Views from the Shore
By Brian Cahill
As the Marketing Director for Shore Medical Center, I am lucky to have the chance to collaborate with others to create a caring environment at our hospital. Our recent project brings me together with our Emergency department team, Shore’s lead fundraiser Mary McGuckin and the Atlantic County Special Services School. Mary approached me after Shore was given a very generous donation from the Goldberg family to support our new sensory friendly area in our Pediatric Emergency Room. The Goldberg’s expressed to Mary that they wanted to instill a philanthropic attitude into the youngest generation of their family and wanted them to be able see the results of this generosity towards the hospital. Together, our Emergency team, Mary and the Goldberg’s created the “Follow the Footprints” initiative. Evan Goldberg, 17, Samantha Goldberg, 15, Lia Goldberg, 12, and Maya Goldberg, 8, had their feet traced to symbolize them taking their first step towards a philanthropic lifestyle; these footprints will be adhered to the floor of the Emergency Room and will give children with sensory issues a path and something to focus on while they head to their examination room.
What is a Sensory-Friendly Room?
Shore Medical Center is working in conjunction with the Atlantic County Special Services School to create a pediatric sensory room that accommodates the needs of children with sensory issues. This will be a wonderful resource for these children to receive medical care, and it will be a godsend for parents who may hesitate to take a child for care for fear of uncertainty.
These children have a heightened sensitivity towards bright lights, loud sounds, and a changing routine. Shore’s sensory room will include things such as a bubble wall, a sound machine, rocking chairs, crash mats, and weighted blankets. Staff will use Ipads and picture cards to help with non-verbal communication with these children to help explain why they are at the hospital and what to expect. Each of these items, will help children feel calmer before and during treatment. Children will be provided with toys via a fidget cart as well as reduce the anxiety that they feel. . After the room opens on April 2 – World Autism Awareness Day – Shore will be one of the few medical destinations in New Jersey to offer a sensory room for its patients.
Why is a Sensory-Friendly
Room Important?
In Atlantic County alone, there are an estimated 1,600 children on the autism spectrum and in Cape May County, there are almost 500 more. While a trip to the hospital may be frightening for most children, these effects are only amplified for children with sensory sensitivity issues. Shore Medical Center is dedicated to providing proper medical care, and also to creating a healing environment for patients and their families. Shore’s sensory-friendly room is an important step for the families in our community. Thank you to Shore’s incredible clinical team, the compassionate team at the Atlantic County Special Services School and the Goldberg family for making this a reality.
Brian Cahill is the Director of Marketing for Shore Medical Center. He is also on the Board of the Somers Point Business Association, an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at Stockton University, and is a founding member of Somers Point-Community First, a local volunteer organization
