​Shannon Paquette with her two daughters, mother and Dr. Seto at the 2023 Teddy Bear Clinic, Headwaters Health Care Centre in Orangeville, Ont.

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On a sunny Saturday in Orangeville on September 16, 2023, Juliann McArthur, Manager, Patient Experience, woke up checking the weather and thinking about bubbles.  In about an hour, Auxiliary President Mike Carter would don a teddy bear mascot suit and Auxiliary Volunteer Lead Nadine Walters was setting up final details. Tania Alexander, Manager of Ambulatory Care would also be pulling up to the hospital with a trunk full of snacks and prizes.

These four were getting ready for Headwaters Health Care Centre's Teddy Bear Clinic, a beloved annual community event showcasing exceptional patient care and experience for their youngest patients: children. The event brought a carnival-style line-up of bubble entertainment, BBQ picnic, games, snacks, prizes, and, of course, the Teddy Bear Clinic itself.

More than 400 children and families arrived outside Ambulatory Care with their precious stuffies and dolls in hand, eager to see a nurse or doctor to care for their injured paw, fin, snout, leg or tail in one of the six treatment rooms. Altogether, 30 staff, physicians and volunteers participated in the event -- the first one organized by the hospital since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

After children and families registered their stuffies at Teddy Registration, teddy had their vitals read at Teddy Triage before proceeding to the Teddy Wait Room where they would be called into Teddy Treatment. Depending on the doctors' diagnosis, teddy might require Teddy Diagnostic Imaging or to fill a prescription at the Teddy Pharmacy, or to have follow-up care such as oodles of hugs and daily story telling.

“We were very excited to offer our community a special event that focuses on the hospital experience for one very important patient group: children," says Kim Delahunt, President and CEO, Headwaters Health Care Centre and mother of two youths.  “We are confident that they left with comfort and understanding that Headwaters is a safe place to receive care when they need it." 

The Teddy Bear Clinic showed the Dufferin-Caledon local community that Headwaters Health Care Centre is a safe and comfortable place with a team of kind and compassionate health care providers. The feedback from parents who attended the event was tremendously positive, helping to ease anxieties when an unexpected hospital visit may arise.

For one resident, Shannon Paquette, this was not her first time at the Teddy Bear Clinic. Shannon came with her sister and mother decades ago as a child and recalls how the Teddy Bear Clinic made the hospital less frightening, especially for her sister who received surgery as a young child. After hearing about the event promoted on CP24, Shannon arrived with her two daughters and her own stuffie Berry, who was seen at the Teddy Bear Clinic years ago. “It's very special to do the Teddy Bear Clinic full circle with my own children," she says. “Where else would we go for care? It's a very positive thing, the Teddy Bear Clinic, and knowing we have place close to home for medical attention is very important."

After a pause during the height of the pandemic, Mike Carter, Auxiliary President, who was also the man behind the teddy bear mascot, says, “The return of the Teddy Bear Clinic in 2023 marks the event's 25th anniversary. Since the event was started by the Headwaters Health Care Auxiliary, it was led by a dedicated team of volunteers who wanted to help children in our community feel more comfortable coming to hospital.  The Auxiliary is supporting this year's event, and our team of volunteers remain dedicated to the hospital to support excellent patient experience for children, families, and all patients." 

This year's Teddy Bear Clinic was a mighty team effort led by Headwaters' newly formed Patient Experience Office. “The Teddy Bear Clinic gives the community a chance to create an awesome hospital experience for children. This year we are focusing on raising support for our first Kids Kart, including age-appropriate toys, games and electronics that kids love," says Juliann McArthur, Manager, Patient Experience.

Fundraising efforts continue for the Kids Kart, in efforts to create positive and memorable experiences for children at Headwaters.