‘Be Brave’ Program Praises Courageous Young Patients

For young children, a visit to the emergency room can feel scary.

Starting this month, Rochester Regional Health is taking part in a new program to reward children who show a little extra courage during their visit to the Rochester General Hospital Pediatric Emergency Department.

The Be Brave Program is designed for pediatric providers to reward children ages 12 and under for showing good behavior and bravery during their visit. Providers will select a pediatric patient at random and give them a chance to choose a gift card from a jar, which offers them a free meal at Applebee’s.

Providers also offer special bookmarks to children. When the child reads ten books and marks them down on the bookmark, they can bring it to Applebee’s in exchange for a free child’s meal.

The program is offered at no cost to Rochester Regional Health. The meal is free when the child is accompanied by a parent or guardian.

“It’s been really sweet to see their little faces,” said Crystal Klumpp, NP, who works with young children who come into the pediatric emergency department. “They are completely shocked. They look at their parents and say, ‘Is this real?’ We would love to keep this program going as long as we can.”