The Health Adventures program at M. D. Anderson Cancer Center pairs elementary school students with adult mentors for hands-on learning experiences in healthcare. Over the past 11 years, the program has introduced over 180 students to careers in medicine through monthly weekend activities. Students learn skills like emergency response and gain confidence, while volunteers and medical professionals find the program rewarding for making a difference in children's lives.
The document provides information about various upcoming community events and classes related to children's health and safety, including:
- A Safe Sitter class teaching babysitting skills for ages 11-14 from 9am-3pm on specified dates at Children's Hospital for $25.
- A Shoney's KidCare photo ID program on August 6th and 8th to provide photo IDs for missing children.
- A CPR class for parents and teens ages 14+ from 6-10pm on specified dates at Children's Hospital for $25.
- A car seat inspection event on specified dates in July, August and September at the Knoxville Police Department from 10am-1pm.
East Tennessee Children's Hospital's mission is to improve the health of children through exceptional, comprehensive
family-centered care, wellness and education. Our School Nurse Conference puts that mission into action within the
community by enhancing the knowledge of school nurses about managing common childhood illnesses and injuries
and providing updated information about changes in care for children with chronic diseases.
Read the 2014-2015 Annual Report for Children's Hospital to find out how we are serving the kids of Knoxville and the greater East Tennessee area. Find out more at https://www.etch.com/about/annual-report/
The document discusses child guidance clinics, which were established to help children with behavioral, psychological, emotional, and learning problems. The first child guidance clinic was started in Chicago in 1990 and aimed to prevent children from developing neuroses or psychoses later in life. Such clinics utilize a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other professionals to assess children, diagnose any issues, and provide therapies like counseling, group therapy, play therapy, and medical treatment to help restore children's mental well-being.
1) Diabetes management awareness among young patients and their families is important to control the disease. A new center called the Juvenile Diabetes Education Centre aims to educate young diabetes patients and their families.
2) While type 1 diabetes is most common in children, some doctors are seeing more cases of type 2 diabetes in children as well, which they attribute to unhealthy lifestyles and diets in the region.
3) Experts call for new research on diabetes in the UAE, as rates were high in 1999 and lifestyles have become less healthy since, putting many youth at high risk. Prevention efforts should target the young through education and lifestyle changes like healthy eating and exercise.
This document provides a pro forma for registering a dissertation topic at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bangalore, Karnataka. It includes details about the candidate (Vishwas Jog), their institute (Padmashree Institute of Nursing), and their proposed study topic.
The proposed study is to assess the effectiveness of a structured teaching program on mothers' knowledge of behavioral problems in toddlers aged 1-3 years. The study will involve assessing mothers' knowledge before and after the teaching program using a questionnaire. The teaching program will be presented to mothers in a selected community in Bangalore using flashcards. The results will help evaluate if the program improved mothers' understanding of common toddler behavioral issues.
St. Francis Medical Center Foundation of Lynwood Annual Report FY12Daisy Pizana
Â
The document is the annual report of St. Francis Medical Center Foundation for fiscal year 2012. It highlights several programs and individuals that exemplify the mission of serving the sick and poor, including the philosophy of the emergency department medical director to treat patients with empathy and competence, and the story of a chaplain who offers comfort to critically injured patients despite his own personal adversity.
The document provides information about various upcoming community events and classes related to children's health and safety, including:
- A Safe Sitter class teaching babysitting skills for ages 11-14 from 9am-3pm on specified dates at Children's Hospital for $25.
- A Shoney's KidCare photo ID program on August 6th and 8th to provide photo IDs for missing children.
- A CPR class for parents and teens ages 14+ from 6-10pm on specified dates at Children's Hospital for $25.
- A car seat inspection event on specified dates in July, August and September at the Knoxville Police Department from 10am-1pm.
East Tennessee Children's Hospital's mission is to improve the health of children through exceptional, comprehensive
family-centered care, wellness and education. Our School Nurse Conference puts that mission into action within the
community by enhancing the knowledge of school nurses about managing common childhood illnesses and injuries
and providing updated information about changes in care for children with chronic diseases.
