Camp Healthcare

Recruiting healthcare providers to rural areas is a major focus for small community hospitals.   What better way to capture prospect's interest than to start early and with students with roots in in the Big Horn Basin.  Washakie Medical Center hosted its 2nd annual Camp Healthcare for 7 incoming 8th grade students on June 22, 23, and 24th.  Students were selected from an application which asked them to describe their future interests in a career in healthcare.  Students attending camp; Sabrina Lindley, Justin Roussan, Anthony Eibert, Mason Fethkenher, Katie Smith, Dylan Roberts, and Christian Burns.

The action packed 3 day camp allowed students the unique chance to interact with healthcare professionals in activities to simulate patient care.  According to Connie Hoffman, Public Relations, “We evaluated activities from our camp last year and revised schedule to include the most hands-on, educational and of course fun activities.”  While they did not provide care to actual patients, they did spend time with the professionals in several departments in activities simulating patient care.  Each activity was carefully planned to appeal and be understood by our young middle school students.  

The programs included;

• bacteria analysis of common items such as cell phone, shoe, and keyboard
• suturing exercise using raw chicken thighs
  exercises in bandaging and casting a fellow student's arm
• EKG information from nursing
• intubation exercises on mannequins
•  fire extinguisher training
• ambulance tour
• rehab water therapy
• proper lifting techniques
• scoping a watermelon to find objects
• observing an ultrasound of baby with expectant mother volunteer
• blood typing of students
• CPR
• hand washing experiment with glow powder

Camp ended with a celebration which parents were invited to attend and students could share a DVD with highlights of the camp.