Community Outreach: Scrubby Bear & Mr. Molar
Our Family Caring for Yours
Cumberland Family Medical Center, Inc. is pleased to be an active part of each community we serve. Through various partnerships with local, county, regional, and state agencies, we are fortunate to be able to extend our role as health care providers into all areas through the promotion of healthy lifestyle choices, educational opportunities, and in continuing efforts to improve over-all conditions within our communities.
Our partnerships with local school districts have opened doors into a variety of areas by which we can further serve our population. Each spring, CFMC Inc. is pleased to present scholarships to local high school students from counties where our clinics are located. Students interested in pursuing a career in any health care related field may apply for this award through their school’s guidance office.
The local Family Resource Centers and Youth Services Centers are instrumental in assisting our staff with the provision of our school-based dental services. By coordinating our efforts through these hardworking individuals, our licensed dentists and qualified dental staff make an easy entry into schools without disruption of academic instruction. In addition to the preventive dental services, we also include a needed educational component as well which brings our oral health staff into classrooms to speak first-hand to students about the dangers of tobacco use, the advantages of good oral health habits, and for younger students, the proper way to care for their teeth.
Our “Scrubby Bear” program is also very popular among elementary students. Scrubby enjoys visiting students and teaching them through story and action the importance of and proper method of hand washing to avoid transference of germs that cause flu, colds, and other illnesses.
Our “Mr. Molar” program is instrumental in educating younger children on how to make their teeth last a life time. We talk about what foods are better for strong healthy teeth and the harm that sugary drinks can do to teeth if not brushed and taken care of properly.
Community Outreach is also extended through partnership with local health departments, extension offices, libraries, and other civic organizations. Smoking cessation classes, blood pressure checks, health fairs, and weight loss classes are only part of what CFMC Inc. does in our communities to extend our mission as a community health center.
Lori Denton, Guidance Counselor, Second Street School, Frankfort, KY
“Scrubby Bear and Mr. Molar were wonderful at our school! The students really enjoyed them and were really excited to see them come back this year! The presenters did a great job covering the topics in a very thorough and entertaining way to the students.”
Holly Daugherty, McCreary County Preschool. Whitley City, KY
“McCreary County Preschool truly enjoyed the Mr. Molar and Scrubby Bear program offered to us by Cumberland Family Medical Center. We highly recommend that schools and Early Childhood centers invite this program into your school. Our students range in age from 3 to 5 years old, every age student loved this program. I have had several parents comment that their child came home talking non-stop about Mr. Molar and Scrubby Bear as well as being excited about brushing their teeth. The Mr. Molar and Scrubby Bear characters were very kid-friendly and very energetic with the students. The program was very well implemented and very time-friendly to our student’s attention spans. I will definitely make this a yearly program offered to the students of McCreary County Preschool.”