Read the 2014-2015 Annual Report for Children's Hospital to find out how we are serving the kids of Knoxville and the greater East Tennessee area. Find out more at https://www.etch.com/about/annual-report/
The document discusses child guidance clinics, which were established to help children with behavioral, psychological, emotional, and learning problems. The first child guidance clinic was started in Chicago in 1990 and aimed to prevent children from developing neuroses or psychoses later in life. Such clinics utilize a multidisciplinary team including psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses, and other professionals to assess children, diagnose any issues, and provide therapies like counseling, group therapy, play therapy, and medical treatment to help restore children's mental well-being.
1) Diabetes management awareness among young patients and their families is important to control the disease. A new center called the Juvenile Diabetes Education Centre aims to educate young diabetes patients and their families.
2) While type 1 diabetes is most common in children, some doctors are seeing more cases of type 2 diabetes in children as well, which they attribute to unhealthy lifestyles and diets in the region.
3) Experts call for new research on diabetes in the UAE, as rates were high in 1999 and lifestyles have become less healthy since, putting many youth at high risk. Prevention efforts should target the young through education and lifestyle changes like healthy eating and exercise.
This document provides a pro forma for registering a dissertation topic at Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences in Bangalore, Karnataka. It includes details about the candidate (Vishwas Jog), their institute (Padmashree Institute of Nursing), and their proposed study topic.
The proposed study is to assess the effectiveness of a structured teaching program on mothers' knowledge of behavioral problems in toddlers aged 1-3 years. The study will involve assessing mothers' knowledge before and after the teaching program using a questionnaire. The teaching program will be presented to mothers in a selected community in Bangalore using flashcards. The results will help evaluate if the program improved mothers' understanding of common toddler behavioral issues.
St. Francis Medical Center Foundation of Lynwood Annual Report FY12Daisy Pizana
Â
The document is the annual report of St. Francis Medical Center Foundation for fiscal year 2012. It highlights several programs and individuals that exemplify the mission of serving the sick and poor, including the philosophy of the emergency department medical director to treat patients with empathy and competence, and the story of a chaplain who offers comfort to critically injured patients despite his own personal adversity.
The document is the 2017-2018 annual report for East Tennessee Children's Hospital. It includes stories about patients like Audrey, who has been cancer-free for 10 years, and information about the hospital's services. The hospital provides comprehensive care through multiple clinics and specialists, and also focuses on family-centered care through services like child life, social work, and their facility dog. The hospital's reach extends across 16 counties in Tennessee as well as parts of Kentucky and Virginia through outpatient clinics, home health, and rehabilitation services.
The American Heart Association is lobbying the Florida legislature to implement a "CPR in Schools" program that would teach Hands-Only CPR without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. This aims to increase the number of people willing to perform CPR by removing concerns over germ transmission. Hands-Only CPR involves chest compressions but not mouth-to-mouth. Studies suggest this can be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest victims. Supporters believe Hands-Only CPR could save more lives by encouraging more bystanders to act during emergencies prior to emergency services arriving.
This document provides information about the board of directors, medical staff, administration, and spotlight sections of the publication "It's About Children".
The board of directors and medical staff sections list the names and positions of individuals in leadership roles.
The administration section introduces the president/CEO and various vice presidents who oversee areas like patient care, medical services, finance, and human resources.
The spotlight previews upcoming articles about unexpected blessings involving the hospital, new technology to detect germs, the role of child life specialists, and water safety.
A Career in Nursing Essay example
Nursing Exemplar
What Is Nursing? Essay
The nursing process Essay
Public Health Nursing Essay
Essay on Nursing Care Plan
This document provides information about Donald Gardenier and his work transforming healthcare and improving treatment of hepatitis C. It discusses how Donald established a clinical program for hepatitis C at Mount Sinai Hospital after a study found high prevalence of hepatitis C in the patient population. It describes Donald's work with the New York City Department of Health to form a task force to screen and link patients with hepatitis C to care. Donald has also worked to establish practice guidelines and eliminate barriers to nurse practitioner practice through his role on the board of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Therapy dogs were used in a 2014 study measuring their impact on pediatric oncology patients. One child in the study, 5-year old Bryce with leukemia, would meet with a therapy dog named Swoosh for 20 minutes before appointments. Swoosh helped distract Bryce from his treatments. Immunotherapy is a new treatment for relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia showing a 93% remission rate. T cells are taken from patients and reengineered to recognize cancer, then reinfused. Teddy bears are known to comfort sick children, and a teddy bear named T-Bear visits patients at Seattle Children's Hospital to provide hope.
- Medical schools teach students about death through lectures on ethics of body donation and commemorative services for donated bodies. This helps highlight the moral and social dimensions of dying alongside physical dimensions.
