A Cool Guide to Healthy Kids

Think fast. What do you want for your kid? Chances are that healthy, safe and happy tops your list. This is why many of us choose to live in Cleveland. It's a great place for families. It's a fairly safe city (every place has its risk, right?) and it definitely has great benefits to support healthy kids (and grown-ups, too).

When you think of health and safety, medical care probably jumps first and foremost to your mind. One of the biggest advantages for Northeast Ohio families is access to extraordinary healthcare. Nationally ranked healthcare providers in the area include the Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals Health System. Additionally, research institutions like Case Western Reserve University, The Lerner Research Institution, and Cleveland State University all contribute to first rate healthcare in Northeast Ohio.

Walking into Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital, the feeling is definitely “child centered.” Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital features a playground accessible for mobile and non-mobile kids and a gathering place for children and families where special programs are often offered and accessible via an internal TV program for those not able to leave their rooms. The setting screams kid friendly. It is noted on their website that their resources include more than 850 physicians, nurses, child life specialists, social workers and other professionals. Rainbow has more nationally recognized pediatric specialists than any other hospital in Ohio.

Just down the street, the Cleveland Clinic has comparable credentials. Recognized as one of the top three hospitals in the nation (U.S. News and World Report 2006), the Clinic opened in 1921 and has a staff of more than 130 pediatricians and pediatric specialists.

There’s more to healthy kids than Cleveland’s finest hospitals. So, where do you start?

First of all, make sure you get your kiddo into their pediatrician and follow the course for recommended vaccines designed to protect your child from common illnesses. If you struggle because you are uninsured or have other challenges with finding proper medical care, take advantage of United Way’s 2-1-1 First Call for Help. This free service (436-2000) helps individuals find low or no-cost clinics for health care. .

Next, if you have any questions about your child and their development (and you’re looking for additional support other than what you’re finding with a pediatrician), check out Help Me Grow of Cuyahoga County (http://www.helpmegrow.org). Services are available for expectant parents, and children ages 0 to 3 years old. If you think your child may have a developmental disability and you’re not sure where to start, start here. Need more help? Check out the Center for Families and Children (http://www.c4fc.org/).

Once you’ve taken care of the basic healthcare issues, move on to the fun things that make a difference. Healthy kids benefit from the arts (http://www.universitycircle.org), the outdoors (www.clemetparks.com) a daily dose of reading (http://www.cpl.org) and of course lots of love and support to explore the world around them.

Healthy kids and healthy families create a healthy Cleveland and that’s a very cool thing.

From Cool Cleveland contributor Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, M.A. fleminggifford@yahoo.com
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