SANTA’S SLEIGH TO MAKE A CYBER-STOP AT JACKSON PEDIATRIC CENTER

Patients from Jackson Pediatric Center; Santa Claus; members of Jackson Health System’s IT department

Christmas and Santa Claus go hand-in-hand for children around the world. But often those who are hospitalized during the holidays don’t have the opportunity to tell Santa in-person what tops their wish list. Fortunately, that will change for many children this year as Santa Claus has found a way to visit the Holtz Children’s Hospital Jackson Pediatric Center, without leaving the North Pole. Children will experience the magic of the season as Santa makes an important cyber-stop, as even St. Nick has tapped into the latest mobile and collaboration technologies.

Holtz Children’s Hospital has joined with Cisco Systems to bring Santa to patients – using either an iPad, or a video monitor and web-enabled camera. Santa will visit with children at Jackson Pediatric Center, a facility for children with complex medical problems who have been discharged from the hospital, but still require specialized care. The program at the pediatric center is set in safe, home-like environment, where children can receive nursing care, respiratory treatments, occupational, speech and physical therapy and education appropriate for their age. This allows the child’s parent or caretaker to work or attend school while comforted by the fact that their little one is safe and receiving the care and medical attention they need.

During the visit from the North Pole, a video monitor and web-enabled camera will help children speak directly with Santa and offer their Christmas wishes much like an in-person experience. The children are also all given a special gift to take home.

Members of Jackson Health System’s information technology department are playing the part of Santa’s helpers and delivering individually wrapped gifts to the children of the Jackson Pediatric Center. More than 100 gifts from the children’s wish lists – purchased by members of the IT team – will be delivered at the event. The gifts include diapers, toys, musical instruments and computers.

December

17, 2014, 10:00 a.m.

Jackson Pediatric Center
1477 N.W. 8th Avenue
Miami, Florida 33136

About Cisco Santa Connection
During the 2014 holiday season, more than 40 hospitals across the U.S. and Mexico will participate in the Cisco Santa Connection Program.  This interactive experience enables hospitalized children to remotely connect and communicate with Santa using Cisco’s video collaboration technologies.  Through the magic of the Internet, the children are connected over video directly to Santa’s workshop in the North Pole where they can share their wish lists directly with Old St. Nick. After a personal conversation with Santa, children can join their families and enjoy a holiday party complete with gifts at the hospital.  Santa Connection was developed eight years ago to provide children and their families a bit of holiday cheer and happiness during their hospital stay. For more information, please contact Sarah Rich ([email protected]).