iGIANT® HOSA Challenge Winner

The iGIANT® is delighted to announce that the winner for the 2018 iGIANT® HOSA Challenge competition is Angela Ballina. Angela is a sophomore at Belleview High School in Ocala, Florida. Her submission focused on the need for hospital gowns which are comfortable, practical and fit the needs of men and women. All to often, a one-size-fits all approach is taken which may not serve well the patient.

Angela’s submission highlighted the requirement to design clothing which plays a very specific role in the healthcare system. Her design concept crossed two important sectors, namely, health and retail and identified the importance of designing by function and not just by appearance.

According to Angela who aspires to become a nurse, "Overall, changing the gowns will not only make a patient more comfortable, it will help them heal. Worrying less about what they look like (or what they’re showing in the back) and more about what they are in there for in the first place, allows for mental healing which some people do not understand is a big part of recovery. A change in their mood, raising their happiness is what counts when you are in a shaky place cognitively."

The iGIANT is honored to provide a monetary award to acknowledge its support for this innovative proposal to advance the well-being of male and female patients and to work with HOSA which is an organization of over 240,000 high school students interested in healthcare careers.