This year, Mercer Health welcomed over 800 kindergarteners from local elementary schools, as well as students from Versailles Elementary School in Darke County and several homeschool cohorts in the area. For nearly 30 years, Mercer Health has invited young students to attend Play Hospital, an interactive program designed to teach them about healthcare and tour the hospital.
During the program, students learned about handwashing, healthy choices, surgery and more. Some even had the chance to meet Ripsi, the therapy dog who works with Mercer Health Medical Group Mental Wellness patients.
“We loved having our local students here to visit with us,” said Mindy Kremer, Vice President of Development, Marketing, and Communications. “Our goal is to make the hospital seem like a less scary place if they have to come visit us, and for the kids to have fun and learn something new about the healthcare field.”
Earlier this spring, Mercer Health also hosted a Medical Explorers program. This program allowed freshman and sophomores from area schools to visit Mercer Health for an opportunity to explore volunteer positions and future career paths. They also learned more about their local healthcare system and its impact on the local community.