TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL

HANDBOOK

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Dear teddy bear friends,

right in front of you is a handbook which hopefully will ease you to make the decision
to organise a Teddy Bear Hospital in your university town. If you already made your
decision this guideline should save you a lot of work and and problems as well.
We took many thoughts about the topics and layout of this guideline. Nevertheless,
we surely can not claim for total perfection. Therefore we will be glad of any kind of
criticism, improvement suggestions and of course praise.
The following table shows a statistic of previous Teddy Bear Hospitals (tbh’s) took
place in German university towns.

Year Total Universities

2000 2 Heidelberg, Bochum
2001 7 Heidelberg, Berlin, Jena, Ulm, Hamburg, Mainz, Leipzig
Hannover, Heidelberg, Mannheim, Rostock, Würzburg, Mainz,
2002* 7 München, Leipzig, Freiburg

* We hope to add your Teddy Bear Hospital into this statistic soon.

Thanks:

The publisher thank all previous organisers of Teddy Bear Hospitals for their help
with the origin of this handbook. Special thanks goes to Elizabeth Russe from the
Teddy Bear Hospital in Innsbruck/Austria. Due to the detailed information and gained
experience from Innsbruck tit was possible for us to develop this helpful guideline for
organise Teddy Bear Hospitals.
As well Oliver Nitsche from Mainz/Germany and Florian Striehl from
Heidelberg/Germany should be mentioned for great help. The participants of the
subregional training in public health which took place in Freiburg/Germany in April
2002 had also considerable influence in this paper.

Barbara Dührsen and Kersten Peldschus

NPO- Team 2001/2002

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Handbook: Teddy Bear Hospital
Steps of planing a TBH: (TBH = Teddy Bear Hospital)

1. Laying–down the organisation team:

The following subdivision for areas of responsibility proved well:
Depending on how much you are you have to subdivide positions among each other.
(special hints will be given at the corresponding points)

a) Teddy-Doctors

advertising among students and nurses

schedule of teddy doctors

nameplates
b) Press / Advertisement

poster, presentations

press release (together with Proposal)

contact to newsletters, radio stations, TV

pictures, short information
c) Fundraising / Sponsoring

project description / proposal

costing / budget

inquiry at public and private sponsors

donations (balloon, pen, ….)
d) Permissions / Insurance

permission at the town clerk‘s office / police

description of the location for supplier / Kindergarten

personal liability insurance for teddy doctors (DÄV, AXA, Allianz,…)
e) Kindergarten

looking for kindergarten

to write to or to get in contact with kindergarten

arrangement / preparations with head

splitting up kindergarten as planned in the schedule
f) Camp material (tent)

inquire relief organisation

to organise tent and banks / tables

to arrange the tent equipment

to make inquiries for electricity and toilet

design big plates or banners for the tent
g) Aid and other

listing of things needed or required (list)
(plaster, bandage…)

inquire hospitals (nursing staff, pharmacy)

brush and paint / paper / pen / balloons / decoration

drinks / sweets
h) Coordination

Keep everything running!!!

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2. Description of the project:

You distinguish two kinds of project descriptions

a) Cover letter: Maximum one page:

Here you should give a short explanation of the project and his background
without mentioning to much details. Important is to mention the supporters
(auspices…) and how to contact you ( including the account number)
To such a cover letter you can add an explicit inquiry to financial or material
support and you have immediately a sponsor- letter .
( see appendix 1 page 11)

b) Proposal: About 3-4 pages:

A proposal is a detailed description of a project. Here are included ,apart from
the cover letter, information about the organisations( IFMSA  explain ), time
and budget plans.
The proposal should be available if inquiries from sponsors , supporters or the
press are coming.
( see appendix 2 page 12-17)

3. Homepage

It is very useful to inform the students from your university about the TBH
(plan, photos,….) Also sponsors can be named on the homepage to increase
the chance of getting a support.
( see appendix 3 page 18)

4. Patrons/Auspices

In principle you should ask the dean of your faculty or a paediatric professor.
That gives you the possibility to get other supports in and outside the
university. The patron should write a letter, in which he explains his support of
the project. You can show this letter and send it to everybody. Besides of this,
the Patron could help you with the press relations ( breakfast with the press).
In lots of towns the professors even help with the “education” of the teddy
doctors.
In Heidelberg they even won for several times the support of the mayor of the
town , field: youth and family.
(see appendix 4 page 19)

5. Organisation of the place

In general there are three possibilities:

1) a public place in the town has the following pros:
• more children can come
• the TBH in a tent is very similar to a real hospital
• the general interest of the parents and press is bigger

2) you can also organise a TBH in which the students are visiting the children
in the kindergarten and examine the teddies there.

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 3) a THB can also take part in the framework of a day of the open door or of
the summer party of the university hospital.

Selection of the place:

• Quiet place without streets and traffic
• Shady in the summer( children are dehydrating very quickly)
• If possible soft ground ( for example grass)
• Where you can use the restrooms (especially the teddy docs)
• Current/power available ( but not necessary)

Registration with a detailed plan at the administration of the town:

( in general you have to pay for this)
• Tent/ Tents and other buildings, cars( ambulance, bus…)
• Permission for the car to bring the tents in the pedestrian precinct
• In Rostock, they had not to pay , the administration gave them a registration
as a donation for the TBH. ☺

6. Fundraising:

The basis for all the inquiries is always a cover letter or proposal, in which should be
described , which kind of support is imagined ( amounts of money ,material assets
how much and what exactly )
Inquiries you can ask at the following authorities:
• Dean or directly to the university ( support of students projects)
• The students representation of the university
• Town/ Mayor/ Senat
• Private sponsors ( Filling of an attestation of donation possible)
- Pharmacies
- Toy shops
- Copy-Shops
- Producers of sweets
- Libraries
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Relief organizations
( see appendix 5,6 page 20, 21)

7. Contact to aid organisations:

Inquiries by call or personal for example ….

