Time spent in pediatric waiting rooms can create all kinds of anxieties for children and those taking care of them.
Sanford Fit, the Children’s Health Initiative from Sanford Health, is transforming the patient and family experience by turning these stressful waiting periods into opportunities for connection and calm.
It began when Amy Baete, Sanford Fit program director, was experiencing the challenges involved with her own children in waiting rooms. She concluded there had to be a way to make these minutes better.
This became the catalyst for what has grown into a comprehensive Sanford Fit initiative designed to improve the experience for children in the moments leading up to their visit with the provider.
“In the middle of my kids climbing on chairs and digging in my purse, I knew that we could do something to provide a better experience for kids,” Baete remembers thinking. “It seemed unfortunate that the only options to engage or entertain my kids while we waited were TVs and tablets. So my team and I got to work.”
Reimagining waiting rooms in support of kids
The Sanford Fit team partnered with physical therapists, clinic leaders and contractors to bring a new concept to life for pediatric waiting areas.
The goal was to turn the wait into a win for families. These spaces allow kids to channel their energy through movement and affirmations, turning an anxious moment into a confidence-building experience. These are more than just activities – they are life skills that help patients manage stress today and throughout their medical journey.
Years later, at more than 15 Sanford Health pediatric and family medicine clinics, a child and their parent or caregiver making a visit can:
- Participate in hands-on activities that let children practice calming skills like deep breathing or naming their feelings. These activities help reduce stress and big emotions in the moment.
- Engage in movement paths and watch videos on interactive televisions that encourage safe movement and play. This helps kids manage their emotions and shows them that this is a safe space made just for them.
- Instead of regular cable programming, waiting room televisions provide a seasonally updated, caregiver‑focused playlist of digital content that delivers simple, practical health tips families can use right away.
“These activities can encourage excitement, a sense of belonging, and calmness,” said Brittney Nathan, CCLS, lead program development specialist at Sanford Fit. “The medical environment is traditionally not a ‘kid-friendly’ world – there’s a lack of control, fear of unknown and fear of potential pain that kids are grappling with when entering these doors.”
Graphic by Sanford Health
Digital content supports caregivers
Waiting room televisions now feature bite‑sized, trusted health information that helps caregivers manage common concerns and feel informed and supported throughout their child’s visit.
- Various health promotion topics such as tips to support picky eaters, follow-along recipe videos, ways to teach toddlers about emotions, simple coping strategies for kids, supporting a teen’s mental health journey, minimizing screen time, ways to ensure your child is getting enough sleep at night, fun ways to get kids active and family friendly movement activities
- “Pediatric Pointers: Quick Tips for Healthy & Happy Kids” from a Sanford Health pediatric provider
- Promotion of well child visits and childhood immunizations
- Tips for preparing for and supporting children through medical experiences and needle procedures
- Promotion of Sanford Children’s CHILD Services’ programs and resources
- “Seasonal Safety Tips for Kids” provided by a Sanford Trauma partner
“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 – it’s game time,” Nathan said. “You are just about ready to have that experience that all those feelings are associated with. Our goal is not to eliminate stressors; we just want to hold their hand through their journey and support them through everything they experience.”
The Sanford Fit overall vision is to create dynamic and meaningful resources and programs to empower children and activate lifelong healthy behaviors. In this case, the Fit vision provided the framework for making kids’ visits to waiting rooms more positive and engaging.
The Fit team hopes the idea grows into more pediatric and family waiting spaces.
“Providing children with physical spaces that make them feel safe, seen, and provide opportunities for growth and self-expression will always be best practice,” Nathan said. “I see this strategy being more broadly accepted and integrated into systematic operations moving forward.”
Visit the Sanford Fit website to learn more about free, expert-backed resources available to help empower healthy lifestyle choices for children.
Learn more
- Play the podcast: Sanford Fit builds active waiting rooms
- Sanford Fit encourages kids to build healthy habits for life
- Kids with big emotions? Reach for these coping skills
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Posted In Children's, Family Medicine, Healthy Living, Parenting
