UCSF Volunteers Help Build Playground in One Day
By Lauren Hammit
Volunteers from Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at UCSF Medical Center joined the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the Friends of Balboa Park and the Neighborhood Parks Council on March 4 to build a safe, wheelchair-accessible playground - all in one day.
In all, 26 department volunteers, including faculty, residents, fellows, nurses and staff, helped assemble the playground at Balboa Park, located at Ocean and San Jose avenues in San Francisco.
Kevin Bozic, MD, associate professor in residence in UCSF's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, served as spokesperson for the playground project. He was a local host for the AAOS while the conference unfolded in San Francisco. Work on the playground lasted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We had such a positive experience participating in the playground build," Bozic said. "Volunteers from UCSF, the AAOS and the community worked together to assemble slides and climbing structures, to plant flowers and paint murals. It's important for neighborhoods to have a safe, accessible place for children with and without disabilities to play together, and building this play area gave us a chance to prevent injuries - not just treat them." According to the AAOS, orthopaedic surgeons are often the first physicians to treat the 450,000 to 500,000 injuries children sustain on playgrounds each year. "I was truly inspired by a UCSF operating room nurse who used Allen wrenches and other equipment like a pro," said Janet Oates, UCSF orthopedic nurse and patient care manager. "Many of us worked together on a bench, flipping it this way and that, and as a team we figured it out. Next, we painted tiles for neighborhood children to personalize. The kids were so proud and excited to have their artwork at a park that they could show their friends and parents."
"What I hadn't expected was the valuable conversation that the project enabled us to have with nursing colleagues from all over the country [who were in town for the conference]," Oates added. "We shared tips on how we dealt with different aspects of nursing care as well as ideas, problems, goals and a bunch of laughter."
The next day, AAOS began its 75th annual meeting, bringing more than 30,000 surgeons, nurses, educators and exhibitors to San Francisco. UCSF's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery was actively involved in the meeting, with 15 faculty members giving talks, posters and presentations spanning advances in research and clinical practice.
The playground construction project is part of an ongoing campaign by the AAOS to build playgrounds in the cities hosting its annual meeting, in partnership with volunteers from the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses. Play structures have been built in Florida, Louisiana, New York, Texas and California.
For its part, UCSF has made serving the community a priority in the UCSF Strategic Plan. The plan calls on UCSF to "promote civic engagement in all facets of activities at UCSF to strengthen partnerships between the campus and the community." Read a summary of the strategic plan here.
Related Links:
UCSF Strategic Plan
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Volunteers from Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at UCSF Medical Center joined the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), the Friends of Balboa Park and the Neighborhood Parks Council on March 4 to build a safe, wheelchair-accessible playground - all in one day.
In all, 26 department volunteers, including faculty, residents, fellows, nurses and staff, helped assemble the playground at Balboa Park, located at Ocean and San Jose avenues in San Francisco.
Kevin Bozic, MD, associate professor in residence in UCSF's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, served as spokesperson for the playground project. He was a local host for the AAOS while the conference unfolded in San Francisco. Work on the playground lasted from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. "We had such a positive experience participating in the playground build," Bozic said. "Volunteers from UCSF, the AAOS and the community worked together to assemble slides and climbing structures, to plant flowers and paint murals. It's important for neighborhoods to have a safe, accessible place for children with and without disabilities to play together, and building this play area gave us a chance to prevent injuries - not just treat them." According to the AAOS, orthopaedic surgeons are often the first physicians to treat the 450,000 to 500,000 injuries children sustain on playgrounds each year. "I was truly inspired by a UCSF operating room nurse who used Allen wrenches and other equipment like a pro," said Janet Oates, UCSF orthopedic nurse and patient care manager. "Many of us worked together on a bench, flipping it this way and that, and as a team we figured it out. Next, we painted tiles for neighborhood children to personalize. The kids were so proud and excited to have their artwork at a park that they could show their friends and parents."
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Residents, students, faculty, nurses and staff from UCSF's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine volunteered to build a playground on March 4th. Pictured is medical student Gabriel J. Martinez-Diaz, residents Ali Disston and Roberto Lugo, faculty members Kevin Bozic, Solon Rossenblat and Richard Coughlin, and orthopedic unit nurses Janet Oatis, Margie Jose, Nancy Parenteau, Kaitlyn Morgan and Nina Manke (Deb Burge and Julia Chinn, not pictured, also volunteered). |
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The Balboa Park playground build incorporated new shock-absorbing materials that are safer playing surfaces for children. Orthopedic surgeons are often the first physicians to treat the 450,000 to 500,000 injuries children sustain on playgrounds each year. |