Or to be more precise, it’s putting a roller coaster in the waiting room of their suburban multi-speciality clinic.

“At first I thought the idea was crazy,” explains Clark IdIewild, CEO of Aurora Physician Associates, “I mean who would have thought that a $5 million indoor roller coaster would improve patient care, but it honestly has!”

The Feelin’ Good Train features two loops, a drop fall, and maximum speeds approaching 45 miles an hour. One patient, Timmy, said the roller coaster is definitely an improvement over the old waiting room.

“I like to ride it before we see the doctor but last time I had to wait 10 minutes, so that kind of sucked,”

Mr. Idlewild acknowledges that there have been some complaints but overall it’s a well-received addition, “A few voiced concern about long lines, but most really enjoy it!”

That wasn’t the only controversy. One physician took to social media to voice his displeasure, but that was an isolated incident says Idlewild.

“We had a physician post something unfortunate to his Twitter account but we don’t expect any problems from [providers].”

While roller coasters in waiting rooms may seem ununusual to some, healthcare expert Shubert McNutt says this is just the beginning.

“The main reason patients don’t like coming to the doctor is because it’s boring, we’re changing that!” McNutt says two local hospitals have seen what Aurora has done and are upping the ante.

“I had a CEO contact me about putting in a petting zoo, wake pool, and even a bungee jump in his hospital’s lobby,” McNutt says, “This is just the beginning of a new era in healthcare…the Era of the Amusement and Medicine!”



As patient satisfaction as a quality measure becomes more important, healthcare companies will need to innovate to insure they stay on the cutting edge.

For Clark Idlewild there’s no question, “We need to prove to our patients that we are committed to their entertainment and medical needs.”


Written by Tommy McElroy, MD.
Dr. McElroy is a concierge medicine physician and host of the Dr. Tommy Show. Follow the Dr. Tommy Show live and on demand on YouTube.com and iTunes.

Follow @tampadirectcare

Tags: patient satisfaction