Traveling Nurse Carries Immunization Program To Amish
LOU ANN GOOD
Food And Family
Features Editor
LEACOCK (Lancaster Co.)
Rose Grill’s job is a labor of love
and duty.
Winding roads through Lan
caster County’s rural countryside
leads Grill to many isolated
Amish homes. Packed into sever
al carrying bags are vaccines,
Rose Grill completes the immunization records during
a visit to an Amish family. April 14-20 marks National Im
munization Week and is a reminder to ail parents of the
need to protect children from vaccine-preventable ill
nesses.
4-H Leaders Recognized
For Contributions To Youth
COLLEGEVILLE (Montgom
ery Co.) Adult and youth vol
unteers from across the state re
ceived congratulations for a job
well done at the 2002 Pennsylva
nia 4-H Leaders’ Forum con
ducted recently at the Nittany
Lion Inn at Penn State’s Univer
sity Park campus.
Leaders attending from Mont
gomery County were Laura Car
roll of Spring City and Lori Ben
ner of Schwenksville. Both are
leaders with the Central 4-H
Horse and Pony Club and also
work at the Sebastian Riding As
sociates in Collegeville. They give
special guidance to the 4-H ther
apeutic riding division in the
county.
Also recognized at the Forum
was Sarah Danehower of Lan
sdale, who was honored as a
Pennsylvania nominee for the
National 4-H Leaders Hall of
Fame. Sarah founded the Lan
sdale Lassies 4-H Sewing Club S 3
years ago and has been a 4-H
supporter ever since. She was rec
ognized not only for her longevity
with the club, but for her efforts
over the years in involving youth
with disabilities in 4-H.
Ted Alter, Penn State associate
vice president for outreach and
director of cooperative extension
in the College of Agricultural Sci
ences, delivered the commenda
tions at the event, which featured
workshops designed to help adult
and teen 4-H leaders to become
better teachers and youth counse
lors.
needles, paper-work, bandaids,
and even some children’s stickers
needed to complete Grill’s job.
As a traveling community
nurse, it’s Grill’s duty to immu
nize children whose parents lack
transportation to doctors’ offices
and clinics. The Pennsylvania
Department of Health admin
sters the program to provide free
immunizations to children who
“Volunteer 4-H program lead
ers serve as educators, mentors,
positive role models and friends
to thousands of young people
throughout the state,” said Rob
ert Lewis, prtofessor of agricultur
al and extension education and
coordinator of the forum. “On
average, each 4-H leader gives
more than 200 hours of their time
each year and makes an impor
tant impact on the lives of young
children at a time when the in
volvement of a caring adult or
peer can play a critical role in a
young person’s ability to make
good choices in some very chal
lenging situations. Our 4-H lead
ers set a wonderful example for
youth.”
Almost 11,000 volunteers are
involved in Pennsylvania’s 4-H
programs. Each year, these vol
unteers work with nearly 125,000
rural and urban youth between
eight and 19 years of age. 4-H of
fers programs in such areas as
the environment, clothing and
textiles, photography, rocketry,
horsemanship, entomology, plant
and animal science, nutrition and
global citizenship. Nationwide, it
involves 5.4 million youth mem
bers and more than 500,000 adult
volunteers.
Workshops at the forum fea
tured information on how leaders
can involve youth members in
such 4-H programs as computers,
animal science, textile science,
wildlife and foods.
might otherwise be overlooked.
National Immunization Week,
April 14-20, highlights the need
for all children to secure vaccines
that can protect them from seri
ous illnesses and side effects.
Recommended immunization
programs include “baby shots”
for children who are 2,4, 6, and
12-18 months of age, and again
at 4 years. The shots protect
against diseases such as polio,
haemophilus influenze (Hib,
measles, whooping cough,
mumps, and rubella.
Grill’s visits are met with both
anticipation and trepidation. The
little ones know that the needles
that Grill brings with her are
meant for them. They also know
they will be rewarded with col
lectible stickers.
Although the state slogan of
the immunization program is
portray a love message to the re
cipient at the moment. But the
pain of a needle is minor com
pared to the pain a child would
feel if they contracted one of the
illnesses the shots are designed to
prevent.
Despite tears, kicking, and
fearful cries typical of children
who see a needle, Grill remains
calm and cheerful. She knows the
importance of immunization.