Inquiries referring material support:

• If possible 2 tents ( in total about 10m*5m)
• Banks and Tables ( alternative inquiry at the brewery, hire service from the
catering agencies-> quite expensive )
• Couches for staying the nights at the TBH( someone has to supervise the tent
in the night)
• Ambulance for showing it (children love the alarm/siren)

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8. contact to the kindergartens

Address lists from the public kindergartens are often found in the town-hall. But you
should also invite ecclesiastical or private kindergartens.
The contact to the kindergartens should always consist in sending the proposal, the
schedule and in giving them a personal contact (by phone or by visiting them).
After having the confirmation from the kindergartens with the number of the children
and the time they like to come, you should nevertheless stay in regular contact and
remind them of the TBH.
Before coming to the TBH the topic” disease” should be discussed in the
kindergarten. Every child should already think about the disease of his teddy,
because usually it is difficult to think of this in the TBH.
( see appendix 7 page 22 )

Timetable:

You should plan about 10 min treatment for every child and his teddy. Depending
from the size of the tent and the number of the teddy docs you can treat about 15 to
40 child per hour.
Having enough teddy docs (about 50 persons) you can invite about 450 kids in the
two days.

9. The personal of the TBH

In principle you can also ask, apart from the medical students, students of the
teacher training colleague or pharmazeutic students, as well as nurses. The number
of the people who are helping depends on the size of your tent. As we find out, it is
very helpful when you are about 10-15 teddy docs and 2-3 people of the organisation
team in the TBH every shift.
( see appendix 8 page 23)

Everyone should bring with him: a coat, a stethoscope, a ophthalmoscope, a reflex

hammer and of course you should be in good mood!

Some days before the TBH an introduction for the teddy docs should take place.

A possible structure:
• Explanation of the treatment of the children ( perhaps from a paediatrician)
How to make the history, Explanation and inclusion to the children of
everything you are doing with his teddy, especially you should remind them of
the sensorial impressions such as auscultation: “ that feels cold” ….
• Explanation of the organisation course ( yourselves)
• Psychological aspects of the preparation of the children to the hospital and
medical process ( children psychologist from the children hospital)

As such a meeting can take some time (about three hours) you should prepare some
drinks and perhaps something to eat ( pizza or something like that)

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10. Assurance

• In Germany children are automatically assured with the kindergarten when

they are making a trip
• But you should make a assurance for the teddy docs ( lots of them have a
private one, but nevertheless you should go the sure way) ,which includes also
damages to the fittings( tent, banks…).

11. Press relations

The official press report should contain about one DIN A4 page and should describe
the project, the idea, the patrons and your contact. It would be advantageous to
prepare a press map and perhaps a disc with more detailed information.
(see appendix 9 page 24, 25)

Publication of the press report:

- you can either contact all newspapers, radio & TV stations (you can often find
special press boxes in the town hall or in other official institutions),
- or contact the central PR- office at the university – that will save you a lot of
work and it might receive more attention!
- further on you should contact the local newspapers by telephone, they often
have a responsible journalist for university activities or local events.
- timetable: absolutely necessary!!!
- remind the persons who are responsible for the TBH
1 month before (press report)
1 week before
1 day before!
- during the TBH there should be one or two organizers who are responsible to
answer questions, give interviews…
- There is another possibility which might reduce disruptions: You can organize
a breakfast for the press and after that visit the hospital altogether.
(see appendix 10, page 26)

You should keep in mind, that the press, especially the cameras can be very
frightening for the kids and as well can be a hindrance for you to give them your
full attention. That is why you should try to make one breakfast or conference
only. Of course you can not avoid, that there will be taken pictures or television
records as well during your work, but otherwise this is how you can be sure that
the parents are informed about what you are doing and will join the consulting
hour in the afternoon!

12. Organisation of the hospital

The hospital should be divided in two parts, that is why it would be advantageous
to have two tents.
One for the Waiting room:
- reception: one person receives every child with its name and the teddy ones
(see appendix 11, page 27)
- provide them coloured pencils and papers (maybe drinks) during the waiting
time

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 - make sure that they are under supervision of mistresses, students, clowns of
the podiatry, children´s nurses etc.

The second tent can be used as a consulting room:

- there should be tables for about 5-10 consulting possibilities
- as well as central places such as operating theater, radiograph (with a
flashlight from a camera), pharmacy (offering “sweet medications”),
anaesthesia, sonography…
(see appendix 12, page 28)

You should organize the following things:

- decoration for the tents (balloons,…)
- white table clothes of paper or sheets, adhesive tape
- first aid supplies
- gloves, scissors
- height measuring gauges, wooden spatulas, swabs, plastic syringes…
- perhaps a scale
- medical history cards
- real needles and threads to repair injured teddies
- drinks and snacks for the teddy-doctors

13. Follow-up
- In every case you should thank your supporters and sponsors, e.g. by sending
them copies of press articles, pictures or letters.
(see appendix 13, page 29, 30)
- Further on you should send a short description to the NPO (number of
children, teddy doctors, press reaction)
(see appendix 14, page 31)
- write an article for the university-magazine
- write a final report
(see appendix 15, page 32-34)

