Doctors Medical Center Adds New Car to Pediatric Surgical Fleet

Doctors Medical Center made another addition to its pediatric surgical program. Last year, the hospital introduced its little black Mercedes and now has a pink Volkswagen Beetle.

The cars take the hospital’s smallest patients to the operating room. The goal is to reduce anxiety and stress, and make the experience less scary for everyone involved.

The new pink car was generously donated by a Doctors Medical Center employee and her family.

The one-seater cars, made just for kids, are both fully equipped with a stereo (there is a variety of preloaded music and an MP3 player) and can be operated by remote control or by the kids themselves. The cars have working headlights, back-up lights and dash lights. The doors open, they have a safety belt and a horn. The cars are intended for kids ages 2-7.

Getting the cars was an idea brought forth by pre-op nurse Kimberly Martinez, RN. She did some research and found the benefits of these cars having a lasting impact on young patients.

“When the children find out they can go into the operating room riding in a cool little car, they light up and in most cases, their fears melt away,” Martinez said. “It can be traumatizing for a young patient to be peeled away from their parents as they head into surgery. This helps both the patient and their parents.”

See video of the new pink car in action on The Sacramento Bee by clicking here.

For media inquiries related to this story, please contact Krista Deans at [email protected].