Healthy Kids Running Series Kicks Off April 27
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Healthy Kids Running Series Kicks Off April 27

A Bennington chapter of Healthy Kids Running Series, a national, community-based nonprofit that provides fun running and competition opportunities for kids, is slated to kick off on April 27th at 2 p.m. at Mount Anthony Union High School.

According to Joel Stark, the program’s community coordinator, Healthy Kids is designed for children ages 2 to 14 and “aims to inspire children to be active and healthy while creating meaningful relationships within our community.”

Held over a series of five weeks, the series involves once-a-week races on Sundays. Participants are grouped with age peers and challenged to run age-appropriate race distances. Runners compete each week for a chance to earn points. At the end of the Series the boys and girls who accumulate the most points in their respective distances are awarded trophies, while all participants receive a medal on Week 5. 

The local program co-coordinator Laura Stark notes, “The program provides a safe, family atmosphere and welcomes children of all abilities. It’s a great way to build their self-esteem while helping them discover the joy and sense of accomplishment that can come from being active and pushing yourself.”

The first weekly session of Healthy Kids will be Sunday, April 27 at 2 p.m. at Mount Anthony Union High School at 130 Park Street, Bennington.

Early bird registration for the Healthy Kids Running Series is live at this link. All registrations received before April 6 will be discounted to $48.70 (including fees); registrations received after April 6 will be $54.00 (including fees).

To learn more, click here.

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Six Questions with the Medical Director of SVMC Orthopedics

Dr. Michaela Schneiderbauer, medical director of orthopedics and orthopedic surgeon, answers six questions about getting orthopedic care right now.

1. What types of patients are you able to treat right now?

We are happy to see patients with all sorts of conditions returning to the practice for care. Patients have heard that the Governor has lifted restrictions for elective procedures, and they are ready to investigate their options for joint pain relief. Plus, the weather is getting nice again, so people are active outside. We've seen an increase in injuries related to outdoor activity, too.


2. Are you seeing patients remotely via telemedicine?

Yes. We offer telemedicine, and we use it a lot. Of course, there are limitations for those that need an X-ray or a physical exam. But telemedicine is a great option for initial visits when we need to collect patients' health history and for follow-ups.


3. How has care in the office changed over the past several months?

Patients will notice that we have gone beyond all of the Centers for Disease Control and Vermont Department of Health recommendations for office visits. All of our staff are wearing masks and shields or goggles, and patients are expected to wear a cloth face covering when they come in. In addition, we are making efforts to limit the number of people in our waiting rooms and office at any one time. For example, part of the check-in process now happens on the phone, instead of in person.


4. How is preparing for a surgery and recovering from a surgery different since COVID-19 became a concern?

Like for office visits, our pre-surgery processes have all been ramped up well beyond the state and national recommendations designed to decrease risk of contracting COVID-19. A few days before the surgery, we test patients for COVID-19 and ask them to self-quarantine until their procedure. The patient arrives to the hospital in their own cloth face covering. Visitors are limited. After the procedure, we provide patients with an app that allows them to note their temperature and any type of respiratory symptoms for a few weeks. If any of the information falls outside the norm, a nurse gives the patient a call. These are all examples of ways we are going beyond our very high infection-prevention standards to ensure safety for patients, their families, and our staff.


5. What would you like to share with people who postponed a joint replacement or other orthopedic care because of COVID-19?

Here in Vermont cases of COVID-19 cases have been relatively low. The Governor has given his approval by lifting restrictions for elective procedures, even those requiring an overnight hospital stay. SVMC started with an exceptionally low rate of hospital-acquired infections and added many extra precautions on top of that. We have the attitude that it is definitely safe to resume care both surgeries and other types of orthopedic care.


6. What are the greatest risks and rewards related to having orthopedic care now?

From our position as one of the safest hospitals in one of the safest states, the risks of contracting COVID-19 and other illnesses during a procedure or other care are very low. Many patients know this. They are coming in for their procedures and joint replacements. Many of them will recover and be active again in time to really enjoy this summer. That’s our goal: to help every patient resolve their orthopedic issues so that they can get back to doing the things they love.

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