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APPENDIX
(Models)

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Table of Contents
Appendix Number Page Description
1 11 Cover Letter
2 12 – 17 Project - Proposal
3 18 Link – List
4 19 Letter of Support of
the Patron
5 20 Donation Receipt
6 21 Financial Plan
7 22 Enrolment for the
Kindergarten
8 23 Advertising Teddy
docs
9 24 – 25 Press Information
10 26 Invitation Press
Breakfast
11 27 Paper for History-
taking
12 28 Prescription
13 29 – 30 Sponsor Thanks
14 31 Number of Visitors
15 32 – 43 Final Report

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 just let me be… your loving teddy bear... (Elvis)

On June 20th/21st, the first „ Teddy Bear Hospital”

will take place in Innsbruck
600 children will be expected!
Auspices:
Univ.Prof.Dr. N. Mutz, Dean of studies
Univ.Prof.Dr. I. Hammerer, Head of University

Ideas and Goals:

Children between the age of 3 and 6 are supposed to lose their fear of doctors and hospitals
in a playful way.

Visiting the “Teddy Bear Hospital”, children can bring their stuffed animals along in order
to get them treated by “Teddy-Doctors” (Medical Students). Thus, they have the possibility
to experience the atmosphere at a hospital without being patients themselves.

So far, Teddy Bear Hospitals have been organized with great success in Germany, England,
Norway, Sweden and other European countries. At the moment, Graz is organizing another
one. For information, pictures and press information about the first German Teddy Bear
Hospital, please go to: http://emsa.uni-hd.de/projects/tbh200

A hospital tent of the Red Cross will be put up as a Teddy Bear Hospital at the „Innsbrucker
Landhausplatz“ for two days. Innsbruck’s Kindergartens will be invited. Around 600
children are expected within two days. The treatment of the patients is restricted to
auscultation, palpation, putting on bandages, taking the blood pressure and so on. An
ambulance will be there as well which can be explored by the children

The Teddy Bear Hospital is organized by AMSA (Austrian Medical Students Association),
www.amsa.at

AMSA amsa@amsa.at

Project coordinators:

Elisabeth Russe Tel.: 12345 Fax: 678910 Email: lisa@russe.at

Barbara Petrovitsch Tel. :1112131415 Email: baebsodrome@gmx.at

Project team: www.teddyklinik.fuerdich.com teddyklinik@fuerdich.com

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Cover for the Project-Proposal and an idea for a logo

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Table of Contents for the project proposal

Table of Contents

1. Deutscher Famulantenaustausch e.V. 3

2. AG Public Health of the “Deutscher Famulantenaustausch e.V. 3

3. Teddy Bear Hospital 4

Subject 4

Content of the Project 4

Organization 5

Schedule 5

Budget-Outline 6

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1. Deutscher Famulantenaustausch e.V.
What is „Deutscher Famulantenaustausch“?
The “Deutscher Famulantenaustausch (dfa) (German
exchange office for medical clerkship) is an non profit
association working for the public benefit. Its members
deal with questions of the international students’ exchange
for the benefit of all medical students. The dfa considers
its work as a contribution to international understanding
and to students’ help. The association is politically
independent, and its members do not pursue any party-
political interests with their work.
(preamble of the statutes of the dfa)

The “Deutscher Famulantenaustausch” is member of

German Medical Students´ Association (GeMSA)

The dfa has local representations at all medical faculties in

Germany. At the moment the practical work is divided into 3
standing committees:

• SC on Professional Exchange
• SC on Research Exchange
• SC on Public Health

Only the SC Public Health should be explained further.

2. Standing Committee on Public Health of the

Deutsche Famulantenaustausch e.V.
The SC on Public Health deals with international Projects
in the field of Public Health.
Moreover the members of the Standing Committee on
Public Health are dedicated to campaigns on the occasion

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 of the World- No Tobacco- Days, the World- AIDS- Days
and the World- Mental- Health- Days. These campaigns
are carried out with the support of the World Health
Organization (WHO).
Here a new project has been launched:
The „ Teddy Bear Hospital “.

3. Teddy Bear Hospital

„ A hospital for the cuddly toys and dolls of
children of kindergardens “
The Teddy Bear Hospital is the German contribution to
corresponding projects of the IFMSA (International
Federation of Medical Students´Associations)

Aim: to take children’s fear of hospitals.

To create confidence by playful education!

Contents of the project:

Focus in contents of the Teddy Bear Hospital - Program is
the children’s dealing with the topic „ hospital and
illness“.
Impressions and ideas, which the children acquired by
family and media, should be taken up, critically looked at
and corrected in playing if necessary. The topical center
lays in the meeting between child and future doctor.
We plan to set up a „ Teddy Bear Hospital “ at a public place
in our city (e.g. Market) for two days.

Children at the age of 3-6 years come to this outpatient

hospital to let the medical students of Rostock treat their
cuddly toys and dolls. By this way we give children the
chance to experience a doctor-situation or a hospital
treatment without being affected as a patient themselves.
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 Aim of every medical work should not only be the
treatment, but also the building of a solid foundation of
confidence between the doctor and his little patient. We
want to show the children, that illness and the fight
against it is part of everyday-life and does not necessarily
have to be experienced as threatening or frightening.

Organisation:
The project „ Teddy Bear Hospital “ will be carried out
within the scope of the “Deutscher Famulantenaustausch
e.V.”.
Together with the Fachtagung Medizin (FTM) (field
conference medicine) the “Deutscher
Famulantenaustausch” forms the German Medical
Students´ Association (GeMSA), that represents interests
of German medical students at international level and,
together with the representations of other countries, forms
the International Federation of Medical Students´
Associations (IFMSA).

