Karen McHugh-Fornadel

Child Life Manager - Family & Volunteer Services Karen has been a certified child life specialist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital for 22 years, supporting children and families coping with hospitalization and healthcare experiences. In addition to being a certified child life specialist, she is also a licensed professional counselor. Karen’s clinical experience has always focused on providing emotionally safe, developmentally appropriate, family centered care. She has experience working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Hospice and Palliative Care, Sibling Clubhouse, Radiology, Surgery Unit and treatment foster care. She currently is the manager of the Child Life Program which consists of Child Life Specialists, Coordinators for Creative Engagement, a Resource Coordinator, and a Gaming Technology Specialist.

http://nationwidechildrens.org

GDEX 2025 Session: Journey To Treatment - Game Technology in Pediatric Care | Join developers from the IT Research and Innovation division at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH) as they share their pioneering work in game development for healthcare. At NCH the use of treatment rooms has been shown to provide better outcomes for children when compared to performing the same procedure in their room. This presentation will showcase their original game "Journey To Treatment" - an interactive augmented reality application that provides a digital companion which guides children to the treatment room and provides them with a positive distraction during the procedure. Discover how innovative technologies are being utilized to enhance patient care, improve outcomes, and create engaging therapeutic experiences for young patients. Don't miss this opportunity to learn from experts at the forefront of healthcare technology.