Recap! Let's Talk Summer Camp and Swim Safety!
On Friday June 11th, we held a wonderful discussion with leaders in pediatric health, swim, and camp safety.
I will be writing more about this later, but I wanted to share several takeaway points from some of our amazing speakers.
Child health champion (and one of my mentors and friends) Dr. Yolandra Hancock of Ask Yola! shared the importance of looking at COVID19 prevalence rates in your specific area. While pediatric cases are still really low, there is still a much higher rate of hospitalization from COVID19 in children than from the flu. Let’s continue to encourage mask wearing indoors and outdoors as much as possible for our kiddos.
One of my favorite Virginia Pediatricians, Dr. Tina Floy of Wellness Pediatrics, shifted the conversation to discuss the importance of sun protection for all kids. She and other experts recommend a mineral-based or kid-specific sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. A simple way to remember what the various UV rays do, is uvA for Aging and uvB for Burns.
Next, we had renowned American Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor and national swim coach Bobby Broome of Bobby Broome Aquatics. He shared a phrase that I know all too well from swim camp “get your buddy!”. He shared that it is really important that swimmers always have a safety-buddy. He recommended against water wings and other non US Coast Guard recommended floatations as they are dangerous and teach children unsafe habits that can increase drowning.
Last, we had swim and safety consultant, author, and experienced camp executive Cathy Scheder with over 20 years of experience. Cathy shared that most drownings are due to inattention and poor supervision. She shared that it is vitally important that camps rely on skills verification and not merely certifications. We spoke about flowing water, even streams, and how strong the water can be.
To learn more about our speakers: check out their websites.
Bobby Broome, American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor Trainer and Lifeguard Instructor Health & Safety and Aquatics Professional. Bobby Broome Aquatics www.BobbyBroomeAquatics.com
Cathy Scheder, Ed.D., Author Waterfront Management for Camp and Recreation Settings Second Nature Partners, LLC. www.secondnaturepartners.com
Tina Floy, MD, Pediatrician, Wellness Pediatrics, P.C. wellnesspediatrics.com @wellnesspediatrics
Yolandra Hancock, MD, MPH Pediatrician, Public Health Champion, and Mommy Ask Dr. Yola www.askdryola.com @askdryola