Advocate South Suburban Hospital Hosts Name the Robot Contest

Hospital’s surgery team encourage STEM learning among Southland students through an introduction to robotic technology

Advocate South Suburban Hospital Hosts Name the Robot Contest

Hospital’s surgery team encourage STEM learning among Southland students through an introduction to robotic technology

Hazel Crest, Illinois – Kindergarten through 12th grade students living and attending school in the south suburbs are invited to help Advocate South Suburban Hospital name its brand-new surgical robot used to assist physicians in performing minimally-invasive procedures.

From March 17 through March 19, students are encouraged to think of a creative name for the hospital’s new Davinci Xi robot, then email their suggested robot name, along with their own first and last name, telephone number, town of residence and telephone number to aristotle.gonzales@advocatehealth.com. Interested adults are welcome to enter the naming contest, too. Hospital team members will vote to determine which name will be selected. Once named, the hospital will refer to its newest robot by that moniker, as long as it is in service.

The deadline for submissions is March 19. The contest winner will receive bragging rights, an Advocate Health Care prize package and the opportunity to attend the July 13 dedication ceremony for the hospital’s new Surgical Procedural Center, where the robot will be permanently housed.

“We see this as a fun way to help parents and teachers start conversations about the importance of STEM education with students,” says Jocelyn Chua, Executive Director of Surgical and Women’s Services. “If we can make medical technology more approachable and show how our everyday lives benefit from science, technology, engineering and math, we believe more students will be encouraged to excel in these fields.”

Robotic assisted surgery expands surgeons' capabilities to perform minimally-invasive surgery for routine and complex procedures. The mechanical wrists of the robot mimic the movements of the surgeon’s wrist, without natural hand tremors. Advocate South Suburban’s new DaVinci Xi robot will eventually move to the hospital's Surgical Procedural Center, which is scheduled to open later this year.

“Our goal is to inspire the next generation of medical professionals who will continue our commitment to the health and wellness of the Southland’s community,” says Dr. Raj Patel, a urologist and Chairman of Advocate South Suburban’s Robotics Steering Committee.

In addition to the naming contest, Advocate South Suburban will host a free open house in the hospital’s front lobby March 17 – 19, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The public is invited to touch and explore a replica of its new surgical robot. Members of the hospital’s surgical team will be available, by appointment, to answer questions and demonstrate how the robot works, using items found around the average household.

For questions about the Name the Robot contest, contact Cristy Gallegos at cristy.gallegos@advocatehealth.com.

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