Kids Corner Summer Program July 13, 2006 Health First Center Offers Kids Summer Program on Pet Therapy, Importance of Handwashing

Elementary school-aged children are invited to summer programs to be held each Tuesday and Thursday morning from 10 to 11 a.m. in Catawba Valley Medical Center's (CVMC) Health First Center at Valley Hills Mall during the months of June and July, according to Debbie Leger-Scott, coordinator of the program and Catawba County Safe Kids Coalition Coordinator. "Kids Corner, an area of the Health First Center dedicated to children, will be the site of our summer programs for children," said Ms. Leger-Scott. On Tuesday, July 18, Pat Allred, CVMC rehabilitation coordinator, will discuss the benefits of "Pet Therapy." CVMC pet therapy dog Casey will be there to visit and show off some of his tricks. On Thursday, July 20, the Kids Corner topic will be "Germ Buster: Handwashing," taught by Ms. Leger-Scott. She will demonstrate with the "Germ Buster" how to thoroughly cleanse your hands to help keep you healthier. Upcoming topics will include Tobacco Education and Stranger Danger. For the safety and comfort of children attending, a parent should plan to stay with his/her child during the presentation. To find out more about Kids Corner summer sessions or to register, call the Health First Center at 828-485-2300. Catawba County Safe Kids Coalition is part of the National Safe Kids Campaign, the first and only national nonprofit organization dedicated solely to the prevention of unintentional childhood injury - the number one killer of children ages 14 and under. More than 300 state and local Safe Kids coalitions in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico make up the Campaign. Catawba Valley Medical Center is the lead agency for the Catawba County Safe Kids Coalition and employs Ms. Leger-Scott as the coalition's coordinator. Catawba Valley Medical Center is a not-for-profit, public healthcare system providing and promoting the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being of the public in addition to serving as a center for health education, wellness services, preventative medicine and acute care. CVMC, recognized by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Magnet facility, was recently named a Hospital of Choice by the American Alliance of Healthcare Providers.