Text:  LACONIA, NH –  Caring for Kids, LRGHealthcare’s new pediatric practice opening early 2018, recently completed a joint effort with the Partnership for Public Health to provide flu shots to schools throughout the Lakes and Three Rivers Regions.  In all, the school-based flu clinics provided 813 flu vaccinations between September 27 and November 16.

For nearly the last decade, LRGHealthcare and the Partnership have worked together on school-based seasonal flu clinics as part of the Department of Public Health Immunization Program.  “The flu vaccine offers the best defense against getting the flu and spreading it to others,” said Susan Laverack, Associate Director, Partnership for Public Health.

Before this year, LRGHealthcare has provided nurses to administer the flu vaccines at the school-based flu clinics coordinated by the Partnership.  Unique this year, LRGHealthcare decided to send the new pediatricians of Caring for Kids, Doctors Maude Aldridge, Susan Coulter, and Laxmi Ghimire to help vaccinate students at 11 schools.

“LRGHealthcare was happy to assist the Partnership in this endeavor,” commented Rebecca Woods, Vice President Provider Relations, LRGHealthcare.  “We saw this as a great opportunity to not only help our community, but give our doctors and the students a chance to say hello without the anxiety that sometimes comes with having a formal doctor’s appointment.”

Laverack added, “The Partnership is grateful for the ongoing collaboration with LRGHealthcare staff in its efforts to prevent flu-related illness, doctor visits and missed school days.”

Other partners, without which the school-based flu clinics would not be possible, include HealthFirst Family Care Center; Lakes Region Community Emergency Response Team (LR-CERT); Franklin, Central, and Lakes Region VNAs; Lakes Region Community College; and the Lakes Region Medical Reserve Corps (LR-MRC).