DiscoverOSF HealthCare AcceleratedSafe to Play: PortGuard for Pediatric Cancer Care
Safe to Play: PortGuard for Pediatric Cancer Care

Safe to Play: PortGuard for Pediatric Cancer Care

Update: 2025-09-09
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Sometimes being innovative means reimagining everyday challenges, like finding a way for kids with central venous ports to safely stay active. That’s exactly what an exercise physiologist at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois and engineer at OSF Innovation Studio did when they created PortGuard, a breakthrough protective device designed to safeguard ports during play, sports and movement.


Join us as we share the development of PortGuard, a device designed to protect medication ports so kids can stay active. For one young girl, who once had to pause her favorite activities after receiving a central venous port, PortGuard means she can safely get back to doing what she loves. Like her, many children will be able to enjoy life with fewer worries about protecting their ports when using this innovative device.


Host Shelli Dankoff chats with Nick Kemp, exercise physiologist at OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois and Reid Jockisch, innovation engineer at OSF Innovation about their impactful work and what it means for children facing challenges with medication ports.  


Speaker highlights:

Nick Kemp

Exercise Physiologist

OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois


Reid Jockisch

Innovation Engineer

OSF Innovation


Connect with us at www.osfhealthcare.org/accelerated

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Safe to Play: PortGuard for Pediatric Cancer Care

Safe to Play: PortGuard for Pediatric Cancer Care

OSF HealthCare