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'Super' medical garments making hospital stays more fun for kids at Joondalup Health Campus

Joondalup Health Campus part of Ramsay Health Care

Key Facts:

• Children being treated at Joondalup Health Campus now have access to Supertees - a medical garment disguised as fun costumes
• The garments are gifted to patients in a decorative box with activities inside
• Funded by 7Telethon for three years, the initiative will benefit thousands of children in Perth's northern suburbs
• The tees will be used in the hospital's Telethon Children's Ward and Emergency Department

Superheroes, ballerinas and astronauts have descended on Joondalup Health Campus (JHC), thanks to the arrival of Supertees in the Telethon Children’s Ward and Emergency Department.

The medical garments are disguised as fun costumes while allowing easy access for treatment.

“The Supertee can be worn during scans and has openings for tubes and temperature checks, but it also makes dressing the children a less stressful experience. Hospital stays can be daunting, so we try to find fun wherever we can,” said JHC Clinical Nurse Manager Arlene Outhwaite.

The tees are presented in a decorative box with activities inside and are gifted to patients, unlike traditional medical garments that are disposed of or washed and reused.

Mum Svetlana Brushwood said the Supertee gift box was a welcome surprise for daughter Eliana, 4, who was at JHC for a tonsillectomy.

“It makes the experience more positive. She can wear this to parties or other places outside the hospital because it looks like a normal outfit.”

In addition to the paediatric ward, the Supertees will be used in JHC’s Emergency Department, which has dedicated children’s bays.

“The ED is the first impression a lot of our young patients get of the hospital, so this is another way to help them feel comfortable around medical staff and equipment,” said Arlene.

7Telethon has generously funded the garments for three years, meaning thousands of children in Perth’s north will be gifted the tees to help them through their hospital stay.

The JHC Telethon Children’s Ward saw more than 4,000 patients last year, while the hospital’s Emergency Department had 20,000 paediatric presentations.

Supertee is a registered Australian charity that distributes medical garments to hospitals, respite centres and paediatric wards nationwide.

Contact details:

Lindsay Brennan - 0423 387 042