- Physicians often develop close relationships with patients and may experience grief when patients die. Common coping mechanisms include expressing emotions in a healthy way, taking time for self-reflection, embracing a "we" perspective to avoid feelings of personal failure, and defining one's role as providing comfort rather than solely focusing on curing.
- Surgeons describe coping with patient loss by developing relationships with families, sending condolence letters, and viewing death as a natural part of life rather than a failure, though it remains a difficult experience. Open
The Foundation for Therapeutic Options provides grants to help fund therapy for disabled children who may not otherwise be able to afford it. The organization was founded in 2006 with the goal of helping children with disabilities enhance their lives. It has since given over $600,000 to help patients receive speech, occupational, and physical therapy. One beneficiary is 7-year-old Chaiden Floyd, who has benefited from additional therapy funded by grants to help improve his hearing impairment. The Foundation raises money through private donations, grants, and fundraising events like an annual talent showcase.
Community Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI) publishes a monthly (or every-other-month) newsletter for its patients, employees and the community with information about CHI's services, programs and events as well as current health issues.
This document discusses the work of the Pediatric Generalist Research Group (PGRG) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) which aims to improve healthcare delivery for children through research. The 10-member interdisciplinary PGRG team, led by Dr. Evaline Alessandrini, conducts research on issues related to healthcare access, quality, and outcomes for children. Some of their research has helped develop national guidelines around immunization and treatment. The PGRG also offers a fellowship program to train pediatricians in healthcare delivery research.
- The Winnipeg School Division created the first FASD-specific classroom called the Bridges program at David Livingstone Community School in response to data showing a need. This program has since expanded to include 11 classrooms across multiple schools.
- Students in the FASD programs learn about how their brains are affected by FASD and strategies to help them focus, learn, and feel regulated. Classrooms are designed to minimize distractions.
- As students move to high school, they work with a support teacher to create a personal learning profile documenting their strengths, challenges, and strategies. This profile helps teachers support each student. The goal is to set students up for success after graduation.
Dr. Ernie Yoder, the founding dean of Central Michigan University's College of Medicine, spoke about building patient-centered medical communities. He discussed the training students receive at CMU's medical school, which focuses on team-based care and increased access to services. Yoder advocated for implementing patient-centered medical homes that would provide continuous, comprehensive care through increased screening and electronic health records shared between care teams. These reforms aim to improve health outcomes and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. Many students were interested in CMU's community-focused approach and team-based model of care.
DU community breaks down walls surrounding mental healthTaylor Sienkiewicz
Â
Fresh Check Day was an event at a university that brought awareness to mental health issues among college students and promoted resources available. A survey found that 95% of college counseling directors said the number of students with psychological problems is growing. The event addressed issues like sexual assault, which is linked to higher rates of suicide attempts in victims, and taught students how to support peers who may be considering suicide. The university's counseling center aims to decrease stigma and help students struggling with mental health issues.
Madison Lyleroehr learned at age 13 that she had severe scoliosis requiring surgery. After finishing one semester of school, she had successful spinal surgery at Children's Hospital in 2001. Following her recovery, Madison wrote an informational booklet for other scoliosis patients and hosted fundraising concerts. She graduated first in her class from high school and is now a junior in college studying sociology, while continuing her singing and fundraising efforts. Madison is grateful to the staff at Children's Hospital for her successful surgery and recovery.
This document discusses how service in the Peace Corps often inspires volunteers to pursue careers in public health and medicine. It profiles two returned Peace Corps volunteers, Lauren Arnold and William Garneau, who were drawn to medicine after their volunteer experiences. Both pursued additional schooling like medical degrees in order to become doctors and apply their service-oriented mindsets to helping underserved communities through healthcare. The document also notes that returned volunteers make attractive medical school applicants because of their experiences living in challenging conditions abroad and working cross-culturally.
The document is the 2017-2018 annual report for East Tennessee Children's Hospital. It includes stories about patients like Audrey, who has been cancer-free for 10 years, and information about the hospital's services. The hospital provides comprehensive care through multiple clinics and specialists, and also focuses on family-centered care through services like child life, social work, and their facility dog. The hospital's reach extends across 16 counties in Tennessee as well as parts of Kentucky and Virginia through outpatient clinics, home health, and rehabilitation services.
