The Fairfax Elementary first graders participated in the Mary Combs Pediatric Orientation at Community Hospital-Fairfax in Fairfax, Missouri, at the end of the school year. The kids took a tour of the hospital and learned what it would be like to become a patient. They also enjoyed popsicles on the front patio.

The Rock Port Elementary first graders recently participated in the Mary Combs Pediatric Orientation at Community Hospital-Fairfax in Fairfax, Missouri. The kids were shown around the hospital and learned what it would be like to become a patient.

The Tarkio Elementary first graders participated in the Mary Combs Pediatric Orientation at Community Hospital-Fairfax. The kids took a tour of the hospital and learned what it would be like to become a patient and about some of the equipment that might be used to treat them.

Ashlee Driskell, CH-F Director of Medical Surgical and Emergency Room Nursing, explains the meaning of the numbers displayed on the screen of a vital sign monitor to the Tarkio first graders.

Community Hospital-Fairfax has been hosting area first graders for the annual Mary Combs Pediatric Orientation. Schools participating this year included Fairfax, South Holt, Tarkio, and Rock Port. The hospital hosted a total of 70 first graders.

Classes took a tour of the hospital and visited a patient room where they took part in a role-playing activity as patients, visitors, and staff. The students also got a firsthand look at the daily workings of a hospital. This event aims to ease fears for future hospital visits and introduce the students to healthcare careers.