It was hard to believe summer was ending and kids across Milwaukee were heading back to school. It was also hard to believe how much money parents are expected to spend on school supplies. Gone are the days when an old fashioned number two pencil and a taste for knowledge were all you needed to succeed. Soaring prices and longer supply lists put a strain on pocketbooks and leave many parents scrambling for items at the last minute.

That’s precisely the reason that Froedtert Hospital teamed up with Westside Healthcare Association, a Federally Qualified Health Center, to make sure children returned to school both healthy and prepared. In response to the back-to-school rush for check-ups and vaccinations, Westside Healthcare held special immunization clinics in August. As an added bonus, Froedtert Hospital donated backpacks filled with the necessary school supplies which were given to each child that came in for an appointment during those times.

More than 65 children received backpacks as part of the immunization clinic at Westside Healthcare Association. Many of them were students of Westside Academy, where Froedtert Hospital provides funding for a school nurse. In fact, the program was so successful, that the clinic hosted another event in October.

Last Review Date: Oct. 23, 2009

Online Editor(s): Richard Petre