SANTA ANA : Being Sick Can Have a Bright Side

Reluctantly, Rory Robles dropped the toys he was playing with. A patient’s bracelet still dangling from one wrist, he grumpily took his grandmother’s hand and headed out of the playroom.

“I wanna stay and play,” wailed the 5-year-old.

“Hush, we need to go home now,” his grandmother said.

It could have been a scene from an arcade in a mall. Instead, it was at the pediatric ward of Western Medical Center-Santa Ana.

Last week, Rory was taken to the hospital with stomach problems and suffering from dehydration. After two days, he was well enough to go home, but the kindergartner didn’t want to.

With good reason. Western Medical’s pediatric ward is like no other.

The pediatric ward is the hospital’s showcase. After a four-month, $500,000 refurbishing, the 26-bed ward with its eight-bed intensive care unit opened Dec. 6. It occupies the entire third floor of the seven-story building on Tustin Avenue.

Unlike most hospital wards with muted decor, it features life-size sculptured graphics of animals in bright colors.

It’s a virtual zoo, with sculptures of a mother giraffe tending to her young, mice chasing elephants, a kangaroo, a lion, peacocks, monkeys and ducks.

The carpets are bright red and deep blue with painted animal footprints to encourage the young patients to move about.

There are two family rooms, one painted in bright, warm colors, and the other in subdued tones for grieving families or those with very ill patients.

Danielle Garr, a former special education teacher, and her son, Dan, a movie special effects artist, designed the unit to reinforce what they call “parent-to-child bonding.”

The “jungle,” as the designer calls it, was created to make children more comfortable and their hospital stay less stressful, said Sandra Krogh, director for obstetrics and pediatric services.

“From the minute these young patients step onto the floor, they know this unit was designed for them,” she said.

The examination room has paintings on the ceiling so children have something nice to look at while taking injections or other medications.

Any painful treatments are performed there so the children will not associate pain with their own rooms, according to Krogh.

Krogh said each room is equipped with a television set, a videocassette recorder, a refrigerator and a cot for parents who want to stay for the night.

There are four private rooms, and the rest are two-bedroom units.

Most of the patients’ needs are stored right in their own rooms, said Liz Roberts, who manages pediatric operations like a head nurse.

A 13-year nursing veteran, Roberts said the practice results in more efficient nursing care and allows patients easy access to supplies, including food.

Roberts said there are 35 nurses on the pediatric ward and 15 at the intensive care unit. Five nurses are assigned to each shift.

A full-service, nonprofit hospital, Western Medical Center-Santa Ana is supported by fund-raisers and direct gifts and receives state and county grants.

It serves indigent families in central and north Orange County cities.

Dr. Steve Osburn, chairman of pediatrics, said more “children-friendly” pediatric wards can be expected in the future as hospitals respond to the need for a more pleasant and attractive environment for patients.

“Hospitals that respond better will be more competitive,” he said.