By CSO Saanvi, Pennsylvania
What if a trip to the doctor felt less intimidating—and a lot more like play? Through the Chief Science Officer (CSO) program, CSO Saanvi in Pennsylvania brought that idea to life with her Action Plan: the Teddy Bear Clinic.
“Through the CSO program, I organized and hosted a Teddy Bear Clinic to help children feel more comfortable in a healthcare setting through hands-on, imaginative play,” Saanvi shared. “I wanted kids to feel like the doctor instead of the patient.”
Hosted at Woodbine Geisinger, the event blended imagination, learning, and real-world exposure to medical environments—all made possible through support from an Avnet grant.
“When children arrived, they checked in as the ‘doctor,’ while their teddy bear or stuffed animal was registered as the ‘patient,’” Saanvi explained. “Each child received a Teddy Bear Health Passport, which guided them through the clinic and was filled out along the way.”
From there, the experience mirrored a real clinic visit. Children waited in a designated area before rotating through stations set up in clinic rooms, where they performed different parts of a checkup on their stuffed animals.
“At each station, kids measured height and weight, checked temperature and heart rate, examined joints, and even practiced things like ENT checks and blood pressure,” Saanvi said. “After each station, their passports were stamped so they had a record of their teddy bear’s visit.”
Inclusivity was a key part of the plan.
“We were able to provide teddy bears to children who didn’t bring one, so everyone could fully participate,” she noted.
Approximately 60 children attended the Teddy Bear Clinic, each gaining familiarity with medical environments in a fun and supportive way. The event also extended beyond education through a built-in community impact component.
“We invited families to bring new items to donate to Janet Weis Children’s Hospital,” Saanvi said. “It was important to me that the project also gave back to kids in our community.”
Reflecting on the experience, Saanvi emphasized the lasting impact of the event.
“Overall, the Teddy Bear Clinic helped children build confidence, practice empathy by caring for their ‘patients,’ and feel more comfortable in healthcare settings,” she said. “The support from the Avnet grant made it possible to create something engaging and accessible for everyone.”
It’s not every day a clinic is filled with teddy bears, passports, and kid-led checkups—but that’s exactly what made this one work. By reimagining what a healthcare experience can look like, Saanvi created a space where confidence could replace uncertainty, and learning felt as simple as helping a stuffed patient feel better.