Kensington’s SafeGrip Rugged iPad case
An oncology patient at Children’s Hospital had found great joy and comfort from using an iPad to Skype with friends and play games using apps during his hospital stay, the patient/student’s name was Andy. Julieanne Foy, technology coordinator of Webb Upper School in Knoxville, Tennessee, found the program Andy’s iPads through this experience. The program is based on donations of iPads and accessories from parents and families at Webb Upper School for the purpose of helping kids stay comfortable and engaged when sick or recovering from illnesses or medical procedures. The result of the initial pursuit at Foy’s request had Andy’s friends at school set out to honor their classmate by donating 50 iPads and cases, along with multiple iPad apps and games towards the goal of comforting kids at the hospital. The students are supporting the continuation of the program through an annual fundraiser event, and the Andy’s iPads’ program will continue to be managed by Webb students, including loading apps and games at no cost. Certified by the state of Tennessee as the only Comprehensive Regional Pediatric Center in East Tennessee, East Tennessee Children's Hospital in Knoxville is a 152bed, not-for-profit, private, independent pediatric medical center. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission and offers more pediatric subspecialties than any other hospital in Knoxville and the greater East Tennessee region. East Tennessee Children’s Hospital’s mission statement is “East Tennessee Children's Hospital will improve the health of children through exceptional, comprehensive family-centered care, wellness, and education". East Tennessee Children's Hospital is also a member of Children's Miracle Network Hospitals (CMNH), whose mission is to increase funds and awareness for local children's hospitals in the United States and Canada. Donations through CMNH are used to support research and training, purchase equipment, and pay for uncompensated care. East Tennessee’s Children’s Hospital announced on July 28, 2016 that Kensington® SafeGrip Rugged iPad Cases were selected to protect the donated iPads for children to use through Andy’s iPad’s program. Kensington has been The Professional’s Choice for nearly 35 years as the worldwide leader of desktop computing and mobility solutions for IT, business, and home office professionals. Kensington is headquartered in San Mateo, California and has offered proven, trusted solutions that protect assets and information with its industry standard family of locks, security slots and cabinets and keying options. In addition, Kensington has users work more productively with a comprehensive product lineup designed for office, home desk, and on-the-go environments with award-winning presenters, trackballs, keyboards, universal docking stations, ergonomic accessories, and wireless chargers. Through their extensive background and successful history Kensington is the ideal choice for iPad equipment protection. Kensington’s SafeGrip Rugged iPad cases is used by the hospital to keep the donated iPads clean and safely locked while being used by the young patients. The cases offer drop protection and security so kids can enjoy the tablets while in treatments or recovering from procedures. Gwen Hsu, senior director of Global Product Managment, Kensington states, "SafeGrip is the perfect solution to protect the donated tablets in the 'Andy's iPads' program against damage due to accidental drops and bumps while guarding the screen from scratches and smudges". The SafeGrip’s handle is thick and sturdy, also being sized for smaller hands for children, while doubling as a two-position stand for greater flexibility of use. Cheryll Allmon, director of Volunteer Services and Programs at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital, said Andy’s iPad program is having an incredible impact on the lives of patients at the facility. She added that Kensington's secure cases and locking devices are a key component to keeping the program running smoothly. "SafeGrip protects the iPads, allowing smaller patients to handle them and keeping them from breaking if a patient accidentally drops them," said Allmon.
