Community Members Engage in Public Service Project Competition, Modeled After 'The Apprentice' Reality Show
At Golisano Children's Hospital, part of the University of Rochester Medical Center, the Pediatric Links with the Community (PLC) Program is dedicated to improving the health and well-being of children in the Rochester community. The PLC Program serves a pivotal role in facilitating connections between the hospital and the broader community to address pediatric health issues and promote child advocacy.
Recently, more than a dozen residents were given an Apprentice-style challenge to create a 30-second public service announcement (PSA) for the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester. The residents worked tirelessly to promote the club and its annual garage sale, demonstrating their commitment to community health and child advocacy. Dwayne Mahoney, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club, provided guidance for the PSA.
The PLC Program is focused on assuring the health of all children and advocating for their needs. During their community-based rotation, residents provide healthcare, education, and learn how to help underserved children and families. The program provides hands-on experience for pediatric residents in collaborating with community agencies, working with a variety of providers at more than 30 different community sites.
Andrew Aligne, M.D., an assistant professor of Pediatrics and co-director of the PLC Program, leads these efforts. The PLC Program is working towards creating a model of pediatrics that involves collaboration with community-based organizations. This collaborative approach aims to enhance access to pediatric care and resources in the community, support children with developmental and mental health needs, and advocate for child health equity and address health disparities.
Golisano Children's Hospital is also committed to mental health access and recreational opportunities for children with disabilities. For example, the hospital partners with the Strong Center for Developmental Disabilities to improve physical activity and inclusion in community spaces. Additionally, the SEA STAR program, which benefits from community fundraising, provides autism readiness and safety education.
The PLC Program's efforts reflect the hospital's broader commitment to community health promotion and child advocacy through multidisciplinary and community-linked efforts. While the exact mission of the PLC Program may not be explicitly detailed in public search results, its activities and programs at Golisano Children's Hospital suggest that it plays a crucial role in bridging hospital pediatric services with community resources and advocates to better serve children’s health and well-being within their local environments.
In the friendly competition for the best PSA, both teams emerged victorious. The winning teams earned donations from the Boys & Girls Club in their honor. Both videos were successful, according to Shawn Brown and Monroe County District Attorney Michael Green. The videos were aimed at recruiting teenagers for the Boys & Girls Club and promoting the annual garage sale.
The Pediatric Links with the Community (PLC) Program at Golisano Children's Hospital is a shining example of how hospitals can collaborate with communities to improve pediatric health outcomes and promote child advocacy.
- The PLC Program at Golisano Children's Hospital is actively engaged in education and self-development, as demonstrated by their residents creating public service announcements (PSAs) for the Boys & Girls Club of Rochester.
- The focus of the PLC Program extends beyond traditional hospital services, encompassing health-and-wellness, fitness-and-exercise, and mental-health initiatives, such as partnerships for improving physical activity and inclusion for children with disabilities.
- The collaborative work of the PLC Program is instrumental in bridging pediatric services with community resources and advocates, thereby enhancing access to pediatric care, supporting children with developmental and mental health needs, and advocating for child health equity and addressing health disparities.
- The PLC Program incorporates learning opportunities through community-based rotations, enabling pediatric residents to gain hands-on experience collaborating with community agencies and working at various community sites.
