(Katherine C. Cohen/Boston Children’s Hospital)

Mark Hourigan, Manager, Communication Services

Tom Norton, Team Lead, Audio Visual Services

Mark: We’ve set up a video chat with Santa Claus in the North Pole. This allows our kids to catch Santa during his busy season. It’s difficult to be in the hospital during the holidays — away from home and family and all of the traditions — so we’re just trying to bring a little smile. If we can distract a patient for 20 minutes, we’ll work around the clock.

Tom: We take an innovative technology from our day-to-day business and collaboration, and we use it to connect children with Santa. This is really about giving our patients a break from the challenges they face here to just have a simple happy experience. It really brings things into perspective. We had a child today get up here, and Santa asked, “What do you want for Christmas?” The child answered, “I just want everybody to be happy.”

Mark: We see parents out there taking pictures. We see their tears. Every one of them is thanking us on the way out the door. We absolutely do this for the kids and the families, but I also do it for my team. Often times they’re so separated from what we do, but today they really connect to the job.

Caring for patients is a true team effort. Care Team highlights the dedication of the people throughout Boston Children’s who do their part to comfort and support patient families each and every day.