Dartmouth Health member Cheshire Medical Center’s Family & Community Care Clinic invites families to a day of education and excitement at the upcoming Teddy Bear Clinic and (weather-permitting) Emergency Vehicle Touch-a-Truck Event on Saturday, April 25, from 9:00 am to 1:30 pm.
The Teddy Bear Clinic will be held at 62 Maple Ave., home of Cheshire’s West Campus. The free event is designed for children to help ease anxiety about doctor visits through interactive, play-based learning. The Teddy Bear Clinic is most beneficial for children ages 2 to 12 and provides parents with a powerful tool to decrease fear and anxiety for their children during healthcare visits. The clinic gives children the opportunity to role-play as doctors, nurses, medical assistants or technicians while caring for their favorite stuffed animal. By “treating” their teddy bears, children become familiar with medical equipment and common healthcare experiences in a supportive, engaging environment. Activities may include check-in, emergency room visits, X-rays, lab visits, casting, doctor office visits, immunizations, hand hygiene and belly breathing.
Children are encouraged to bring their favorite stuffed animal to serve as the “patient,” or a teddy bear will be provided for each child attending the clinic. While many children find the experience simply fun, others may benefit therapeutically by gaining confidence and comfort around medical settings.
Registration for Teddy Bear Clinic appointments is required and opens Wednesday, April 1. To register, families should email teddybearclinic@cheshire-med.com with the full name and age of each child being registered, along with the full name of each attending parent or adult. Space is limited to the first 74 children registered.
In addition to the clinic, families can enjoy the Emergency Vehicle Touch-a-Truck Event, which will be held in the Maple Avenue parking lot. The free event is open to children of all ages. Registration is not required for the Touch-a-Truck portion of the event.
Weather permitting, children will be able to view and explore the Dartmouth Health Advanced Response Team (DHART) helicopter and ambulance, an ambulance and firetruck from the Keene Fire Department’s West Station, and a New Hampshire State Police Troop C cruiser and BEAR vehicle.
Food and treats will also be available for purchase from Mama Maria’s Gyros and More food truck and Kona Ice of the Monadnock Region.
For more information about this and other community health education events, visit cheshiremed.org/events.
About Cheshire Medical Center
Cheshire Medical Center (Cheshire) advances the health and wellness of individuals across New Hampshire’s Monadnock Region through outstanding care and exceptional service. Cheshire teams deliver an impressive range of clinical services that support the community's needs. As a member of Dartmouth Health, Cheshire is able to provide services far exceeding those of a typical rural hospital, including extensive programs in primary care, cancer care, cardiology, orthopaedics, and public health. Cheshire patients are also able to access hundreds of highly trained specialists and a depth of clinical and technical resources through its collaboration with Dartmouth Health. Cheshire’s clinical practice is distinguished by an exceptional staff, a strong commitment to safety and quality, and a culture that values the contribution of every staff member and volunteer. Cheshire is the area's largest healthcare provider and leading employer. Along with the services delivered on their Keene campus and satellite locations, the Medical Center partners with local organizations to provide vital services and programs throughout the region. To learn more, call 603-354-5400 or visit cheshiremed.org.
About Dartmouth Health
Dartmouth Health, New Hampshire’s only academic health system and largest private employer, serves patients across New England. Dartmouth Health provides access to more than 2,300 providers in nearly every area of medicine, delivering care at its flagship hospital, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in Lebanon, NH. Its network of hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics and home care facilities, spans a broad geographical area. Year after year, DHMC is named the #1 hospital in New Hampshire by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently recognized for high performance in numerous clinical specialties and procedures. Dartmouth Health includes Dartmouth Cancer Center, northern New England’s only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Centers and one of less than than 60 total nationally; Dartmouth Health Children’s, which includes the state’s only children’s hospital (Children’s Hospital at DHMC/CHaD) and more than 20 locations around the region; eight member hospitals in Lebanon, Keene, Claremont, Hampstead, and New London, NH, and Windsor and Bennington, VT; Dartmouth Health Home Care; Dartmouth Health Connected Care Center for Telehealth, serving patients as far away as Texas; and more than 30 primary and multi-specialty clinics across New Hampshire and Vermont. Through its partnership with Dartmouth College, Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and the White River Junction VA Medical Center, Dartmouth Health trains nearly 400 medical residents and fellows annually and performs cutting-edge research and clinical trials with international impact. Dartmouth Health and its more than 16,000 employees are committed to serving the healthcare needs of everyone in the communities it serves and to providing every patient with exceptional, state-of-the-art, personalized care. Learn more at dartmouth-health.org.