Hello my name is Caridad Lopez. It was an honor to have personally met you when you came by our Stanford PPMG San Mateo office and personally introduced yourself to our team! I have been in the medical assisting field for about 25years now and I must say my favorite specialty clinic is Pediactrics.

I am writing to express my gratitude and ask what are your thoughts on satellite clinics being able to wear colorful scrubs?

Here is my experince and knowledge on that thought,
Medical assistants (MAs) in pediatric settings should wear colorful or printed uniforms to reduce patient anxiety, create a welcoming atmosphere, and build trust with children. Bright, cheerful, or themed, and playful patterned scrubs help make the healthcare environment less intimidating compared to traditional dark colors.

It also reduces Fear and Anxiety: Pediatric patients often fear doctors and clinical settings. Softer colors, such as pastel pink, lavender, or mint green, can calm children, while warmer colors like yellow can feel cheerful and non-threatening.

Encourages Connection and Trust: Friendly, brightly colored scrubs (or themed patterns, such as cartoons or holiday themes) break down barriers, helping to make the medical assistant seem more approachable and caring, which improves patient satisfaction and trust.

Friendly Atmosphere: Using vibrant or patterned scrubs aligns with the child-friendly, nurturing, and less clinical atmosphere needed for young patients.

Distinguishes Roles: While being friendly, color-coded, bright scrubs still help differentiate MAs from other staff members, ensuring families know who is caring for them, explains the Essential Ultimate Scrub Color Guidelines by Medical Role.

Although colors for medical uniforms can vary to indicate different departments or to reflect the culture and style of a clinic, pediatric units specifically benefit from departing from traditional dark colors, as described by the The Impact of Color in Medical Uniforms.

Please let me know how we can make an impact on our departments that are outside of Stanford to be able to have the Medical assistants stay happy ang joyful while expressing each induvial own personality and uniqueness.

Sincerely,

Caridad Lopez