Looking inside the healing environment

Children's Healing Experience Project,  Teck Acute Care Centre

Lee Family Medical Imaging is a central hub for the more than 71,000 medical imaging exams performed annually. With procedures ranging from general radiology to nuclear medicine, medical imaging is also home to some of the most technologically advanced diagnostic equipment in the country. To a child, those giant, noisy machines can be very intimidating.

“When children need a medical imaging procedure, the biggest challenge is getting them to stay still, which can be difficult if they are anxious or fearful. We wanted to create a positive experience for them, and make the environment as calm as possible. ”
— Diane Griffin, clinical lead

Often sedation is needed to keep a child still, but colourful murals will help distract and engage children which may reduce the need for sedation.

Medical imaging is also home to a state-of-the-art MRI simulator that mimics the experience of an actual exam. Team Kelowna Creative, a group of former Disney artists, worked closely with clinical staff, patients and their families to create artwork and an accompanying narrative that transformed the simulator into an adventure story, with the child in the starring role.