The American Heart Association is lobbying the Florida legislature to implement a "CPR in Schools" program that would teach Hands-Only CPR without mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. This aims to increase the number of people willing to perform CPR by removing concerns over germ transmission. Hands-Only CPR involves chest compressions but not mouth-to-mouth. Studies suggest this can be as effective as conventional CPR for cardiac arrest victims. Supporters believe Hands-Only CPR could save more lives by encouraging more bystanders to act during emergencies prior to emergency services arriving.
This document provides information about the board of directors, medical staff, administration, and spotlight sections of the publication "It's About Children".
The board of directors and medical staff sections list the names and positions of individuals in leadership roles.
The administration section introduces the president/CEO and various vice presidents who oversee areas like patient care, medical services, finance, and human resources.
The spotlight previews upcoming articles about unexpected blessings involving the hospital, new technology to detect germs, the role of child life specialists, and water safety.
A Career in Nursing Essay example
Nursing Exemplar
What Is Nursing? Essay
The nursing process Essay
Public Health Nursing Essay
Essay on Nursing Care Plan
This document provides information about Donald Gardenier and his work transforming healthcare and improving treatment of hepatitis C. It discusses how Donald established a clinical program for hepatitis C at Mount Sinai Hospital after a study found high prevalence of hepatitis C in the patient population. It describes Donald's work with the New York City Department of Health to form a task force to screen and link patients with hepatitis C to care. Donald has also worked to establish practice guidelines and eliminate barriers to nurse practitioner practice through his role on the board of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.
Therapy dogs were used in a 2014 study measuring their impact on pediatric oncology patients. One child in the study, 5-year old Bryce with leukemia, would meet with a therapy dog named Swoosh for 20 minutes before appointments. Swoosh helped distract Bryce from his treatments. Immunotherapy is a new treatment for relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia showing a 93% remission rate. T cells are taken from patients and reengineered to recognize cancer, then reinfused. Teddy bears are known to comfort sick children, and a teddy bear named T-Bear visits patients at Seattle Children's Hospital to provide hope.
- Medical schools teach students about death through lectures on ethics of body donation and commemorative services for donated bodies. This helps highlight the moral and social dimensions of dying alongside physical dimensions.
- Physicians often develop close relationships with patients and may experience grief when patients die. Common coping mechanisms include expressing emotions in a healthy way, taking time for self-reflection, embracing a "we" perspective to avoid feelings of personal failure, and defining one's role as providing comfort rather than solely focusing on curing.
- Surgeons describe coping with patient loss by developing relationships with families, sending condolence letters, and viewing death as a natural part of life rather than a failure, though it remains a difficult experience. Open
The Foundation for Therapeutic Options provides grants to help fund therapy for disabled children who may not otherwise be able to afford it. The organization was founded in 2006 with the goal of helping children with disabilities enhance their lives. It has since given over $600,000 to help patients receive speech, occupational, and physical therapy. One beneficiary is 7-year-old Chaiden Floyd, who has benefited from additional therapy funded by grants to help improve his hearing impairment. The Foundation raises money through private donations, grants, and fundraising events like an annual talent showcase.
Community Health of South Florida Inc. (CHI) publishes a monthly (or every-other-month) newsletter for its patients, employees and the community with information about CHI's services, programs and events as well as current health issues.
This document discusses the work of the Pediatric Generalist Research Group (PGRG) at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) which aims to improve healthcare delivery for children through research. The 10-member interdisciplinary PGRG team, led by Dr. Evaline Alessandrini, conducts research on issues related to healthcare access, quality, and outcomes for children. Some of their research has helped develop national guidelines around immunization and treatment. The PGRG also offers a fellowship program to train pediatricians in healthcare delivery research.
- The Winnipeg School Division created the first FASD-specific classroom called the Bridges program at David Livingstone Community School in response to data showing a need. This program has since expanded to include 11 classrooms across multiple schools.
- Students in the FASD programs learn about how their brains are affected by FASD and strategies to help them focus, learn, and feel regulated. Classrooms are designed to minimize distractions.
- As students move to high school, they work with a support teacher to create a personal learning profile documenting their strengths, challenges, and strategies. This profile helps teachers support each student. The goal is to set students up for success after graduation.
