Florida Hospital for Children developed a S.T.A.R. program that provides customized treatment plans for patients with special needs.
“The “S.T.A.R. program (Sensory, Tactile, Auditory Rock stars) is built on specialized training for child life specialists, nurses and other clinicians, and a standardized treatment form accessible by the entire care team,” a news release said.
For example, giving blood is an uneasy experience for many people, and for those with autism and other special needs, the procedure can be terrifying.
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Sean Sikora, 15, has Down syndrome. Hospital officials said he was so distressed when he came for blood work as part of his treatment for kidney disease, physicians and nurses had to sedate and forcefully restrain him.
But not anymore.
The S.T.A.R. program allows caregivers to learn about the patient’s triggers, how to keep them calm, and deescalate issues before they can arise.
“Hospitals can be scary, especially for our patients who can’t communicate how they feel or understand what’s happening around them,” said Chantelle Bennett, Child Life manager at Florida Hospital for Children.
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The program has been so successful with pediatric patients, Florida Hospital officials said they are expanding the initiative, and will make the training available for all Florida Hospital clinicians.
“We’re dedicated to providing compassionate care to all of our patients, and in my heart, I know that this program has made a life-changing difference for so many of our patients in their families,” Bennett said.
In Sean’s case, the simple act of being touched was a trigger for panic and aggressive behavior. But now there’s a formulated routine with Sean for each of his visits.
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"He knows exactly what's going to happen, and then what he's going to get at the end, which is getting some stickers from the doctor, some milk, maybe getting a Coke, and it just makes it so that we can get done what we need to without having any of that trauma," Sean’s mother Jenn Sikora said.
Jenn Sikora said that prior to the S.T.A.R program, Sean had to be held down during procedures, which was a difficult situation for her to witness.
“Now, he’s now happy to come to the hospital, and talks about the people and the procedure. He looks forward to coming in. I tell everyone I know because this has made a drastic change in our lives,” Jenn Sikora said.
The program has helped special need patients receive routine preventative care with ease, making it easier to manage chronic diseases and receive timely diagnoses for new conditions, hospital officials said.
Cox Media Group