One of the six committees of the IFMSA, the „Standing

Committee on Public Health“ deals besides other things
with the campaigns for primary health Care. In many
countries it very successfully carries out „ Teddy Bear
Hospital “.

This project is the German contribution to it. By now there

have been campaigns in Heidelberg, Berlin, Leipzig and
Mainz. Hannover and now also Rostock are going to
follow.

Dates:
1. Teddy Bear Hospital in Rostock :
28.05 and 29.05.2002

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Budget plan for the Teddy Bear Hospital in Rostock
at 28.-29.May 2002

The following budget plan refers to

600 children, 60 Teddy doctors (medical students) and 60 Kindergarten teachers/parents.

Fix costs: in Euro

Catering:
food parents (60) apples, yoghurts 45,-
food (doctors) (60) lunch for 2 € each 120,-
food Red Cross (2) coupon 1 lunch per10 € 20,-
drinks parents (60) mineral water, fruit juices 0,25l 25,-
drinks (doctors) (60) mineral water, fruit juices 0.5l 45,-
beakers (200) 15,-
napkins, rubbish bags 15,-

third party liability insurance: 150,-

Others:
copy costs, postage, posters 110,-
drawing material, magazines 75,-
diplomas (bravery medals) 45,-
decoration balloons, garlands, cuddly pets 15,-
tents 2 ones for 75 € each 150,-

T-Shirts: one per doctor: 60 a 7,50 € 450,-

___________________________________________________________________________

Total 1.130,-

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Links to past TBHs:

http://www.uni-rostock.de/andere/dfa/TBH

http://www.uni-mainz.de/Organisationen/dfa/TBK

http://www.emsa.uni-hd.de/projects/TBH2000/index.html

http://www.fachschaft-medizin-halle.de

http://www.rzuser.uni-heidelberg.de/~ssabini/teddy2002.html

http://www.transfer.to/teddy

http://www.teddyklinik.fuerdich.com

http://www.sudent.uu.se/studorg/mf/swemsic/teddybear.htm

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 Letter of recommendation

Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz

University Children’s Hospital

Head of department: Prof. Dr. F. Zepp

Recently some students of the Medical Faculty of the Johannes-Gutenberg University

Mainz have introduced me their planned project called “Teddy Bear Hospital l” with
the request to support its realization. The project “Teddy Bear Hospital” has the aim
to less children’s fear of doctors and hospitals.

As paediatrician and medical superintendent of the Children’s University Hospital

Mainz I often have to cope with this problem. The little patients are suddenly in the
unusual environment of the hospital. This is often inconvenient for them or is
sometimes even associated with some unpleasant examinations. The project “Teddy
Bear Hospital” wants to help in this situation and tries to familiarize children in a
friendly and pleasant atmosphere with the situation in a hospital or a paediatrician’s
office.

With pleasure I have accepted the auspices of the “Teddy Bear Hospital” to assist the
students for a successful organization and realization of this project. I would be
delighted if the students also get support from your hand.

Sincerely yours,

Prof. Dr. med. F. Zepp

University Children’s Hospital

AUSTRIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION

e.V.
A Platform for Medical Students Projects and Initiatives
AMSA is Full member of IFMSA

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 International Students Exchange / Medical Education / Primary Health Care / Refugees and Peace / Science

Donation Receipt

Teddy Bear Hospital Innsbruck 2001

With kind regards we thank you for your support of the project „Teddy Bear Hospital“!

Donation: ATS/ Euro:___________________________

In words :___________________________

Date:______________

AMSA Innsbruck & Project coordination

Bank-Connections: XXXXX

Financial/ budget proposal:

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This table shows the maximal costs of a TBH if you will not receive any material
support (except bandaging material). Generally you should ask for material support
and/or free rental/hire service.

Possible assistance Amount in

Item EUR
Office costs: 150-200
Print Cover letter/proposals Students representations
Postage Deans office
Telephone charges Sponsoring: copy shops
Print forms (e.g. prescription
forms)
Tent/Inventory for 2 days Aid organisations 350
1 Tent including setup 200
Permission fee 50
Tables/chairs 100
Medicine/sweets Sponsoring 40
Catering Sponsoring: bakeries, 65
Children/Nannies (beverage
->tea) Supermarkets 30
Teddydocs (Snacks, beverage) 35
Additional goods Sponsoring: 45
Table-cloths, adhesive/duck tape Stationery store 15
pencils, crayons Supermarket 15
dekoration (e.g.balloons) 15
Insurance
Liability insurance 150
total: 800-850

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 Teddy Bear Hospital Registration form

Name and Adress of the

Kindergarten:

Expected number of
participating children:

Desired day:

Desired time:

Remarks and inquiries:

Please contact us at the latest - DATE – to simplify our timing and to fit your desired
terms to our schedule.
Because there will be more inquiries in morning, we ask you to subscribe for a term
in the afternoon if it is possible.
You can contact us by:
Mail: - YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS -
Facsimile: - YOUR FAX NUMBER -
Email: - YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS -
Phone: - YOUR PHONE NUMBER –

If you have any additional question, do not hesitate to contact us.

We are looking forward to meet you in our Teddybearhospital!

Greetings, AMSA Innsbruck (www.amsa.at)

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 Who wants to become a specialist for
Teddy Bear Diseases?

Then join in our project “Teddy Bear Hospital” on 11 and 12 June 2002.