Dr. Ernie Yoder, the founding dean of Central Michigan University's College of Medicine, spoke about building patient-centered medical communities. He discussed the training students receive at CMU's medical school, which focuses on team-based care and increased access to services. Yoder advocated for implementing patient-centered medical homes that would provide continuous, comprehensive care through increased screening and electronic health records shared between care teams. These reforms aim to improve health outcomes and reduce unnecessary hospitalizations. Many students were interested in CMU's community-focused approach and team-based model of care.
DU community breaks down walls surrounding mental healthTaylor Sienkiewicz
Â
Fresh Check Day was an event at a university that brought awareness to mental health issues among college students and promoted resources available. A survey found that 95% of college counseling directors said the number of students with psychological problems is growing. The event addressed issues like sexual assault, which is linked to higher rates of suicide attempts in victims, and taught students how to support peers who may be considering suicide. The university's counseling center aims to decrease stigma and help students struggling with mental health issues.
Madison Lyleroehr learned at age 13 that she had severe scoliosis requiring surgery. After finishing one semester of school, she had successful spinal surgery at Children's Hospital in 2001. Following her recovery, Madison wrote an informational booklet for other scoliosis patients and hosted fundraising concerts. She graduated first in her class from high school and is now a junior in college studying sociology, while continuing her singing and fundraising efforts. Madison is grateful to the staff at Children's Hospital for her successful surgery and recovery.
This document discusses how service in the Peace Corps often inspires volunteers to pursue careers in public health and medicine. It profiles two returned Peace Corps volunteers, Lauren Arnold and William Garneau, who were drawn to medicine after their volunteer experiences. Both pursued additional schooling like medical degrees in order to become doctors and apply their service-oriented mindsets to helping underserved communities through healthcare. The document also notes that returned volunteers make attractive medical school applicants because of their experiences living in challenging conditions abroad and working cross-culturally.
1. Hearing the heart monitor beep at a steady pace reassures Frederik that Annie is going to be all right.
Had this been a real-life emergency and Annie been a real person, 10-year-old Frederik may well have
saved a life.
This scenario is one of many situations students participating in the Health Adventures program
at M. D. Anderson find themselves in.
Forthepast11years,M.D.Anderson’sDepartmentof VolunteerServiceshashostedtheprogram
through a collaboration with Communities in Schools, a national organization aimed at preventing
children from dropping out of school and introducing them to careers in health care.
TheJuniorLeagueof Houston,Inc.fundsthenine-monthprogram,whichpairs18elementary
students with an adult volunteer mentor. Nine students are selected from both Houston’s Bastian
Elementary and KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) 3D Academy.
wEEkENd adVENTUrES
One Saturday every month, fourth- and fifth-graders get together to learn every-
thing from how to package medicine to what goes on in the operating room.
On one spring morning, Tejpal Grover, M.D., let Frederik and other students
play doctor, teaching them what to do in emergency situations.
Though it’s just role-playing, he believes students can appreciate a learning
environment outside of their typical classroom setting. Students not only see the
doctor’s perspective, but they also see things from a patient’s viewpoint.
“It’s just fun to teach them something that they haven’t learned before,” says
Grover,whoisanassociateprofessorinM.D.Anderson’sDepartmentofGeneral
Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care.
After hours of emergency training, the students gathered with friends and
mentors and discussed the morning’s lessons.
For Frederik, a fifth-grader from KIPP 3D, the experience has been one
of inspiration as he develops an interest in pursuing a career in the medical
field.
“I want to be a doctor so I can take care of
people who are going through emergencies,”
he says enthusiastically.
“I’mclear!Areyouclear?Iseverybodyclear?”Frederik
Diaz yells.
Withanaudiencekeepingawatchfuleyeonhisevery
move, Frederik grabs the nearest Emergency Assist
Device and prepares to shock Annie back to life.Life
IsFullofAdventuresby Deborah Aranda
HealtH
adventures
Had this been a real-life emergency and Annie been a real person, 10-year-old Frederik may well have
This scenario is one of many situations students participating in the Health Adventures program
at M. D. Anderson find themselves in.
Forthepast11years,M.D.Anderson’sDepartmentof VolunteerServiceshashostedtheprogram
through a collaboration with Communities in Schools, a national organization aimed at preventing
children from dropping out of school and introducing them to careers in health care.
TheJuniorLeagueof Houston,Inc.fundsthenine-monthprogram,whichpairs18elementary
students with an adult volunteer mentor. Nine students are selected from both Houston’s Bastian
Elementary and KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) 3D Academy.
wEEkENd adVENTUrES
One Saturday every month, fourth- and fifth-graders get together to learn every-
thing from how to package medicine to what goes on in the operating room.
