Driscoll Children's Hospital | Gesturetek Health

GestureTek Health’ WallFX Featured in the Newly Renovated Driscoll Children’s Hospital

Just blocks away from the salty breezes of the Texas Corpus Christi Bay, Driscoll Children’s Hospital’s towering eight-story brick building cuts a familiar image into the Corpus Christi landscape. Now, the iconic building that serves as a beacon of hope and healing for the children of South Texas has an eye-catching addition as the blue brick elevator shaft and the colored-panel glass in the front signals a newly renovated Emergency Room. A $14 million project renovated the 18,500 square feet of existing space for better utilization and patient flow.

As part of the major renovation, the ER’s waiting area has been equipped with child-friendly features, including the GestureTek Health’s WallFX, an interactive wall that allows children to control what is projected on-screen using simple body gestures such as the wave of a hand.

“Before the renovation, our Emergency Department was built to handle an average of 15,000 patients a year. Now we’re seeing more than 35,000 patients a year, so this renovation allows us the proper space to accommodate those patients efficiently,” Driscoll Children’s Hospital’s Vice President of Operations Donna Quinn said.

Courtesy of Page Southerland Page, Inc.

“The new renovations make things so much better for everyone – for our physicians and staff, and most importantly, for our patients.”
Donna Quinn

When a child’s health is in crisis, South Texas families turn to Driscoll Children’s Hospital for help. "With the renovated Emergency Department, we’re able to give families a more comfortable space,” Quinn said. “We already had the most state-of-the-art equipment for our patients, so the technology and the people are the same. Now, we have an improved way of presenting it with even more efficiency.”

The additional benefit of the WallFX system is the sense of calm and relaxation it brings to waiting families and patients as they engage with the fun technology, keeping children’s mind off any discomfort or fear they may be experiencing in anticipation of seeing the doctor. The technology has also been used in Sensory and Snoezelen rooms around the world, including pediatric pain management clinics, providing soothing sensory distractions that can easily be just as beneficial for waiting rooms and foyers.

“We’re excited to have a facility that is so dynamic,” Medical Director of Emergency Services Edgar Cortes, MD, said. “No one wants to have their child in the ER, but we feel like this is the best place you could bring your child when they need immediate care. We’re proud to be able to offer such a first-class facility for the children of South Texas and their families.”