Eisenhower Health turns to short stories to enhance emergency room experience
The “Short Story Dispenser” from the company “Short Edition” sits in a corner of the emergency room at Eisenhower Health in Rancho Mirage.
At the push of a button, it dispenses free, printed stories, in differing lenghts. Thereads that last one minute, three minutes, and five minutes.
The device was recently donated by the valley non-profit Rancho Mirage Writers Festival.
Debbie Green is the event’s Executive Producer.
“We’ve given the community the opportunity to have something to do, other than sit and wait and worry, while they’re in the waiting room with their loved ones,” said Green.
The kiosk is loaded with 80,000 curated, fictional stories, which can be changed at any time.
The device randomly prints stories from different genres including love stories, travel, fantasy, and more.
“You never know what you are going to get. Only one minute, three minutes or five minutes. You don’t know the content. Its always a surprise,” said Green.
Because this kiosk is in an E.R. waiting room, the short stories it prints don’t include topics about sickness and dying.
The subjects are positive, upflifting, and inspirational.
Green said Eisenhower Health is the first hospital in the coutnry to use one of the kiosks.
Around the country, the story dispensers are now showing up primarily at airports and libraries.
In fact, Green’s group donated a second kiosk to the Rancho Mirage Public Library.
The group spent about $24,000 for the two devices.
“We had read a story in the New York Tiimes about these short story dispensers being produced in France,” said Green.
The head of the Emergency Department at Eisenhower Health, Dr. Euthym Kontaxis, said one benefit of the printed stories is that they are read once, or maybe twice, and then discarded. Unlike magazines, which pass germs when used by several people.
“This will elevate their experience from one of tense worry, to a little enjoyment, and maybe a smile,” said Green
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