Our aim is to less the 3-6 year old children’s fear of doctors and hospitals. You will
work as a teddy doctor and heal the sick teddies of these children!
The only requirement is the participation in our teddy bear doctors’ educational
training of the University Children’s Hospital on 10 June 2002.

For additional information please visit our homepage or send us an email!

-YOUR E-MAIL-ADRESS
-YOUR HOMEPAGE

We are looking forward to see you!

Your Teddy Organization Team

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 Teddy Bear Hospital
Under the auspices of Prof. Dr. Richter
Head of Department
Paediatric Hospital University of Rostock

c/o Fachschaft Medizin /dfa

Schillingallee 70. 18057 Rostock
Tel.: 0381-4945082
Fax: 0381-4945086

Rostock, 18.01.02

Press report

Dear Sir/Madam

First Teddy Bear Hospital in Rostock

After the concept of the Teddy Bear Hospital has been successfully taken up by at several
other universities, the first Teddy Bear Hospital should also now be inaugurated in Rostock on
the 28 and 29th of June .

The Aim of the project which is being co-organised by medical students and the Paediatric
Hospital at the School of Medicine in Rostock, is to help children overcome their fear of
Doctors and hospitals.

A colourful decorated tent at the University square in Rostock will serve as a hospital.
Children from kindergarten in and around Rostock have been invited to visit the Teddy Bear
Hospital. Before their visit, the subject “illness and doctor`s visit” were discussed with their
kindergarten teachers in their kindergarten. The children were supposed to assign a certain
illness or injury (theoretically of course) to their teddy bears who will be treated in the teddy
Bear Hospital.

During their visit at the hospital, the parents (and in this case the kids) were asked to give the
medical history of their children (teddy bears). Afterwards the teddy bears were examined and
treated by medical students (who had been prepared and trained for their roles as teddy docs
by qualified persons) from the School of Medicine in Rostock. The treatment is limited to non
invasive measures like palpation, auscultation, and dressing (bandaging). During the waiting
hours and after the teddy bears have been attended by teddy docs, the children are taken to
another part of the tent where they can draw, read, or just play.

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We are very confident that the Teddy Bear Hospital will be a huge success for both the kids
and the teddy docs. We hope to achieve the aims of the project.

For further questions please visit our homepage www.uni-rostock.de/andere/dfa/TBH

Yours sincerely

Barbara Dührsen
Tel.: 0381/4006777
Mobil: 0177/7937864
Email-Adresse TBH-Rostock@gmx.de

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 AUSTRIAN MEDICAL STUDENTS ASSOCIATION
e.V.
A Platform for Medical Students Projects and Initiatives
AMSA is Full member of IFMSA

International Students Exchange / Medical Education / Primary Health Care / Refugees and Peace / Science

Dear Sir/Madam

The first Teddy Bear Hospital in Innsbruck will take place on the 20 and 21 of June at the
Landhausplatz. We expect about 650 children.

The aim of this project is to help children between the ages 3 and 6 overcome their fears of
doctors and hospitals.

During their visit in the Teddy Bear Hospital (a tent provided by the Red Cross) the children
can have their teddy bears/dolls treated by teddy doctors. So they can experience how things
proceed in a hospital without being a patient themselves. Our teddy doctors are a team of 60
medical students, who have been specially trained for their roles by the Paediatric Hospital in
Innsbruck for this project.

We would be delighted to welcome you as our guest on Wednesday the 20th to a press
conference breakfast.

For further questions please contact

lisa@russe.at, 0664/1044131) or visit our Homepage

www.teddyklinik.fuerdich.com.

Yours sincerely

Elisabeth Russe und Barbara Petrovitsch, Project manager

Univ. Prof. Dr. I. Hammerer, Univ. Prof. Dr. N. Mutz

Board of directors University Hospital Dean of studies

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 Medicalhistory

Teddy Bear Hospital Innsbruck

PATIENT INFORMATION:

Name :_______________ Name of the Companion:_____________

Age: ________ Height: __________ Weight: ________ Colour: ________

Had the Bear been treated before? Y or N

Any known allergies to medicines? Y or N
If yes, please describe: (chocolate, hugs, Kisses, etc, . . .)
________________________________________________________________

Describe the Bear -Injury/illness:

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________

Therapy:
_________________________________________________________________

Date of Discharge: ____/____/____

Remarks: _________________________________

......................................... ......................................................................
Date Doctor`s Signature

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 TTK

TIROLER

Teddy Bear Hospital

AMSA Innsbruck

Patient
__________________________________________________

Diagnosis

Rp.

Date : Stamp and Signature:

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 FIRST TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL IN INNSBRUCK
20. AND 21. JUNE 2001
www.teddyklinik.fuerdich.com

Innsbruck, 27.06.02

Dear Sir/Madam!

We would like to give you a report on the success of the first Teddy Bear Hospital in
Innsbruck a week after it took place.
We were able to attend to about 650 children on two days. We had teddy bears, dolls mice
and even cars on our patients’ list.
The complete spectrum of Pathology were represented in our waiting rooms… “Pingu” who
managed to break his beak while fishing, “Muh” the cow who caught her tail in the door,
“Tigger” broke all his claws while digging a hole to hide from “Winnie Pooh”, the rattlesnake
with a broken rattle after she was overrun by a truck and lost 13 teeth (even our Radiologist
had to admit that this was a very difficult case ), “Flipper” had stomach ache after swallowing
a Jelly fish, a bald Bear because his Mum loves him so much, we even had a teddy bear from
Kiev who wanted to get vaccinated before travelling back….etc.
Of course all our patients left the hospital healed and happy.

