SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (Good Things Utah) – Intermountain Layton Hospital is teaming up with Davis County Safe Kids Coalition for a community day of safety, dedicated to education about safety for families and children on June 1.

Safe Kids Day is a fun, free, interactive event for families to learn new ways to keep their family healthy and protected from unintentional injuries.

A highlight of the event will be a special Intermountain Health / Northern Utah Pediatrics Teddy Bear Clinic, where kids will be given a teddy bear and will help diagnose their bear and determine treatment options to get their bear feeling better.

During the simulated clinic, the kids “call the shots,” caring for their bear as they guide them through, admissions, examinations, testing, and discharge from the clinic.

Kids will also work with real doctors and nurses from Northern Utah Pediatrics to get splints for broken bones, stitch any loose seams, and even see the inside of emergency vehicles – all part of an effort to get kids more comfortable with healthcare and visits to the doctor.

“This is a great opportunity for our doctors and nurses to interact with children in the community and make a positive impact,” said Brett Ipson, MD, a pediatrician with Northern Utah Pediatrics in Layton. “At the Teddy Bear clinic, the kids are in charge as they provide ‘medical care’ for a bear they then get to take home with them. This in turn makes for a less scary experience when they come to our clinics for their own medical visits.

Teddy Bears are available on a first-come, first-served bases while supplies last.

Intermountain Layton Hospital will also host a bike helmet fitting clinic and free helmet giveaways, while supplies last. The helmets are donated from Intermountain Layton Hospital and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital as part of our community health injury prevention initiatives.

In 2022, 15 Utahns lost their lives in bicycle related accidents and 49 experienced serious injuries. That is the deadliest year in Utah for bicycle accidents since the Utah Department of Public Safety started keeping track several years ago.

With summer approaching, Intermountain Health’s safety and trauma teams are reminding bicycle riders of the importance of wearing a helmet and staying safe when riding.

“We are deeply committed to the health and wellness of kids in our community, so the opportunity to focus on their safety- and preventable injuries is a meaningful service to the community,” said Melissa Johnson, RN, Intermountain Layton Hospital trauma coordinator. 

Intermountain trauma experts say a good-fitting helmet should: 

• Fit snugly on the head.

• Sit level on the head, back to front. 

For an optimal fit, use this simple 2-2-2 rule:

• Make sure there is a 2-finger gap between the top of the eyebrow and the front the helmet. 

• Use 2 fingers to make a V-shape and place the v under the earlobe. This is where the straps should sit.

• Turn the 2 fingers sideways and place them flat between the chin and the strap, and adjust the strap as needed.

“It’s important that every rider have a good fitting helmet and parents should help their child put it on before every ride, every time,” said Johnson. “And we’re not talking just when you’re bicycling. Helmets are important when riding scooters, dirt bikes, ATVs, roller blades, skateboards, hoverboards, tricycles, and even balance bikes to help protect those heads.”

The Safe Kids Fair will take place on Saturday, June 1, from 10 am to 1 pm, at Northridge High School in Layton. The teddy bear clinic and helmet fittings will be located on the south end of the field.

Sponsored by Intermountain Health