Shands Jacksonville is preparing for some magical visitors from Disney. Two of Disney’s beloved characters are coming to town to take part in the grand re-opening of Shands Jacksonville’s Pediatric Emergency Department.
The hospital is hosting an open house Tuesday, June 17 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. to show off its newly decorated pediatric ED. This is event is not open to the public.
With the help of $25,000 cash and in-kind donations made by Disney towards the re-decorating, the entire pediatric ED now features kid-friendly Disney and Pixar themes in an effort to help comfort young patients.
The special Disney guests will kick off a magical ribbon cutting at 11:30 a.m. Radio Disney AM 600 will also be on hand to emcee the event and provide entertainment.
The open house that will follow the ceremony is meant to bring awareness to Shands Jacksonville’s pediatric program. “Many people do not even realize Shands has its own pediatric emergency department staffed with pediatric emergency medicine specialists who are board certified University of Florida physicians,” said Madeline Joseph, M.D., chief of pediatric emergency medicine for the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville.
Every year, the Shands pediatric emergency room sees more than 22,000 patients. In addition to short wait times, the pediatric emergency department at Shands Jacksonville is proud to be one of only three accredited pediatric emergency medicine fellowship programs in the state of Florida.
Before officiating the ribbon cutting, the Disney characters and Disney VoluntEARS will surprise children in our pediatric unit with a special party and one-on-one visits starting at 10:30 a.m.