Kids Bring Treasured Stuffed Animals in for a Check-Up at NorthShore Health Center’s 2016 Teddy Bear Clinic

Kids Bring Treasured Stuffed Animals in for a Check-Up at NorthShore Health Center’s 2016 Teddy Bear Clinic

On April 12th NorthShore Health Center welcomed a new sort of patient through its doors. In an effort to soothe the fears kids have when visiting the doctor, children were invited to bring their stuffed animals for a round of check ups at the Teddy Bear Clinic in Lake Station.

A second floor conference room was set up with various booths. One by one, the patients were called up to the eye screening table for their first exam.

“It’s National Immunization Month,” said NorthShore’s Marketing Manager, Tricia Hall. “In honor of that, we wanted to host an event that did two things: one, show the parents and kids the importance of vaccines. The second is to ease the fear of going to a doctor.”

The second station was a full physical workup and a quick shot. Some of the children were nervous. As they watched how brave their teddies and bunnies were, they warmed up. Some even helped the nurse administer the vaccine.

Lake County has very poor immunization rates and the staff of NorthShore is hoping to change that with their event. Indiana Parents Institute and Build A Bear Workshop joined in to support the cause.

“This shows parents that you can bring your kids to the doctor,” said Project Coordinator Tara Nielson of the Institute. “Letting the kids bring their teddies breaks the kids’ fear of the doctor. I think it’s really incredible.”

The Teddy Bear Clinic also fell under Parenting Awareness Month and Week of the Young Child. The workshop incorporates a lot of things that kids- and their parents- need to know. The NorthShore group got together to brainstorm ways to to reach out to their community with helping hands while not being intimidating.

Family Care Coordinator Michelle Higel said, “[The Teddy Bear Clinic] is more of a festive atmosphere. The kids get to interact with each other, parents can interact with each other.”

Children got to enjoy a visit to their teddy’s dentist, and then a quick stop at the first aid table to patch up any tears. At the end of the best doctor visit day ever, parents could sign their eager children up for real live check ups of their own.