This week, The UVM Health Network - Elizabethtown Community Hospital (ECH) welcomed 24 students from Moriah Central School to its Ticonderoga Campus to participate in its “Doctor for the Day” event.  A collaboration between ECH and Moriah Central School, the event was designed to introduce kids in the school’s summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) Program to the medical professional while having fun doing it.

Once equipped with a mask and hospital ID tag, the students, ranging in ages seven – nine, had a full day of learning with six different sessions run by ECH providers and staff experts on:

1. Healthy Hands – Importance of Hand Hygiene
2. Teddy is Broken – Applying a Cast to a Teddy Bear
3. Suture Fun – Stitching a Hot Dog
4. Fire Safety – Fire Extinguisher Training
5. Land Transport – Ambulance Tour & CPR Demonstration
6. Air Transport – LifeNet Helicopter Landing on Helipad and Helicopter Tour

Tiffany Pinheiro, a science teacher and STEM Program Coordinator for Moriah Central School, said, “We are so excited to work with Elizabethtown Community Hospital as part of our Summer STEM Program celebrating the importance of science, technology, engineering and math education.  The visit to the Ticonderoga Campus punctuates a week of fieldtrips and daily learning.  The hospital’s staff created a great hands-on learning experience for these kids.”

Julie Tromblee, MSN, Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for Elizabethtown Community Hospital stated, “Across the UVM Health Network, we are committed to strengthening rural health care and developing our future workforce.  Today, these students got to experience some of the best doing what they love while making a difference in the community.  I hope that leaves them with a lasting impression and we’ll see some of the students pursuing a path in health care.”