About one million children in the
U.S. have not been fully immu
nized. This puts them at risk for
serious illness, even death, from
vaccine-preventable illnesses.
During a recent visit to a Lea
cock farm. Grill immunized three
of the family’s four children.
While she prepared the needles,
Grill explained the vaccine and
possible side effects. She dis
cussed spring chores, grocery
shopping, and how much the
children had grown since her last
visit with the family.
The mother, who desired to re
mained anonymous, said she
much prefers the nurse coming to
Conestoga Pony Club members winners in regional competition: First row, Celeste
Fiocchi. Second row, Twyla Fiocchi, Bree Ann Deibler, Stevie Dissinger, Katie Hall, and
Jessie Hall. Third row, Kelsey Stratchko, Adrienne Adams, Kourtney Conti, Zoe Lyristis,
and Lindsay Stratchko. Fourth row, Jamie Nagle.
Pony Club Makes Clean Sweep At Regionals
SEAFORD, Del. The Cones
toga Pony Club recently took
part in the regional competition
for the Dehnarva region of the
United States Pony Club in Sea
ford. The Dehnarva region con
sists of clubs from Pennsylvania,
Maryland, Delaware and New
Jersey.
The regional rally, called
“Quiz,” is a test of the compet
itor’s equine knowledge. The four
her home rather than needing to
find transportation to a doctor’s
office or clinic.
“It’s much less hectic, and less
expensive,” the mother said. In
addition to transportation, she
would need to pay for a doctor’s
office consultation.
Grill has more than 100 Lan
caster County children on her
schedule. She needs to return
four times during the first year of
a child’s life to complete the re
quired immunizations.
Stay On Track
‘lt’s A Matter Of Love 9
The Lancaster County Im
munization Coalition will be
instrumental in the celebration
of National Infant Immuniza
tion Week the week of April
14-20.
“Information bags” will be
distributed to all new parents
for the entire week in area
birthing hospitals and other
birthing sites. All items in the
“information bags” are in
tended to encourage parents to
have their infants immunized
at the appropriate times. The
bags will also include the loca
tion of immunization sites in
Lancaster County in the ab
sence of a private health-jcare
provider.
For those parents agreeable
to participate in signing a
pledge card to have their in
fant immunized “on time
every time,” their name will be
entered in a drawing for sever
al gift certificates to area res
taurants as Well as significant
presents for the infant.
The Lancaster County Im
munization Coalition is not
for-profit group of profession
als whose goal is to improve
immunization rates and in-
phases of competition were oral
classroom questions, identifica
tion activities in the Mega Room
and at stations, and a written
test.
There were 112 competitors,
making up 46 total teams. They
are divided into five different di
visions, separating the members
by age and level within their club.
The youngest and non-rated
team was the Junior-Junior
As a nurse. Grill has held hos
pital and clinic positions, but her
favorite is that of the community
health nurse.
She said, “I love my job. The
families are so receptive and en
joyable to visit.”
Vaccines are one of the most
effective tools to prevent serious
illnesses of infectious diseases. If
interested in knowing more about
immunization services, call the
Lancaster County State Health
Center at (717) 299-2597.
. . . 3 /
crease immunization -aware
ness in Lancaster County for
children and adults. The
group consists of nurse practi
tioners, physicians, school and
health department nurses,
pharmaceutical representa
tives, and other hospital-based
and community health profes
sionals.
The goals of the Coalition
include the following:
• Increase immunization
rates through education of the
community and their provid
ers.
• Promote continuity of
care through Primary Care
Providers.
• Monitor immunization
status of every child and adult.
The Coalition meets month
ly and is always looking for
new members interested is the
immunization of children &><}
adults. The meetings are held
at the Center for Wellness/
Lancaster General Health
Campus, 2100 Harrisburg
Pike, Lancaster, the third
8 a.m. For more information,
call (717) 290-3144.
team. Levels then ascend to the
Junior Ds, Senior Ds and Junior
Cs and Senior Cs.
Conestoga Pony Club had four
teams covering every division ex
cept the Senior Cs and captured
top honors in each one.
Three teams won first place
and one team came in second
place to Conestoga Pony Club’s
other team in the same division.
That particular division had 18
teams in it.