On one spring morning, Tejpal Grover, M.D., let Frederik and other students
play doctor, teaching them what to do in emergency situations.
Though it’s just role-playing, he believes students can appreciate a learning
environment outside of their typical classroom setting. Students not only see the
doctor’s perspective, but they also see things from a patient’s viewpoint.
“It’s just fun to teach them something that they haven’t learned before,” says
Grover,whoisanassociateprofessorinM.D.Anderson’sDepartmentofGeneral
Internal Medicine, Ambulatory Treatment and Emergency Care.
After hours of emergency training, the students gathered with friends and
mentors and discussed the morning’s lessons.
For Frederik, a fifth-grader from KIPP 3D, the experience has been one
of inspiration as he develops an interest in pursuing a career in the medical
“I want to be a doctor so I can take care of
people who are going through emergencies,”
Paddles in hand, Frederik Diaz attempts
to bring “annie” back to life.
5
2. Coming into their own
Cindy Shursen, Health Adventures program coordinator at M. D. Anderson,
has seen how students have flourished in the program, which was initiated by the
American Society of Directors of Volunteer Services in 1996, and is now offered
in hospitals throughout the United States.
“The kids really come out of their shells,” she says. “Some of the kids that come
inarereallyshyatfirst,thenastheyprogressthroughtheprogram,theybeginasking
questions and volunteering for participation.”
Theprogram is a goodfit for students who havean interestin the medical field,
but also for those who may be having trouble academically, Shursen says.
During the school year, students are introduced to different areas throughout
the hospital and have a day of activities planned for each visit. Before their final
Saturday stop in the emergency room, they already had spent time with nurses,
pharmacists, child life specialists, and physical and occupational therapists, and
learned about sterile processing, radiation oncology and laboratory medicine.
Onthelastdayoftheprogram,mentorsandsitehostsunite,makingitaspecial
one to remember.
“I’ll make books for the kids with famous motivational quotes that they get to
keep,” Shursen says. “We have a graduation ceremony and hand out diplomas.
At the end of the ceremony, the kids toss their caps. Every year it’s a lot of fun
and extremely rewarding.”
Something more to gain
Students aren’t the only ones benefiting from the Health
Adventures program. Medical professionals and volunteers also
have gained something valuable — the satisfaction of making a
difference in a child’s life.
That’s been the case for Osvaldo Gomez, who’s been a
volunteer mentor for the past five years.
“It’ssocriticalforkidstohavecaringadultsintheirlives,and
some of these kids go home to a very challenging environment,”
he says. “They’re bringing a lot of challenges to the program
already, so to be a part of their lives for these nine months is very
important to me. That’s one of the reasons I got involved.”
Gomez,ahumanresourcesspecialistatM.D.Anderson,says
the program has contributed to his learning about the diverse
world of medicine.
“I get a chance to experience and see things within the
hospital that I wouldn’t normally see as an employee, like the
operating room, rehabilitation center or radiology,” he says. “I
read about them, I work with some of the staff involved, but this
program really gives me a chance to be in the middle of seeing
first-hand what these areas are all about.”
Sally Fernandez, nurse manager for the Emergency Center,
has been a work-site host since the program started. Motivating
Health
Adventures
Brittany Cisneros (right) gets her blood pressure
checked as Alondra Ortiz waits her turn.
Below, Brittany teams with her mentor Laurie Elmore
in the laboratory to conduct several experiments.
6
3. students to keep attending school has been an enjoyable experience for her. “It’s always great
to help them stay in school and get them excited about continuing their studies. Get them
focused, not off track,” she says.
According to Shursen, students in higher-grade levels are more prone to quit school,
which is why the Health Adventures program focuses on elementary school-age children.
The goal is to reach students early and get them excited about staying in school and seeing
what career opportunities are available to them.
Like Frederik, 12-year-old David Espinoza feels fortunate to be in such a program. “I
learned how to take care of people and what to do if they had a heart attack or were on the
ground,” he says. “I like this program. We’re lucky that we’re here.”
Future plans for the Health Adventures program include having a reunion for mentors
and past students involved. “This program continues to evolve every year,” Shursen says.
Rodrigo Lugo (left) and Frederik
Diaz listen intently as nurse Sally
Fernandez discusses what a typical
day is like in M. D. Anderson’s
Emergency Center.
7