Press releases

Released December 19, 1996
Yale-New Haven Hospital news release

Hill Neighborhood Children Embark
on Health Adventure at YNHH

For more information, call 203-688-2488 or E-mail Ken Best

"At risk" teenagers from Latino Youth Development in New Haven are participating in a national pilot program at Yale-New Haven Hospital aimed at introducing the teens to health information and professions.

The Volunteer Services department at Yale-New Haven Hospital (YNHH) recently launched "Health Adventures," a pilot program for 15 seventh and eighth graders from Latino Youth Development who attend nine Saturday morning sessions.

Yale-New Haven is one of nine hospitals nationwide selected by a division of the American Hospital Association to host the Health Adventures pilot. According to program developers, Health Adventures gives children the chance to see a hospital from a perspective other than that of a patient and to show how what they learn in school can be used in the workplace.

In addition to YNHH employees, an essential component of the program is the pairing of the Latino youth--one-third speak little or no English--with 12 Yale undergraduate bilingual volunteers.

"Yale-New Haven's pilot is the only one of the nine geared toward Spanish-speaking children," said Jeannette Hodge, director of YNHH Volunteer Services. Not only was it challenging to recruit Spanish-speaking volunteers to serve as buddies, but vocabulary lists and information for parents need to be translated into Spanish, and all lessons must be interpreted.

"This is a wonderful, wonderful opportunity for the kids to get to know different professions, to get hands-on experience and to meet wonderful role models," said Diana I. Zayas Benitez, executive director of Latino Youth Development. She has observed that on these Saturday mornings, the whole group is present and ready to go ahead of schedule.

Before each visit, the students and buddies receive a list of vocabulary words related to the upcoming session. Then on each selected Saturday, they meet for breakfast with their "buddies," participate in an employee-led teaching session, take a tour of the area or areas highlighted that morning and have lunch together. All food and material expenses involved in the pilot are covered by the Yale-New Haven Hospital Auxiliary.

Jon Merson, like most of the "buddies," is a Yale student considering a career in medicine. He volunteered as a way to work with the community and stay connected to health care. Buddies provide continuity for the whole experience. Otherwise, as one developer of the program put it, it would become just one field trip after another.

Ronald Bucci, RD, a YNHH food service management dietitian, thought his presentation was well received. "They asked questions, so that meant they were listening," he said. He explained the food pyramid to the group, which is a way of of ensuring you have a balanced diet, and he talked to them about careers in nutrition and food service. The best part of the day, however, was likely the tour of the kitchen and the opportunity to make cookies they could eat after lunch.

The success of Health Adventures will be measured by comparing last year's school attendance and science grades to this year's. But volunteer and program coordinator Sandra Diaz already considers it a success as she notes the interest in the faces of the youth. Hodge and Zayas Benitez are already beginning to talk about next year's program.

Anais Rivera, 12, heard the first session's presentation about babies and made a choice then and there to be a doctor. Another young woman predicted she would become a research scientist and find a cure for AIDS. And all thought the day went by far too fast.

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