Students give life-saving robot a name at Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital | Local News

A group of 100 elementary school students decided to name the $2 million life-saving device “Rosie.” 

On Wednesday, students from Roosevelt Elementary School in Keego Harbor traveled to Huron Valley-Sinai Hospital to learn about, and name, the daVinci XI robot, the latest in robotic surgery technology. 

The robot will give hospital physicians the opportunity to perform surgeries in a more precise, intuitive, and timely manner. “Rosie” will be utilized to conduct minimally invasive surgical procedures and has been optimized for surgeries in the areas of gynecology, urology, orthopedic, thoracic, bariatric and general surgery such as hernia repairs and gallbladder removal. 

Kelsey Hartley, a fifth grader from Roosevelt Elementary, was on-hand to experience the new technology. 

“It’s really cool because I’ve always wanted to help people and be a doctor,” said Hartley. “I like doing small things to make people feel better. It was really cool to get the feel of (the robot) just in case I ever become a doctor,” said Hartley. 

Dr. Ethan Goldstein, the hospital’s director of robotics, said the robot will improve outcomes and recovery times for patients and make performing complex surgeries easier. Goldstein said the device is not autonomous and requires a physician to control it by using a console. 

“This robot will really improve outcomes across the board,” said Dr. Goldstein. “The other technology was kind of limiting in how we could use it in the room. This new robot will be positioned as a boom, and will not be docked alongside the patients. The device’s arms will move around and make it much more accessible for surgeons to do different things.”

During the event, students were given an opportunity to sit at the console and use the hand controls during a virtual simulation. A ribbon-cutting was held, which involved the robot cutting the ribbon as students looked on.