Tidelands Health offers special lesson to summer campers!

Tidelands Health goes to summer camp

Kids participating in summer camps offered by the YMCA of Coastal Carolina got a special lesson from Tidelands Health.

For the first time, the not-for-profit health system joined the camp lineup, offering an interactive session teaching the importance of proper hand hygiene to limit the spread of germs.

“Summer camp is a perfect place to reach children with fun, interactive ways to help them learn and start practicing healthy habits like proper handwashing early in life,” said Alisa Kimmel, community outreach registered nurse at Tidelands Health, the exclusive health system partner of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina. 

During the camp sessions, a special lotion meant to mimic germs on hands could only be seen using a glow light, driving home the message to campers ages 6 to 8 to always wash their hands properly. After washing their hands at the sink to remove the lotion, kids held their hands under the glow light to see any spots they might have missed.

“The campers all wanted to know if they were glowing,” said Kimmel, a former school nurse who led the camp sessions. “Kids are so visual, they like to see it. It’s a fun, interactive way to drive home the message and help instill healthy habits early in life that will serve these campers well as they grow.”

As the exclusive health system partner of the YMCA of Coastal Carolina, Tidelands Health collaborates with the YMCA to improve health and wellness in the region. The health system recently supported the expansion of the Safety Around Water program to Myrtle Beach. Also known as YSplash!, the program teaches second graders life-saving lessons in water safety for free.