Connecting Joy at UF Health Shands: Gaming That Helps Kids Heal

The power of video games is leveling up care at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.

As the new clinical patient gaming technology coordinator for the UF Health Streetlight program, Hunter Ross manages gaming inventory and the Streetlight Discord server – a free communications app that allows users to chat in real time by text, voice and video. He also tracks patient gaming session logs, and above all… plays video games.

The full-time role was made possible thanks to one of our Connecting Joy grants, which bring gaming experiences to kids facing medical challenges.

“I coordinate a psychosocial peer-support group for hospitalized young adults that alleviates boredom and stress through gaming, arts and conversation,” Ross said. “I want patients to feel part of a village, even when they’re only in the hospital for a short time.”

Before joining Streetlight, Ross worked at UF Health as an audiovisual troubleshooter, where he managed technology to improve patient care, communication and education. He has experience in summer camps, applied behavior analysis therapy and psychology, which taught him how to read and adjust his energy to fit any age or temperament.

Paired with over a decade of music production, filmmaking experience and a lifelong love for video games, he saw the perfect opportunity to blend his skills and turn gameplay into healing.

“It’s nice to be able to go in the patient’s room and help them forget about chemotherapy, and remind them they’re not just another cancer patient,” Ross said.

When Ross sees a patient feeling down, he says it is gratifying to create an instant smile when he tells them he can bring in a gaming console.

He is one of about 80 members in a national network of gaming technology professionals across 70 children’s hospitals. Since joining in December 2025, his work has already helped patients and families at the children’s hospital. From making pacts in Mario Kart World Grand Prix to traversing an expansive world through the lens of a stray cat in Stray, Ross has already made an impact on long-term patients.

“Even in just a couple of months, patients and families have called us angels, thanking us for letting them momentarily forget about treatments,” Ross said. “Seeing a patient’s smile light up the room when a game arrives is profoundly rewarding. It feels like the best job in the world.”

Beyond his compassionate bedside manner, Ross’ problem-solving skills have also been put to good use. A burn‑unit patient, who suffered extensive burns from an apartment fire, needed to avoid games that required fast reaction times. Ross custom‑coded an adaptive controller by defining button inputs and joystick values that the patient could use without having to hold it. In the weeks that followed, he saw the patient’s condition and confidence improve as he conquered the game.

To better help patients, Ross maintains the hospital’s expansive library of gaming and technology equipment, which includes Xboxes, PlayStations, Nintendo Switches and laptops. The bulk of his work revolves around initiating engagement through the Streetlight-moderated Discord server, a secure online community focused on patient consent and privacy.

He posts about ways patients can interact with each other and creates seasonal campaigns and challenges complete with a leaderboard. In a current “Winter Games” campaign, patients can engage in online activities and accrue points for their team while building social skills.

“Gaming offers an escape from the monotony and discomfort of hospital stays,” Ross said. “It keeps patients connected to a broader community while preserving their sense of identity and humanity.”

During his gene therapy for sickle cell, 19-year-old Christopher “CJ” Beaubrun faced constant discomfort – until he met Ross.

“He always knew how to cheer me up, even on days I was going through pain,” Beaubrun said.

He recalls how Ross visited at every opportunity to play games and talk about Star Wars and Harry Potter, consistently lifting his spirits on the most painful days. Through Ross and the Streetlight program, the hospital began to feel like home; Beaubrun was able to connect with volunteers, build new friendships and find a temporary escape from his pain through video games.

Emily Marchi, M.S., director of the Streetlight program, said the new coordinator was essential to the program’s future. And with funding from the Connecting Joy grant, she was able to hire a gamechanger.

“When you work with teenagers, you have to adjust your energy level to where they’re at,” Marchi said. “Hunter can flex his technical skills and conversational style to match their energy, building genuine relationships.”

For teens stuck in hospital rooms, these technologies offer a sense of normalcy and allow patients with varying energy and ability levels to stay engaged. The grant program supports hospitals with equipment, staffing, connectivity and other needs so kids can have moments of joy at their bedside and even play with family and friends back home.

“We’ve known that with our teenage and young adult patients, video games are an important way of connecting with them,” Marchi said. “When you’re sick in the hospital and you’re losing functionality, a lot of times video games are still ways that you can engage with other people, even when you’re isolated.”

In the future, Ross hopes to expand Streetlight’s media offerings – adding high-end laptops for music and video production and supporting specialty projects like patient poetry and selective diet cookbooks.

“The success of Streetlight hinges on collaboration,” Ross said. “Child Life, Arts in Medicine and volunteers all play a vital role. It takes a village to support a patient’s healing, and I’m grateful to be part of that community.”