STHS names local fifth grader the winner of its Name the Robot Contest

SOUTH TEXAS HEALTH SYSTEM MCALLEN NAMES IDEA LOS ENCINOS ACADEMY FIFTH GRADER SUNNIE BENNETT AS THE WINNER OF ITS NAME THE ROBOT CONTEST

After receiving more than 100 submissions from children across the Rio Grande Valley, STHS McAllen officially revealed the winning name of its new da Vinci V Robotic Surgical System at a special ceremony to honor the four finalists

Committed to better-quality patient outcomes, South Texas Health System McAllen – a Level 1 Trauma Center and Comprehensive Stroke Center – expanded its minimally invasive surgical capabilities in late March with the acquisition of the da Vinci 5 (DV5) Robotic Surgical System, the latest in robotic-assisted surgical technology from Intuitive Surgical.

Designed to improve a surgeon’s precision, flexibility and control, the DV5, as its simply known, has been upgraded to include more than 150 design innovations and 10,000 times the computing power to deliver greater surgeon autonomy and enhanced surgical senses aimed at improving patient outcomes, including reduced pain and blood loss, faster recovery and fewer complications, compared to traditional surgery.

To introduce the advanced technology of the DV5 to residents of the Rio Grande Valley, STHS McAllen launched a Name the Robot Contest last month that offered elementary school-aged children the opportunity to submit a name suggestion for the robotic surgical system.

“It’s our mission to serve the people of the Rio Grande Valley and to ensure they know they can count on South Texas Health System for comprehensive, high-quality care,” says Emma Montes-Ewing, Chief Executive Officer, STHS McAllen. “By hosting this special contest, STHS McAllen was able to incorporate the communities we proudly serve into this momentous occasion for our hospital… the expansion of our robotic surgery program.”

After receiving over 100 submissions, STHS McAllen formed a special committee comprised of the facility’s leaders, operating room staff and the DV5 surgeons to whittle down the entries. The panel named four finalists; they included:

· Luka Leal, 10, a fourth grader at Gonzalez Elementary in McAllen, who submitted the name SurgiBot

· Sunnie Bennett, 11, a fifth grader at IDEA Los Encinos Academy in McAllen, who submitted the name ChRIS (Comprehensive Robotic Intelligence System)

· Salem Morales, 5, a homeschooled kindergartener from McAllen, who submitted the name Wall-E

· Dominick Morales, 8, a homeschooled second grader from McAllen, who submitted the name StitchBot

“It was a challenge simply choosing four finalists and even harder to pick a winner,” says Montes-Ewing. “There were so many clever submissions, and we’re grateful for every single student who submitted a name suggestion. While it was a difficult choice, we selected the name ChRIS for our new robotic surgical system.”

In producing the name ChRIS, Sunnie Bennett drew inspiration from her own father’s name, Chris, to create an acronym to describe the DV5, Comprehensive Robotic Intelligence Surgeon.

“I learned that my dad was going to undergo a procedure with the new robot,” says Sunnie, who beamed with pride when she was named the winner. “I thought, ‘wouldn’t it be funny if ChRIS were to operate on my dad, Chris,’ and that’s how I came up with the name.”

Enthusiastic about science, Sunnie was excited to participate in the contest and hopefully get the chance to visit the operating room as one of the finalists, which would allow her to see the robot that the surgeon would be using to operate on her dad.

“I was happy just being a finalist,” says Sunnie. “But to win the contest is really cool!”

During a special ceremony held on Thursday, April 10, the four finalists were officially revealed to the public, with each child having the opportunity to discuss the inspiration behind their name suggestion.

Dominick Morales, who finished a close second in the voting, submitted StitchBot, a name inspired by his favorite Disney character, Stitch, the genetically engineered, extraterrestrial life-form resembling a blue koala from Disney’s Lilo & Stitch franchise.

“I thought it was a good idea because it’s a robot and it can operate on people then stitch them up,” said Dominick of his entry.

All four finalists received special tokens of appreciation from South Texas Health System, including an STHS-branded surgical cap, along with the opportunity to interact with the DV5 in its home in Operating Room 3 at STHS McAllen, as well as photos with the robotic surgical system and the STHS McAllen team.

As the grand prize winner, Sunnie also received a certificate to attend a STEM summer camp program of her choice at UTRGV this summer, courtesy of STHS McAllen.

“We’re just so proud of her; she never ceases to amaze us,” says Chris Bennett, Sunnie’s father, who joined his daughter during her visit to the operating room. “She’s so passionate about science and learning and shines in anything she does… that’s why we call her Sunnie. It’s been so great getting to see her so excited about this technology!”

Sunnie will now be a part of STHS McAllen history after placing a special sticker with her winning name on the DV5.

Beyond the Name the Robot contest, STHS McAllen will commemorate the launch of its robotic surgery program with a special community event taking place on Thursday, April 17, from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in the facility’s main parking lot. For details about the event, which is open to the public, visit the STHS Facebook Events page.

To learn more about the surgical services available through STHS McAllen, visit the facility’s website at https://www.southtexashealthsystemmcallen.com/services/surgery. 

About South Texas Health System

South Texas Health System is a multi-facility healthcare system serving patients throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The system includes four acute care facility campuses with specialties in pediatrics, heart and vascular services, maternity and women’s health and trauma services. Inpatient and outpatient treatment for behavioral health needs and addictive disorders is also provided through the system’s South Texas Health System Behavioral facility. South Texas Health System is affiliated with the South Texas Clinical Partners ACO, Prominence Health Plan and Cornerstone Regional Hospital. The system operates an advanced Level I Trauma Center at South Texas Health System McAllen, the first and only freestanding children’s facility and pediatric ER at South Texas Health System Children’s, the region’s only freestanding heart hospital and specialized cardiac ER at South Texas Health System Heart, and seven freestanding emergency rooms located in and around Weslaco, Mission, Edinburg, McAllen, Pharr and Alamo. For more information about the system and its comprehensive services, please visit www.southtexashealthsystem.com.

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