Not only the kids enjoyed themselves, the teddy docs, the teddy pharmacists and of course the
teddy team had a good time.

Press Response:

ORF Online www.orf.at

ORF Österreich - Tirol Heute (3 times)
ORF Radio Tirol
Tirol TV
Tiroler Tageszeitung (2 times)
Zeitschrift der Tiroler Landesregierung
Krone (2 times)
Wiener Zeitung
Soon also in:
Pädiatrie und Pädologie (Springer Verlag), Brennpunkt-Thema
Ärztemagazin
Österreichische Apothekerzeitung

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 etc.

To name our Sponsors:

Universitäts-Kinderklinik Innsbruck
Red Cross
...

All together the first Teddy Bear Hospital in Innsbruck was a huge success which was made
possible by your support.

Hereby we say a big thank you to all who were a part of this project.

For the Teddy Bear Hospital Team,

Elisabeth Russe, local project co-ordinator

Teddy Bear Hospital Innsbruck 2001, a project of AMSA, local Project co-ordinator: Lisa Russe

30
 Number of Participating Children
Teddy Bear Hospital Innsbruck 2001

Wednesday, 20 Juni 2001

TIME KINDERGARTEN NUMBER OF CHILDREN

9.30 KG Pradl 22
KG Mariahilf 30
KG Mitterweg 09
Privat 02
10.00 KG Pechegarten 30
KG Bachlechnerstrasse 21
Privat 01
10.30 KG Mühlau 21
KG Wilten West 25
Privat 03
11.00 Kinderfreunde (BUS) 32
12.00 Privat 02
13.00 Privat 05
14.00 KG Tilak (Innrain) 18
Privat 22
15.00 Privat 13
16.00 Privat 10

THURSDAY, 21 Juni 2001

TIME KINDERGARTEN NUMBER OF CHILDREN

9.00 Privat 04
9.30 KG Wilten Ost 32
KG Integrativ 11
Privat 02
10..00 VK Alt-Wilten 19
KG Tilak (Müllertrasse) 22
Privat 04
10.30 KG Reichenau 21
KG Tilak (Müllerstrasse) 23
Privat 02
11.00 KG St. Paulus (BUS) 90
Privat 03
11.30 Privat 03
12.00 Privat 08
13.00 Privat 11
14.00 Privat 26
14.30 Privat 40
15.00 Privat 32

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 INNSBRUCK´s FIRST TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL
20th AND 21st of JUNE 2001
www.teddyklinik.fuerdich.com

Project organizer: AMSA- Austrian Medical Students Association

Project manager: Elisabeth Russe

Barbara Petrovitsch

Auspices: Univ.Prof.Dr. N. Mutz, Studiendekan Universität Innsbruck

Univ.Prof.Dr. I. Hammerer, Vorstand der Univ. Kinderklinik Innsbruck

1. Project description
What is a Teddy Bear Hospital and who is it for?

2. Innsbruck´s first Teddy Bear Hospital

Landhausplatz, 20th and 21st of June 2001

2. Organisation
How to organize a Teddy Bear Hospital

3. Stories from the Teddybear Hospital

A few nice Teddy illnesses, especially Ding-Dong our sick Dolphin

4. Patient history Analysis

Statistics on all the Teddy illnesses and allergies

5. Teddy doctors talk about their patients

Our teddy doctors talk about their experiences.

6. Press review
Newspaper reports on the Teddy Bear Hospital

7. Pictures, films and guest book entries

8. Conclusion
The Teddy Bear Hospital backstage

1. THE PROJECT:

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Idea and goal:

By using games and play acting we want to lessen children’s (age 3 to 6) fear of
doctors and hospitals.

In the Teddy Bear Hospital the children have their teddy bears examined by a Teddy
bear doctor (a medical student). Using this technique the children can follow the
whole course of an examination without being the patient themselves.

How is it done?

The children should invent illnesses for their little friends that can be treated and cured
in the Teddy Bear Hospital.

The doctor should take the patient’s history by asking the parent (the child) of the
teddy bear.

2. INNSBRUCK`S FIRST TEDDYBEAR HOSPITAL

Following the good examples of Norway, Sweden, Germany and Switzerland on June
the 20th 2001, the first Teddy Bear Hospital in Austria opened its doors for two days.

More than 650 children or roughly a fourth of all Kindergartens in Innsbruck came to visit the
Teddy Bear Hospital. There were teddies, dolls, mice and even a car as patients.

Sixty medical students and five pharmacology students acted as teddy doctors and
pharmacists. Prof. Dr. med I. Hammerer, head of the Innsbruck children hospital, has
prepared the students for their role as teddy doctors.

The Teddy Bear Hospital consisted of two big tents which were provided by the
German Red Cross. One tent functioned as a waiting area and the other was the
examination room. In addition, the children were able to explore an ambulance that
was parked outside.

In most cases "being ill" had been previously talked about in the kindergartens. Most
children thought of illnesses for their teddies that they had themselves experienced.

3. ORGANISATION:

To create a realistic environment, a process similar to a real hospital was used. The
children were first received in reception. They then moved to a waiting area where
they stayed until picked up by a teddy doctor. Accompanied by the teddy doctor, they
proceeded to the examining tent where they were first asked about their main problem.
The teddies were then weighed and measured from head to toe to see if they are the
right size for their age.

Many different tools were used to diagnose the teddies: real stethoscopes, self-made
EC Teddy Bear Hospital Gs and X-ray machines, plasters, bandages, etc.

