HSHS St. Johns Children’s Hospital held their Teddy Bear Clinic on Tuesday as 26 elementary school kids from Brandon Court Community Center visited the hospital to learn about what it’s like to work in a hospital. Kim Luz, Director of Community Outreach for the HSHS Central Illinois Division Hospitals spoke with Regional Radio News recently and shared how this program aims to change the children’s perspective when it comes to healthcare.

The event put the children in their own lab coats and stethoscopes as they created and cared for their own “buddy doll”. Luz shared some of the activities that the kids got to do with their doll with the help of the medical staff at HSHS St. Johns Children’s Hospital.

Luz said that not only did the kids learn about some of the procedures that the children got to do with their buddy dolls, but they also had the chance to speak with many of the other departments at the hospital. She shared how this helped the kids understand just how many things they can do in the medical field when they grow up.