It’s a pleasure to go to the hospital to celebrate a happy occasion, like the birth of a child or - as was the case Tuesday night - to welcome the arrival of improved pediatric care in our area.

The dinosaur exam table is designed to delight young patients. (Photos by Erica Garman)

Inova Loudoun Hospital launched the opening of its new state-of-the-art pediatric unit and pediatric specialty center at the Lansdowne campus last night. The unit, which serves young people who are suffering from bad bouts of flu and/or asthma and who are recovering from appendicitis, orthopedic surgeries and other relatively routine procedures, will also offer expanded specialties for children, such as infectious disease care, nephrology, neurology and psychiatric care.

But the real star of the evening was the unit itself.

The 14-bed, 11,000 square foot facility, located on the third floor of the new west wing, features large private rooms, each containing two flat-screen TVs, a PlayStation unit, DVD player and a futon-like pullout bed for parents.

The center is also equipped with a new child security system, called PEDZ, which is similar to those used for infants in birthing centers across the county. With PEDZ, hospital officials said, a child has the freedom to move about the unit, but nurses and doctors will always know where he or she is via a computerized map.

A patient room at Inova Loudoun Hospital’s expanded pediatric unit

Developers of the new healthcare facility have gone to great lengths to create a calm, fun and less-scary atmosphere for kids.

There are turtle and dinosaur exam tables and child-sized “body-maps” that clinicians can use to visually show a pint-sized patient exactly what they’ll be examining or x-raying.

Also, for the first time at ILH, a certified child life specialist will be on staff to work one-on-one with patients and siblings to explain at a child’s level what to expect from required medical procedures.

Add to these features a maxed-out communal playroom with toys, books and a simulated fish tank (that is also a TV), and you’ve got a place that makes an unfortunate visit a tad more palatable — kind of like that spoonful of sugar, a la Poppins, that helps the medicine go down.