Diverse Programs Provide Support for Area Youth
As the season changes from summer to fall, kids go back to school and families and themselves in a more consistent routine. No matter the season, HaysMed and the HaysMed Foundation are proud sponsors of a variety of programs focused on the health of our young people.
Kids Quest Keeps Kids Active
During the summer months, the HaysMed Center for Health Improvement sponsored Kids Quest. The goal is to help kids keep active during the summer and to encourage good habits year-round. Kids Quest recently wrapped up its seventh year, and it was the biggest ever with more than 375 participants. This year’s theme simulated a trip across Kansas promoting Kansas historical sites, educational locations, and roadside attractions. Throughout the summer, children are challenged to walk, run, bike, or swim a total of 40 miles. Participants receive a map to track their progress, an offcial Kids Quest shirt, and incentives along the way from area businesses, ranging from healthy snacks to free admission to area attractions. It’s all designed to promote healthy habits and encourage an active lifestyle.
Helping Protect Students From More Serious Injuries
Fall means a return to school and interscholastic athletics. In Kansas alone, well over 100,000 high school students participate in sports. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that in 2017 more than 15 percent of students experienced a concussion related to sports or physical activity, and six percent reported having at least two concussions. Concussions are now common among high school athletes, and surprisingly, recovery times are longer than for adults. The CDC recommends evaluation of possible concussions and establishes protocols to protect student athletes from potential harm. “Through the generosity of the Hays Med Foundation, we are able to provide baseline concussion screenings free of charge.
“The importance of this program is to establish a personal physical and neurocognitive baseline to use as a benchmark for evaluation of that specic person should they sustain a closed-head injury”
HaysMed Surgeon Dr. Jerod Grove
The C3Logix system we use is the same one used by the Big 12,” said Trauma Manager Cammie Townley. She has worked with HaysMed’s athletic trainers to complete nearly 500 baseline screenings in Ellis and Rush Counties. This project was spearheaded by HaysMed Surgeon Dr. Jerod Grove. “The importance of this program is to establish a personal physical and neurocognitive baseline to use as a benchmark for evaluation of that specic person should they sustain a closed-head injury,” Grove said. HaysMed is Also Here for the Littlest Ones
Throughout the year, gifts to the Foundation provide Infant CPR kits to all rst-time parents. This DVD-based program teaches basic CPR skills. A personal inatable manikin is included to allow practice for parents and other caregivers.
The HaysMed Foundation is a proud supporter of these programs and any more that educate, encourage, and support the health of area youth. These programs are funded through the gifts of our benefactors each year. If you would like to support these and other programs of the HaysMed Foundation, reply with the enclosed envelope, give us a phone call, send us an e-mail, or visit our new website where you can make a gift online or easily establish a recurring gift. Find us at www.haysmedfoundation.org.