The Mena Regional Health System Support Foundation recently held their Annual Teddy Bear Clinic at the hospital. Each year, the Support Foundation invites all Polk County first grade students to attend the event.
Upon arriving, each class is given a Teddy Bear to be named. As the classes rotate through the many departments in the hospital, nurses “diagnose and treat” the bears to demonstrate the type of care physicians and nurses provide to the patients.
“The clinic has been very successful in educating the students on the many departments within the hospital and calming their fears about visiting the hospital in the event of an emergency,” said Sonya Maye, MRHS Public Relations Specialist.
The Mena Regional Support Foundation, developed in 1991, is a recognized non-profit organization that assists the hospital through funding capital improvements and a secure workforce. In addition to the Teddy Bear Clinic, the Foundation also sponsors the annual MASH (Medical Applications of Science for Health) clinic, which is held two weeks each summer for twelve selected students who are interested in a career in the medical field. The Foundation currently added the Foundation Frenzy 5K Family Color Run to the list of sponsored events, in hopes of that becoming a yearly signature fundraiser for the organization.
About Author
Jeri Pearson
Jeri is the News Director for Pulse Multi-Media and Editor of The Polk County Pulse. She has 10 years of experience in community focused journalism and has won multiple press association awards.
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