 The Buddy’s First Visit program once again showed area children there’s nothing to fear about a visit to the emergency department (ED) or a ride in an ambulance. Alicia Broadbent, our Director of Planning and Development, and Abbe Mostowy, our PECC Program Coordinator, joined me at Olean General Hospital (OGH) to meet with kindergartners from East View Elementary School, Washington West Elementary School and Allegany-Limestone Elementary School. The children brought their favorite stuffed animals to tour the ED and an ambulance.
It’s easy to understand why these experiences could scare a young child, especially if they or a loved one are hurt or sick. But by using their stuffed animals to demonstrate simple treatments in a non-threatening environment, we showed them that medical professionals are there to help. In addition to OGH, I’d also like to thank Mercy Flight, Trans Am and the Olean City Fire Department for again helping us out with this great program.
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 We are organizing a series of upcoming focus groups to guide our future Safe Kids Southern Tier New York efforts. These sessions will include parents/caregivers of children under 17, with a focus on ages 5 and younger. From this feedback, we will identify opportunities and gaps in services while working toward proactive solutions to reduce unintentional injuries. The schedule is as follows:
- Allegany County -- Monday, June 10th at Cuba Memorial Hospital, 140 West Main Street, Cuba;
- Chautauqua County -- Tuesday, June 18th at the Chautauqua Children’s Safety Education Village, 2695 Route 394, Ashville; and
- Cattaraugus County -- Thursday, June 20th at Southern Tier Health Care System, Inc., 150 North Union Street, Olean.
I’d like to thank our site coordinators, Gina Kocsis, Bree Agett and Evonne Phillips. As members of STHCS’ former Child Health and Safety Team (CHST), their willingness to support these focus groups is critical as we transition to membership under Safe Kids Worldwide. Also, I would like to thank to Shari Rife of Ideas Realized for being the official facilitator of these activities.
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