.
Dana Nagel, a mother to two children, Cameron and Emma, who’ve both had long journeys with the Stollery, praised the new clinic. Especially its spaciousness, and “amazing amenities.”
“It will be nice not to have to store Cameron’s wheelchair in the hallway … or trip on it in any of the rooms,” she expressed. “The spaces like the old surgery clinic are often cramped, crowded, and in hard-to-find areas,”
23 rooms are included in the clinic. An upgrade from the previous 14 rooms in the old clinic spaces.
“It became clear that families and care teams needed a space that could better support them,” Adriana LaGrange, the minister of hospital and surgical health services, stated at the opening event of the new clinic.
Even the waiting room includes dedicated play areas for children, and charging stations by the seating.
