Metcalfe County High School students host second annual Teddy Bear Clinic
EDMONTON, Ky – Preschoolers in Metcalfe County got a hands-on introduction to health care this week with the help of their favorite stuffed animals.
Students in the Metcalfe County High School chapter of Health Occupations Students of America hosted their second annual Teddy Bear Clinic, giving younger children a chance to role-play medical visits in a fun, low-pressure setting.
Children brought stuffed animals to serve as their “patients,” while high school HOSA members acted as health care workers. The preschoolers wore scrubs, gloves and masks as they rotated through stations that included blood pressure checks, X-rays, ultrasounds, hearing and vision screenings, and hygiene activities.
School leaders say the goal is to make medical environments feel less intimidating for children.
“The reason we like to do this is to help get them comfortable with coming to the doctor, seeing health care professionals, let them touch the supplies, let them touch the first aid supplies so that they can be comfortable with it whenever they have to go to the doctor at some point,” said Kennedy Pennington, a health teacher at Metcalfe County High School. “We really look forward to this event. It’s a lot of prep work, as you can probably tell, before we get to this point. But once we finally get to the day, it’s just a fun day.”
Organizers say the Teddy Bear Clinic supports Metcalfe County Schools’ broader focus on learning, safety and student experience.
