SAN DIEGO, March 3, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Skylight Healthcare Systems announced a far-reaching partnership with Starlight Children's Foundation to bring enhanced pediatric content to the patient bed-side. Integrated with the Skylight ACCESS® Interactive Patient System, Starlight's educational programs and games will be offered in pediatric hospitals across the country. Designed to teach seriously ill children and their family members about their medical conditions, Starlight's programs supplement the value of the ACCESS in-room system that engages the patients with meaningful services, information, entertainment, activities, and support—far beyond the scope of traditional health education videos.
The partnership between Starlight and Skylight is built on the foundation of improving the quality of life for young patients and helping them cope with the social and emotional challenges that accompany illness and hospitalization. The patient and family centered solution is designed to enable children's hospitals the ability to truly enhance and improve the entire patient experience throughout the journey of care.
Starlight's games, animated webisodes and interactive programs were created with input from children and families and guidance from leading medical professionals in order to help children learn the purpose of medical procedures, how to better manage and cope with their illnesses and how to communicate more effectively with family, friends, peers and healthcare professionals.
Skylight ACCESS will also give hospitalized teens (ages 13-20) the opportunity to connect with one another via Starlight's private online social network, Starbright World®. The virtual community allows teens with serious medical conditions to communicate with each other via chat, express themselves through stories, photos, videos, and personal profiles and have fun with contests and games. Since its debut in 1996, Starbright World has helped thousands of teens with serious medical conditions build on friendships, create new ones and cope with their illnesses both in and out of the hospital.
"Our goal is to support children and their families throughout their journey of care, from diagnosis through treatment and beyond," said David Schofield, Skylight President and CEO. "Skylight ACCESS has been proven to enhance the patient experience and improve patient satisfaction. ACCESS brings a level of connection and comfort to patients that reduces anxiety and promotes healing. Nowhere is this more important than in the pediatric setting and the relationship with Starlight helps us achieve this important mission.
"With the overall well-being of young patients in mind, it made perfect sense to integrate Starlight's educational program and games with Skylight ACCESS," said Jacqueline Hart-Ibrahim, Starlight CEO. "Starlight's games, animated webisodes and interactive programs for diseases such as asthma, cancer and Crohn's Disease have already helped so many young patients feel more positive and optimistic about their illness, and we look forward to working with Skylight in empowering an even larger population."
About Starlight Children's Foundation
When a child or teenager has a serious medical condition, everyone in the family is affected. For more than 25 years, Starlight Children's Foundation has been dedicated to helping seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education and family activities. Starlight's programs have been proven to distract children from their pain, help them better understand and manage their illnesses, and connect families facing similar challenges so that no one feels alone. Through a network of chapters and offices, Starlight provides ongoing support to children, parents and siblings in all U.S. states and Canadian provinces with an array of outpatient, hospital-based and Web offerings. Programs are also delivered internationally through affiliates in Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom. To learn more visit www.starlight.org.
About Skylight Healthcare Systems
Founded in 1999, and headquartered in San Diego, CA, Skylight® Healthcare Systems is the industry pioneer in interactive patient care technology. With patient communication and connection as the cornerstone of a safe, comfortable and clinically optimal hospital experience, the Skylight ACCESS® Interactive Patient Care System encourages patients and family to actively participate in their health care, improves communication between staff and patient/family members, and can provide a smoother and faster recovery and discharge plan. With their new products—iCarePassport™ and iCareRounds™—Skylight is delivering on its strategic vision of providing hospitals with a robust product set which will allow them to greatly enhance connection and communication throughout the journey of care from pre-admission through post-discharge. Hospitals implement Skylight to support their ongoing endeavors in improving HCAHPS scores, patient satisfaction, clinical outcomes, enhancing operational & service excellence, meeting evolving clinical demands, and delivering on commitments to making a positive difference in the lives of the people they serve. For more information about Skylight Healthcare Systems, please visit: www.Skylight.com.
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