Sanford waiting rooms undergoing changes

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Construction is underway at some Sanford waiting rooms, including this one at the Vandemark building on the Sanford Campus in Sioux Falls.

Workers are installing pieces of an interactive wall display. When it’s finished it will look like this one at the Sanford Castle. Alaina Hardie designed the space. She wanted to get beyond the standard rows of chairs and tiny televisions.

“There are some great rocking chairs that, if you don’t feel well, you can sit in those,” said Hardie, who is an interior designer. “There are some poofs that are child size that will be really nice for kiddos and then a great couch area that we feel kind of feels like a residential space that kids can kind of snuggle up to a caregiver or each other and it feels a little bit more like a home.”

Hardie designed the space to incorporate the Sanford Fit mission. Some examples include a mirror game that can help kids understand their emotions and moods. Or watch the screen and get the wiggles to burn off some of that nervous energy. The fit program Lead Program Specialist says the focus is to help kids feel more comfortable coming to see their doctor.

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“On the surface, it does look maybe just cute pictures and aesthetically pleasing, but we know that It’s very common for kids to have nervous feelings before an appointment, and once you are in this space, it is amplified, its game time you are just about ready to have that experience that all those feeling are associated with,” said Britney Nathan.

Nathan uniquely understands what sick kids go through because she worked in the Sanford Castle for about 7 years.

“Our goal is not to eliminate stressors because they are there. We want to validate that when they enter the door and hold their hand through their journey, and support them through everything they experience,” said Nathan.

The changes are not just for the kids but for mom and dad as well. We all know that if the kids are feeling better, so are the parents.

According to Hardie, Sanford plans to incorporate all or part of the new waiting room plan into all Sanford clinics that serve families.