(June 1, 2016) – HealthAlliance Hospital is preparing to welcome 25 kindergartners from Harry L. Edson Elementary School in Kingston to the Broadway Campus's Teddy Bear Clinic Thursday.
The hands-on tour, sponsored by Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union with support from the HealthAlliance Foundation, lets young children accompany a cuddly but "injured" teddy bear through several play medical stations with HealthAlliance nurses and other clinicians.
The stations include hand-washing, "boo-boo" care, taking blood pressure, listening through a stethoscope, seeing a mock X-ray of the teddy bear's "fracture" and giving the bear "respiratory treatments." At each station, hospital staff members explain what is happening and why.
Among other activities, the kids get to climb aboard an ambulance while Mobile Life Support Services personnel explain what they might see on a ride to the hospital.
"Our goal is to remove the fear from a trip to the hospital," said clinic coordinator Kari Studt, a registered nurse in the HealthAlliance Emergency Department. "Kids learn what to expect if they come to the emergency room, and the teddy bear makes it fun and nonthreatening."
When they arrive at the hospital, the students each receive a bear with a patient identification bracelet. During the clinic, the children often take on the role of parents who comfort their teddy bears while they receive medical attention. The children also see firsthand the people who make their furry friends feel better.
Letting them bring the teddy bears home, perhaps to bring to their next medical appointment, is intended to help them still feel the comfort they developed at the clinic.
Thursday's Teddy Bear Clinic will be the second this year. Another class of 20 Edson kindergartners attended another clinic May 19.
"The kids had a blast. They ask such great questions and really get into helping their bears through the stations," Studt said, adding that hospital staffers enjoy the clinics too. "It's a great feeling to know we're helping children become more comfortable in the hospital setting."
Along with a teddy bear, each kindergartner leaves the hospital with a backpack filled with a "Visit to the Emergency Room" coloring book and crayons, a Hudson Valley Federal Credit Union piggy bank and a package of teddy-shaped graham crackers.
About The HealthAlliance Foundation
The HealthAlliance Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting the mission, healthcare programs, services and facilities of HealthAlliance, a member of Westchester Medical Center Health Network. The Foundation continues to focus on supporting technology and equipment, high quality treatment services, and training for hospital staff at both the Broadway and Mary's Avenue campuses. For more information, visit www.FoundationUpdate.org.
About HealthAlliance, a member of the Westchester Medical Center Health Network
HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley operates a 315-hospital bed healthcare system comprising HealthAlliance Hospital: Mary's Avenue Campus and HealthAlliance Hospital: Broadway Campus in Kingston, New York, and Margaretville Hospital in Margaretville, New York. It also operates Mountainside Residential Care Center, an 82-bed facility in Margaretville. As Ulster County's largest employer, HealthAlliance is committed to attracting the best-qualified medical and support staff; providing outstanding, responsive, coordinated, compassionate patient- and family-centered care; excelling in clinical outcomes and patient experiences; and ensuring patient rights, privacy and respect are honored at all times, while improving the overall health and well-being of the diverse communities it serves. For more information about how HealthAlliance is delivering the promise of medicine, visit hahv.org or follow Facebook.com/HealthAllianceHV or Twitter.com/HAllianceHudVal.
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