HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital installs “Kitten Scanner”

This innovative child-sized toy scanner prepares kids to receive a medical scan

GREEN BAY, Wis. — On Dec. 19, 2025, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital installed a “Kitten Scanner,” a child-sized toy scanner that allows pediatric patients to “scan” stuffed animals and understand the process of their upcoming medical scan.
 
Ashley Thompson, a Child Life Supervisor at HSHS St. Vincent Children’s, says that medical imaging like MRIs and CTs can feel loud and intimidating for kids, making it difficult for them stay still long enough to capture the scan.
 
“Since kids learn best through play, pretending to scan a favorite stuffed animal helps make CTs and MRIs feel less scary,” says Thompson. “When they see their ‘special animal’ go first, the machines become more familiar and less intimidating.”
 
Children can choose between three toy animals to send through the scanner: Ollie the Elephant, Chris the Alligator or Doris the Chicken. The Kitten Scanner is also designed to mimic the sights and sounds of the real scanner a patient will experience— bright lights, whirring noises and even a screen showing the pretend “scans” from the stuffed animal.


Child Life Supervisor Ashley Thompson helps a patient send Doris the Chicken through the scanner. 


Child Life Supervisor Ashley Thompson shows a patient the screen, where Doris the Chicken’s “scan” will appear.

As a nonprofit health care provider, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital relies on contributions from the community to enhance the patient experience and introduce new technologies and spaces. This Kitten Scanner was made possible thanks to a donation from The Ariens Family Foundation, which fully covered the costs of the scanner and its installation.
 
“Donor support allows us to provide specialized tools and resources that insurance doesn’t cover but are essential to caring for children, helping us deliver the safest, most advanced care,” said Amy Bardon, Nursing Director at HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital. “To our donors: Your generosity is creating a meaningful impact for children and families.”
 
Amy and Ashley are excited to see all the ways this technology will help pediatric patients, reduce kids’ anxiety around scans, and reduce the need to sedate children who need medical imaging.
 
“When children understand what to expect, scans are more successful. Families feel more at ease, and the overall hospital experience becomes more positive,” says Thompson. “We show them we understand their fears, help them feel heard, and turn the experience into something that is predictable and makes them feel safe.”
 
To learn more about HSHS St. Vincent’s Children’s Hospital, please visit: www.stvincentchildrenshospital.org 
 
To learn more about giving to HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, please visit the HSHS St. Vincent/St. Mary’s Foundation at: https://www.hshs.org/st-marys-green-bay/giving-volunteering/giving     
About HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital
Located inside the walls of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is Northeast Wisconsin’s first and only children’s hospital. With every detail tailored to kids, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital delivers exceptional health care to children while making them feel comfortable and supported. As a partner of Prevea Health, it has direct access to dedicated pediatricians and a wide variety of specialty care physicians. HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is also a member of the Children’s Hospital Association, the voice for more than 220 children’s hospitals nationwide. For more information about HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, visit www.stvincentchildrenshospital.org.