by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Today was an extremely exciting day at Le Bonheur. Along with all of the typical hospital events were occurring, there was something different. We had Memphis’ mayor, A.C. Wharton, deliver his State of the City address at the hospital.

There are a few amazing things about this. The first is that this is the first State of the City address that has been done in a public forum. It demonstrates the openness and welcoming of the community to the mayor’s office. We here at Le Bonheur are honored that Mayor Wharton chose the hospital as the site for his speech.

So, this morning, Le Bonheur was filled with patients, families, staff, elected officials, leaders of the business, and many others. In the lobby of the hospital this group came together to hear the mayor’s speech. The turn out was so great that the lobby, cafeteria seating area, and spaces around the rotunda were full.

Mayor Wharton’s message was one of hope and togetherness for the city. It rang through that we, as Memphians, can (and have) accomplish so much, and it is done through working together to create an even brighter future for the city. It showcased many of the wonderful points and stories of the city. The speech was filled with pride and love for Memphis.

One of my favorite quotes from the speech was talking about the outpouring community support in building of the new Le Bonheur:

We did not set out to raise one hundred million dollars to build this new hospital in the middle of a recession because we thought it would be easy or quick. We did it because when Memphis sees a need, we rise to the challenge.

I’d like to thank Mayor Wharton and his staff for choosing Le Bonheur as the site for the speech. It was a pleasure to play host to such a wonderful event. It reminds us that Le Bonheur is here for the community, and the community is here for Le Bonheur. It takes all of us to make this city great, and I believe that we can do it.

by Thomas Hobson
Child Life Director

Earlier last month, Google announced that they were looking for a partner for the Google Fiber.  The Google Fiber project aims to provide a better, faster connection to the Internet, boosting speeds up to 100 times faster than current speeds.  What's more amazing is that Google plans on sharing the information they learn from establishing this fiber networks with the world.  Memphis' Mayor A.C. Wharton, Jr. has completed the city's application for Google Fiber and has urged the community to show it's support for the application.

One of the greatest aspects of this city I have come to love is the way Memphis can come together to help the entire community. So, I want do my part and share my support for Memphis' application for Google Fiber.  If selected, the implications would be a tremendous boon for Memphis.

Imagine a setting where the physicians at Le Bonheur Children's could quickly collaborate with other physicians around the Mid-South, the country, and the world.  They would be able to more efficiently send images, test results, and other elements of the electronic medical record for a quick return would be game changing.  The impact on pediatric health and well-being would be amazing.

Or how about being able to seamlessly stream students in the Le Bonheur Children's school program with their home classroom?  This would allow patients to learn along side their peers, without even being in the classroom.  The social inclusion and shared experience for the patients would be tremendously therapeutic and would help facilitate the transition back into the classroom. 

We can even take this scenario one step further.  The Google Fiver would allow our patients to have better Internet based applications to research and learn about their own diagnoses.  Considering the connection speeds that are being talked about, it's mind blowing to think about what those applications would be able to do.  A patient with a specific brain tumor, with the right application, could find information, connect with others with the same diagnosis, and watch a broadcast of a physician speaking on treatments - all at a rate exponentially faster than anything currently available.

The possibilities are astounding, and Memphis would greatly benefit from the Google Fiber project.  I would implore the Google Fiber Site Selection Team to strongly consider Memphis' application.  The partnership between the two would set the stage for what corporate and community partnership should be.