St. Luke's Children's opens Panda Cares playroom: dedicated space for patients, families to play, create, connect

St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital is pleased to announce the opening of the Panda Cares Center of Hope, a newly named playroom for pediatric patients and their families being cared for in Boise. The designated space is an important part of the pediatric hospital that allows kids and their families to play, explore and create in a medical-free safe space.

Leaders from St. Luke’s Children’s, Panda Express and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals gathered to celebrate the space, part of a ten-year, $2 million pledge to St. Luke’s Children’s. Funds will continue to support the playroom with new toys and activities, as well as other programs and services at St. Luke’s Children’s, including pediatric mental and behavioral health, rehabilitation, St. Luke’s Hospital School, and child life teams, cancer care and more.

“The Panda Cares Center of Hope is a vibrant play space and an incredible opportunity for kids receiving care at St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital, along with their families, to enjoy a brief respite from their hospital room and any procedures or care treatments,” said Dr. Henry Thompson, medical director for St. Luke’s Children’s. “Beyond this dedicated space, the generosity of Panda Express and its employees allows us to utilize pledge funds for St. Luke’s Children’s programs to address emerging needs and priorities.”  

The playroom features developmentally appropriate toys and games that encourage social interaction, and art supplies to inspire creativity. It is used for group play sessions that help patients develop positive coping skills, as well as one-on-one interactions with Certified Child Life Specialists. These individual sessions offer support through diagnosis education and medical play, helping children better understand their medical experiences.

The Panda Cares Center of Hope inspires hope and promotes healing by providing specially curated programs that address each child’s entire well-being, including their mental, emotional, physical and spiritual needs. Programs offered at St. Luke’s Children’s Panda Cares Center of Hope include therapeutic play, art therapy, designed to give children the courage and strength to thrive.

“We are proud to partner with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to bring the vision of the Panda Cares Center of Hope to life and are humbled to be part of the healing journey for the families and kids at these hospitals,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, co-founder and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group. “Children are our future, and through this partnership and curriculum designed to give children the strength to thrive, we will bring smiles and hope to communities nationwide.”

Panda Cares Centers of Hope across the country are made possible by donations from Panda Express® associates and guests. Funds raised in-store and online at Panda Express benefit each store’s local community. Following a multimillion-dollar commitment to Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to fund Panda Cares Centers of Hope, Panda and CMN Hospitals have debuted Center of Hope locations at several hospitals in the U.S. from California and Texas to Hawaii and Washington D.C.

Since 2007, Panda Express and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals have partnered together to change kids’ health, change the future. To date, Panda has raised more than $190M for hospitals affiliated with CMN Hospitals, including St. Luke’s Children’s. Panda Express guests and their associates in the Northwest and Rocky Mountain South regions have raised over $1.5 million for St. Luke’s since 2007.