The HCA East Florida Hospitals of Palm Beach, which include JFK Medical Center’s main and north campuses, and Palms West Hospital, were proud to partner with Girl Scout Troop 12103 to help them continue to earn patches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
While field trips and in-person meetings are currently postponed, healthcare professionals eagerly stepped in to support the Girl Scouts in providing a few educational and fun activities to help girls learn new skills — and ultimately earn a badge. The girls, ranging from ages 7 to 10, participated in a half hour virtual session to earn a Healthy Brain patch and a Hand Hygiene patch.
“We are so grateful to the HCA Palm Beach hospital experts for taking the time to teach our girls about the importance of their health, especially in times like this, where without volunteers like HCA East Florida, we certainly would not be able to keep earning badges,” said Bailey Butler, leader of Troop 12103. “Thank you very much for helping to keep Girl Scouts a fun and safe experience.”
For the Healthy Brain patch, Beau Lynch, executive director of behavioral health services at JFK North Campus led the discussion, highlighting the importance of keeping your mind sharp during the pandemic.
“Understanding that a vast number of people’s mental health has been negatively impacted by this pandemic across the country, specifically in our county, helping our youth learn about mental health and the importance of good self-care was an opportunity that I couldn’t pass up,” Lynch said.
Sheila Sanders, chief nursing officer at Palms West Hospital, spoke to the troop about hand hygiene and preventing the spread of COVID-19.
“Hand hygiene is one of the most influential factors in preventing the spread of viruses from person to person,” Sanders said. “To be able to talk with children regarding the importance of hand hygiene and other prevention strategies to decrease the spread of COVID-19 is an obligation I feel to our community.”
