News

Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital welcomes school groups to tour the facility. Karen Ulrich, CTRS, Recreation Therapy, Patient Family Services, explains, “A hospital can be a frightening place for young children. There are unfamiliar faces, bright lights, and equipment that makes strange noises. To help decrease hospital anxiety felt by many youngsters, we welcome school groups to visit the hospital to give the children an opportunity to see the different areas of the hospital, to meet some of our friendly and helpful hospital staff, and give them an opportunity to ask questions. Children leave the hospital feeling more at ease, while decreasing the fear of the unknown.”

The tour includes a visit to many of the departments where hospital personnel explain some of the procedures or equipment in language that helps the children understand. Karen Ulrich adds, “The children enjoy learning about the sights and sounds in the hospital. Tour groups visit many areas of the hospital including Rehabilitation to see the exercise equipment and monitors and Medical Imaging Department to see an x-ray and how the images are taken. Another favorite area to visit is New Beginnings, the Obstetrics Department. Many of the children are quick to tell nursing staff that they were born at the hospital. While visiting Health Information Management, a staff member will retrieve the birth certificate of one of the children or a family member born at PdC Memorial Hospital so that the group will see his or her foot prints.”

The photo was taken as Javier Alvarez, COTA, Occupational Therapy, explained how a 4 lb. weighted ball is among the equipment that is used in therapy in the Rehab Department. His captive audience is Mary Huser’s kindergarten class from St. Gabe’s in Prairie du Chien and several parents. The tour guides for the visit were volunteers Ruth Skelly and Marlene Grunow, Partners of PdC Memorial Hospital.

To schedule a tour at Prairie du Chien Memorial Hospital, contact Karen Ulrich at 608-357-2000.