April 30, 2018
Thank you to Catskill Hudson AHEC who created Billie’s Medical Adventures. The program, recently utilized at Astor’s Head Start in Beacon, uses puppets to familiarize students with a nurse prior to their required health screenings. It was a success! The puppets put the students at ease.
Since its creation, Catskill Hudson AHEC conducted a contest to award complete “Billy’s Medical Adventures” programs to nonprofit organizations whose services benefits the education, health, or well-being of children who reside within the Catskill Hudson AHEC region. Astor Services for Children & Families, Head Start Program in Beacon, NY was one of the recipients of this award. Astor’s Head Start Program provides individualized, comprehensive child development programs that assist children from low-income families in Dutchess county with social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development through support that includes physical, dental, mental health, nutrition, and social services.
In turn, Billie’s Medical Adventures was recently utilized by a new school nurse at Astor Head Start who used the puppets and program script to familiarize the students with nurses prior to their required health screenings of height, weight, and hearing. Kathleen Flynn, Lead Head Start Teacher at the Beacon Head Start Center was pleased to report, “Normally, every year we have several students who are hesitant or fearful of the screening. However, that wasn’t the case this year.” She continued, “I attribute this positive outcome to their experience with Billie’s Medical Adventures, which the students enjoyed very much.”
Catskill Hudson AHEC has created a suite of health-related programs for a range of grade school students. For additional information on Billie’s Medical Adventures, other programs, or organization information, visit www.chahec.org or call 845-883-7260.