“Thanks to a grant, our emergency waiting room features two Touch2Play Pro game systems. We are getting great feedback from our patients and staff!”

Ashley B., CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Emergency Room, Beaumont, Texas

Child Life Specialists, like Ashley B., know how important a positive experience can be for any patient while in the hospital or at a medical facility, and she couldn’t wait to share her recent hands-on adventure with our DMA4Families team.

Kidzpace gaming systems recently installed at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth Emergency Room in Beaumont, Texas with custom donor screens featuring Child’s Play

Here’s what happened: the staff at CHRISTUS St. Elizabeth in Southeast Texas was certain our Kidzpace games would make a difference for children as they waited in the emergency room there. But her department didn’t have the money budgeted to purchase the games. The organization Child’s Play stepped up to secure the funding, and through a grant to the hospital, the games are now in place. “This awesome setup features dozens of pre-loaded touch screen games that are keeping kids occupied while they wait,” Ashley says.

Play, and in particular playing games, can elevate any patient’s experience, but especially children who are waiting for an appointment, preparing for treatment, or working through the recovery process. Stress and worry are common emotions, and many facilities are now going to great lengths to make everyone feel welcome, and at ease. Providing opportunities for play can create a positive, overall image of the hospital for its patients, families, and community. As a volunteer services coordinator with the VA Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia told us, “All three Touch2Play games are working fine, and the patients love them. In fact, the Recreational Therapist I talked to called the games the best donation ever!”

How Fundraising Can Work for You

Healthcare foundations, and development professionals, typically play the key role in ensuring hospitals find a way to strengthen the important connections between patients and providers. And there are many ways DMA4Families works with donors and healthcare facilities to secure funding. Our most common types of fundraising efforts include:  

• Hospital Development Department Campaigns
• Donations from Local Businesses and Benevolent Organizations
• Grant Applications through Foundations and Philanthropic Organizations
• Employee Giving Campaigns
• Individual, Families, and Grateful Patient Gifts

How We Can Help You

DMA4Families can offer expert advice on your gaming product placement, along with integration into your new, renovated, or current space. To help you communicate the benefits of providing some much needed fun, we also supply:

• Presentation materials. Information to share with prospective donors and for use at budget and planning meetings.
• Fundraising literature. This includes images and product information for placement in flyers, posters, in-house newsletters, and wish lists. It is an easy way to help others learn about the benefits of our gaming systems for your patients, families, and staff.
• Kidzpace systems for trial purposes. We can ship a gaming system to you  showcasing it at fundraising events or galas, depending on the particulars, or for some hands-on fun to help build excitement to support your efforts.
• Press releases. We can help create the content for your press release, newspaper article, newsletter, or any other items to get the word out into the public about raising funds for a game system meant to deliver some much-needed fun, and a release from anxiety for patients, and their families.

And to help draw special attention to the generosity of your donors, we can customize the main screen of the Touch2Play models, and create special signs above any Carousel or Triangle. It’s a colorful, vibrant way of saying “thank you,” and recognizing worthy philanthropic efforts.

Meantime, Ashley considers the entire process worth it, and says, “The Touch2Play Pros are such a great resource for our patients, and their families.” She is seeing visitors enjoying the gaming experience while spending time in waiting or treatment areas, family lounges or lobbies. And the hospital has a visible way of providing a better experience for its visitors. Her department’s fundraising supporters now understand, and are connecting with the fact, the games are making a difference for many people, each and everyday.

Learn more about our Kidzpace Touch2Play, and our many other play options, here.

Example of a custom donor screen featuring a foundation

Example of a custom donor screen featuring employee-giving