33
The objective of the project was not to treat the children themselves. In addition the
medical students participating in this project may possibly not be qualified enough to
do so; therefore, it was important that real illnesses of the children were not discussed.

Depending on the teddy’s problem, they underwent different examinations and

treatments. For example, lungs were auscultated, bandages put on, shots given, and
some even had to be transferred to the theatre for surgery. Finally, all teddies went to
the pharmacy to get their prescribed medicines (Smarties of various colours against
serious pains, Wine gum antibiotics and juice for bad coughs).

In the pharmacy children were made aware of the seriousness of some drugs. They
were also told that it is important to continue taking some drugs even though the
symptoms might already have gone.

Sure enough, there wasn’t a single teddy that left the hospital uncured. Some left in
even better health then before coming to see us (due to the many smarties and vitamin
pills).

4. STORIES FROM THE TEDDYBEAR HOSPITAL:

We came across a whole variety of illnesses. "Pingu" the penguin broke his beak when going
ice fishing. "Muh" the cow trapped her tail in the door to the stables. "Tigger" broke all his toe
nails when trying to hide from Winnie the Pooh. The rattle snake, "Valentin Maus," broke her
rattle and lost all her teeth when she was run over by a lorry. (This was indeed a difficult case
according to the radiologist). A teddy had a problem with hair loss (because of too much love
and hugs). And one Russian teddy came to get shots before having to go back to Kiev.

A very interesting case was Ding Dong the six year old dolphin. She swallowed a jelly fish
when falling off her surf board and has had a tummy ache ever since. The jelly fish definitely
would have showed up on the X-ray, but an X-ray could not to be made since Ding Dong was
pregnant at the time. With all the stress around Ding Dong, it’s no wonder that it didn’t take
long until she was in labour (luckily, the doctor had a miniature sea lion in her pocket which
made the birth even more spectacular).
With a big bandage around her tummy and a package full of laxatives, Ding Dong was free to
leave the hospital with her new baby, Magdalena, after only half an hour.

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 PATIENT HISTORY

Teddybear Hostpital Innsbruck

PATIENT INFORMATION:
Patient name: DONG DONG Owner name: ___JAKOB___
Age: ___6___ Height: __27cm__ Weight: __200g_ Colour of fur: _blue
brown__

Has the patient been in hospital before? Y or N ... N

Does the patient have any allergies? Y or N ... Y

In case of YES please specify: (chocolate, etc . . .)
____strawberry chocolate and hay_____________________________

Symptoms:
__Cough and tummy ache, swallowed a jelly fish two days ago;_______

Treatment:
__warming tummy bandage and laxatives from the pharmacy___________

Check-out date: __20__/__6__/__2001__

Additional instructions : __stay in bed until the bandage is removed (in three days
time), get lots of cuddles, take smarties as instructed by the
pharmacist___________________________

.......IBK, the 20.6.200........ ......................OA Dr. ted. Lisa Russe............

Date Doctors signature

ABB 1.: Original patient history

35
 TTK

TIROLER

Teddy Health
Insurance

AMSA
Innsbruck
Patient DING DONG
__________________________________________________

Diagnosis Tummy ache

1. Laxatives (brown Smarties)

2. cough treatment (yoghurt drink)

3. Painkiller (strong, red Smarties)

Date : Stamp and signature:

20.6.01 OA Dr. ted, Lisa Russe

ABB. 2.: Original prescription

36
5. STATISTICS: Number of patients: 595

1. Has the patient been admitted to a hospital before?

Yes: 25% (119)

No: 75% (371)

2. Does the patient have any allergies?

No: 70% (418)

Yes: 30% (177) →

Chocolate 20.9%
Vegetables (spinach, salad, carrots) and fruits 25.4%
Vitamins 1.7%
Medicine 6.2%
Syringe, plaster 2.3%
Being ill 5.6%
Pollen 7.3%
Bees 1.1%
Cats 1.1%
Sugar 1.1%
Hugs and kisses 4.5%
Meat, fish and bones 3.4%
Pasta and rice 2.3%
Milk and cheese 1.7%
Chips (French fries) 1.7%
Flour, sesame seeds, muesli, crisps 3.4%

Being bitten and being hit etc. 1.7%

Tidying up (vacuuming) 2.3%

Washing and combing hair 1.1%
Getting up 0.6%
School or Kindergarten 1.1%

Butterflies, mice (also mouse blood) 1.7%

Nicotine, strangers, artificial colouring 0.6%

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 3. Teddy illness descriptions

Detail Percent
DIAGNOSIS
BROKEN BONES AND BRUISES:
56%
Upper Limb 10.8%
Shoulder/arm 6.5%
Hand/ front paw/finger 4.2%
Lower Limb 17%
Hip/leg 6.4%
Foot/rear paw/toes 10.6%
Head and neck (ears and face) 7.7%
With concussion 1.7%
Without concussion 5.5%
Neck 0.5%
Others Tail 2.5%
Wings 0.3%
Beak 0.3%
Back 1.3%
Rib 0.5%
Fin 0.3%
Tusk 0.3%
Wheel 0.2%
Mostly upper extremities and lower 6.6%
Multiple injuries extremities mixed (21)
Fractures in combination with 10.4%
...
With stomach pain 3.7%
With headache 5.2%
with fever and a cold 1.5%

