Students in the Principles of Biomedical Sciences classes at Lewis-Palmer High School were recently visited by medical professionals as part of the UCHealth TIPS Program.
TIPS stands for Trauma Injury Prevention for Schools and aims to educate our community about simple and effective ways to help people of all ages be safe, and stay safe. According to UCHealth, youth programs cover many important topics, including healthy food and healthy behaviors, drug use, alcohol use, trauma (both accidental and non-accidental), how to know what is an emergency, and how to advocate for yourself.
The program designed for high school-aged students, and the one LPHS students participated in, teaches students about how personal choices can affect health. It also gives them a look inside lives of first responders, ER staff, OR staff, and what happens after someone experiences physical trauma.
The UCHealth staff that run the TIPS program have been to D38 schools previously and they always come to our schools with smiles on their faces and excitement to impart this valuable knowledge to out students. This day at LPHS was no different.
The staff started the program with a classroom course, before splitting students into different teams. They included and OR team, and ER team, police, EMTs, and bystanders for those who get queasy.
A scenario centered around a car accident is then laid out for students. There is a response team, then transfer of the patient to the ER, assessment, and then transfer to the OR. Then OR teams were provided with medical tools and "operated" on the patient under close supervision.
The program then wrapped with further discussion about personal choices, consequences of choices, and the scenario the students participated in.
"It’s important for these kids to be introduced to and talk about behaviors and how they affect choices. We have good choices and bad choices and we’re one behavior away from the outcome of the choices," MaryAnn Catarina, Education Coordinator for the Colorado Springs area TIPS Program said.
