Teen room tech is a ‘game changer’ at Kentucky Children’s Hospital

LEXINGTON, Ky. (March 17, 2025) – Eleven-year-old Colton Morgan grips his steering wheel and makes a hard left turn, sending his yellow Ford Bronco careening off the road. He makes a hard right to get back on the road and overcorrects; the Bronco flies off the road and down a hill.  

Colton’s dad stands behind him, watching the vehicular carnage unfold on the screen. He tenses, as though he’s bracing for (virtual) impact. He releases a breath he didn’t know he was holding and laughs while Colton continues to put the Bronco through a physics-defying gauntlet. 

This is a familiar scene for the Morgan family. To fill the time between tests and procedures, Colton whiles away the hours in the Kloiber Foundation Teen Lounge in Kentucky Children’s Hospital. This is Colton’s fourth hospital stay, and his family is grateful he has a place to keep his mind distracted.  

“This place has been a silver lining,” said Colton’s dad. 

Colton agrees.  

“It’s the best room in the whole hospital!”  

Nearby, Cody Dean keeps a watchful eye on Colton’s driving shenanigans. He’s the gaming and technology specialist and supervisor of the Teen Lounge. He’s gotten to know Colton pretty well over the past few months and is happy to provide a space where patients like Colton can unwind, play video games and forget, if just for a moment, that they’re in a hospital. 

“Patients truly love this space, with many not wanting to leave at the end of the day,” said Dean. “I’ve heard patients say things like, ‘For the time I was in here, I actually forgot that I was sick,’ and ‘For the first time since being in the hospital, I feel like myself again.’ That’s exactly our goal.” 

Dean’s position is a unique one. He’s a gaming and technology specialist, part of the Child Life program at KCH, and one of a handful such specialists in children’s hospitals in the country. In fact, in July 2024, Dean was one of the first specialists to be certified.  

“Child life services strive to provide the tools needed to help children and teens cope with the stress of hospitalization,” said Jennifer Guilliams, director of the Child Life program at KCH. “These child-friendly tools have evolved over the years and technology has become an amazing resource for our department. Technology allows us to provide virtual experiences of medical treatments prior to the experience, create 3D models of medical tools for educational purposes, and to connect with family and friends with a hospitalized patient. Cody is leading the technology initiatives for the Child Life department.” 

Prior to joining the Child Life program in 2022, Dean was a pastor for 10 years. He also has a deep passion for technology and gaming. When the role of Gaming and Tech Specialist came available, it was the perfect blend of callings. He could help pediatric patients navigate the stress and uncertainty of medical treatment, while engaging with them through a mutual interest. 

“For any gamer, the chance to make a meaningful impact while doing something they love is an incredible opportunity and I knew this was the perfect position for me,” said Dean. 

“Gaming” in this context isn’t what people normally think of when it comes to playing video games. In a therapeutic setting, video games provide distraction, emotional expression and cognitive stimulation. The Teen Lounge is equipped with multiple video game systems, 3D printers, virtual reality and assistive tech, designed to help relieve patients’ stress, improve their focus and encourage social interaction with other patients. 

“Video games provide patients with an escape into immersive and beautiful worlds,” said Dean. “During my time here, I’ve seen patients experience a sense of accomplishment as they reach milestones in games, offering them a healthy way to process their emotions.” 

It provides patients with social and creative outlets as well. Dean hosts monthly gaming sessions where patients can compete among themselves or against patients at other hospitals. Computers with art and design programs provide a therapeutic outlet where patients can express themselves.  

The 3D printer has had a big impact; patients can design custom fidget toys to use during treatment, keeping their hands and minds engaged in a soothing, repetitive activity. Recently, the 3D printer has taken on a role in occupational therapy. Using free designs available online, Dean can create adaptive accessories for gaming controllers for patients that have limited use of their hands. He recently produced an adapter for a patient who lost most of the use of his left hand, allowing him to reach all the buttons with his right. 

Adapting technology and integrating it into a patient’s treatment protocol doesn’t just impact the patient’s emotional well-being; parents and caregivers can see the effects as well. When their child is immersed in a video game, supervised by Dean or one of his volunteers, they have an opportunity to take a moment for themselves, or step out to tend to their other children or work obligations. 

“We have had many parents also come back to share their positive experiences,” said Dean. “Many of them absolutely love to see how their children are cared for. When I tell them that a position like mine and a room like this are rare in children’s hospitals, and they appreciate how KCH is meeting their child’s needs in creative and unique ways.” 

Dean has big plans for the Teen Lounge. Aside from updating and expanding gaming and tech options, he’s working to build awareness and partnerships within other areas of the UK HealthCare enterprise in an effort to enhance patient care. He also wants to expand the volunteer program so the lounge can stay open longer in the evenings and on weekends.  

In the meantime, Dean takes it day by day, and every day is different. Patients come to the Teen Lounge with different levels of gaming or tech experience. Some days, he’s using the 3D printer to bring the product of a wild imagination to fruition. Others, he’s embroiled in a skirmish against a patient on a digital battlefield. But sometimes, he just sits back and offers words of encouragement to a patient who just needs to escape into a virtual universe after a tough day of treatment. 

“Ultimately, the Teen Lounge creates a comforting environment where patients can relax, be themselves, and find moments of joy during their stay,” said Dean. “I strive every day to make a positive memory for every patient that I work with.”