Circus-themed portable x-ray brightens Wisconsin hospital

A donation from Adele Ringling, an heir to the Ringling Bros. Circus, helped create St. Clare Hospital in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The hospital is now paying homage with a new digital radiographic portable x-ray machine decorated to resemble a giraffe, Baraboo News Republic reports.

“You bring something like this into the room and when you start setting it up it brings a smile to their face,” said Carey Smith, medical imaging director at SSM Health Wisconsin Northern Regional. “We all know that healthcare is scary, and whatever we can do to try and get people comfortable is just really important.”

Not only does the imaging giraffe ease patient fears, the technology also makes it easier for those who cannot be moved to the radiology department, the News Republic reports.

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Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.

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