Cuts. bruises and other injuries 3.0%

BURNS On beak, fin, wings etc 0.5%

INTERNAL PROBLEMS 41.7%

In combination with headache, ear pain, 6.7%
FLU cough, fever, etc.
Cold in combination with cough and a runny 1.5%
nose
Lung infection 0.5%
SORE THROT 2.9%
1.7%
Tonsillitis 1.2%
EAR PAIN 3.5%
1.3%
Inflammation of the middle ear 2.0%
Foreign body in the ear 0.2%

38
EYE PAIN 2.5%
Inflammations 1.3%
Lost eye (through accident) 0.5%
Never opens eyes (because is made so!) 0.3%
Foreign body in one eye 0.2%
Cross eyes 0.2%
HEADACHE 0.3%
See Flu 1.2%
STOMACH PAIN 16.0%
In combination with diarrhoea 9.1%
Ate too much 3.2%
Ate too little 0.7%
Appendicitis 1.0%
Swallowed a foreign body 2.0%

CHILDREN‘S ILLNESSES 2.5%

smallpox 1.2%
Measles 0.5%
Scarlet fever 0.8%

ALLERGIES With allergic reactions 0.8%

Against strawberries; nuts, salad, bones etc. 0.2%

Hair loss 0.7%

Bee sting 0.7%
Sun burn 0.2%
Tiredness 0.2%

Heart attack 0.7%

Cancer Was never diagnosed 0.3%
Pregnancy 0.5%
2.4%
HEALTHY

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6. TEDDY DOCTORS TALK ABOUT THEIR PATIENTS:

Dr. ted. Andreas Wehinger tells:

"Then there came a serious case. Some boy had hit the teddy’s head off. Can you believe it?.
Benjamin, the teddy’s father, wasn’t pleased about this at all. He was quite angry at the boy
who later came to the Teddy Bear Hospital himself and apologised. Luckily, it was only a
minor injury. He didn’t really need to be that worried at all. It was only a matter of minutes in
the operation theatre. The teddy was about to pass out, but an immediate dose of adrenalin
helped him to get over the worse part.
Benjamin was still very upset but soon found out that the medical student who took on the
little bears operation knew perfectly well how to deal with this situation.
Soon after that the operation the teddy was able to leave the hospital. Benjamin had to go to
the pharmacy to get some liquorice antibiotics and smartie pain killers for his teddy. "

Dr. ted. Miriam Erlacher tells:

"The teddy’s mother, who lived the farthest from Innsbruck, was from Kiev (Russia).
Since she had to go back to Russia the following Saturday, we provided her teddy with shots
for Hepatitis and the flu.

I could see that the whole project was a total success by the reaction of my friend’s daughter,
Julia. Julia is four years old and came to the Teddy Bear Hospital on Thursday afternoon. Her
huge teddy bear had a whole in his arm pit. A surgeon, radiologist and an anaesthetist showed
Julia how such serious injuries are dealt with.
Julia was thrilled by the care her teddy received. She was admitted to theatre (dressed
appropriately with operation cap und face mask) and assisted the operation. The hole in the
arm pit was sewed and later bandaged.
The surgeon informed her she may take the bandage off in one week since the wound is
bound to have healed by then. For one week the teddy slept in Julia’s bed and was given a
pain killer in the mornings and evenings. Julia was for that time allowed to stay in her
mother’s bed.

6. PRESS REVIEW

Newspaper articles:

TIROLER TAGESZEITUNG Notice Monday, 18th of June 2001

Report Thursday, 21st of June 2001

KRONE ZEITUNG Notice Tuesday, 19th of June 2001

Report Thursday, 21st of June 2001

STADTBLATT No. 26

WIENER ZEITUNG Notice Tuesday, 19th of June 2001

ZEITUNG DER TIROLER LANDESREGIERUNG

40
ORF ONLINE

MEDICAL JOURNALS:

PÄDIATRIE & PÄDOLOGIE No. 4/2001

ÖSTERREICHISCHE APOTHEKERZEITUNG 55.Jahrgang, Nr. 15

ÄRZTEZEITUNG No. 26

CLINICUM No. 7-8 2001

TELEVISION AND RADIO REPORTS:

ORF ÖSTERREICH - TIROL HEUTE Notice 19.6.2001

Report 20.6.2001

ORF RADIO TIROL Notice 20.6.2001

Interviews 21.6.2001

TIROL TV Report 25. week (2001)

41
7. PHOTOS AND FILM:

ERSTES INNSBRUCKER TEDDYBÄRKRANKENHAUS

- INNSBRUCK`S FIRST TEDDY BEAR HOSPITAL

Die Anmeldung – The reception

Das Wartezimmer – The waiting room

Die Teddyärzte bei der Arbeit - Teddy doctors in action

Die Radiologie – Radiology

Der OP – The operation theatre

Die Apotheke – The pharmacy

Die zufriedenen „Eltern“ der kranken Teddies – The happy teddy parents

Das Team – The staff

Backstage

Graz Teddy Bear Hospital (16./17. Mai 01)

GUEST BOOK ENTRIES

42
8. CONCLUSION:

The project was a complete success. The organising team, the teddy doctors, the teddy
pharmacist and especially the children had a great time. It was amazing to see how much
imagination the children had whilst participating in our game.

The organisation of a project like this requires a lot of work, but you should try it. We learnt a
great deal during those months of organisation. It took us months to plan everything, but it
was really worth it in the end.
A lot of people supported our project with donations and the press was fascinated by our
work. It showed us that we can make things happen.
Most of all the children loved it...they were thrilled.

If you have any questions or criticisms, we would be glad to answer them.

Elisabeth Russe, Project manager

AMSA Innsbruck

43