McKenna Gray holds on to her mother, Jen Gray, while PA David Reese performs a health screening.

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. -
The Clinton County Health Day for Kids, held on April 17, was a huge success. This event, held in Lock Haven University Student Recreation Center, was sponsored by the Lock Haven University Physician Assistant Program with a grant from the American Academy of Physician Assistants.

Physician Assistant student Pam Ruane secured the grant for a project she designed called Clinton County Health Day for Kids 0-5. The event featured a number of community partners, representatives from the department of health and notable speakers along with Lock Haven University Students in the Physician Assistant Program.

The focus of the event was to educate parents in ways to help their children lead healthier lives and provided education on nutrition and development, with a major focus on getting children ready for school. “Many children from the age of 0 to 5 in Clinton County do not attend any type of preschool program and we were able to make them aware of simple things they can do to prepare their children for kindergarten,” says Ruane.

The speakers were Dr. Peter Montminy of KidStep Coaching who provided a seminar about child behavior, Dr. Henry Dietrich of Geisinger who provided a seminar about infectious diseases in children and Anna Mae Smith, PA-C, who provided a lecture about the signs and symptoms of ADD.

The Physician Assistant students were on hand to conduct a number of different screenings as well as provide information on different aspects of child development. The Department of Health was represented and conducted free immunizations for Kindergarten children.

Community representatives were available from a number of different organizations including the Girl Scouts, the Clinton County Women’s Center, Women with Infants and Children (WIC) and a number of different organizations that provide services to children in Clinton County. The event received a number of donations from businesses across the area, including Avenue 209, the MountainServe Center, Keller and Monroe Pharmacy, Blake Dentistry from Coudersport, PA; and Dr. Linda Klat of Bellefonte Dental.

Another big focus for the event was school preparedness. Ruane stated, “Many children from the age of 0 to 5 in Clinton County do not attend any type of preschool program and we were able to make them aware of simple things they can do to prepare their children for kindergarten.” She added, “ During the event, children and parents were able to interact with medical service providers in a fun and positive way that I hope will influence their future interactions with those in the medical profession."