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doc waldo — great to hear from you! Thank you for your interest in our upcoming Skool ‘10! Thanks for popping by and we look forward to the prospect of having you at FRMC Charlie’s Chaplains’ Skool in September!

Information on FRMC Charlie’s Chaplains and our now-infamous Skool may be found: http://charlieschaplains.blogspot.com/

…with regularly-posted updates, links to the Skool ‘10 website for more details, sign-ups for email updates and to request Skool ‘10 Registration Packet.

We so look forward to meeting you doc waldo, and hearing more about the cool things you do at Children’s Hospital in Knoxville! We are very excited about Skool ‘10 and all that it offers this year!

Please let me know if I can answer any questions for you, or if I can be of assistance to you in some way.

Let’s keep ‘em smilin’!
Becky “CarroTop Rainbo” Cortino

Hi—Lo!

Nice site and advice. I’ve been clowning in the Texas Medical Center in Houston at Texas Children’s and M. D. Anderson (cancer) Hospitals now for 6-1/4 yrs. and have been the Boss Clown for TCH for nearly 5 yrs. Yrs. ago, I had hospital working experience. Our group is Cheerful Clown Alley.

I think your involvement in putting out hospital clowning guidelines is great. However, in discussing guidelines (I realize hospitals differ), I think more specific references should be made regarding infection control due to many patients being susceptible immuno compromised individuals and, as importantly, to protect the clown….such as:

1. Hand washing (generally from antiseptic foam or gel dispensers on the wall near rooms) between each room regardless if touched anything (re-enforces the habit so don’t forget);

2. Not putting a clown bag or puppet or trick on patient’s bed, nightstand, etc…..hold or put on floor. Props, tricks and gifts must be kept off the floor.

3. Don’t let patient or visitor touch anything (i.e., a trick, puppet, etc.) that can not be thoroughly cleaned before entering the next room….have a partner clown help with the trick, etc.

4. Anything that is touched by the patient/visitor must either be left in the room or cleaned as above or discarded. Clean or individually wrapped gifts/trinkets are ok to leave.
5. Obviously don’t go to hospital to clown if you have any symptoms of a contagious disease…stay at home.

6. Don’t enter rooms which require face masks, gowns, gloves or have droplet precautions or isolation sign(s) on door. If in doubt, ask nurse.

7. Wear clean costumes.

8. Also, due to potential allergies or diet restrictions, no latex balloons or candy given out.

We also have strict guidelines on face painting at in-hospital events due to possible cross-infection with brushes, so much so, that generally tattoos are used instead.

Sorry this got so long….imagine, a talkative clown! Just a few thoughts. Hi-Lo the Clown

Hi Hi-Lo!

Thank you so much for your great comments! I apologize, they dropped out of our system, but they’re up now! Appreciate so much what you share, and I think they will not only remind, but also make many aware of the necessary precautions to be taken in Hospital Clowning!

This particular post was not meant to be an exhaustive all-inclusive list of recommended precautions (realizing each facility is different), but rather focusing on some simple strategies that would further support Best Practices that should be already in place, by listing out “5 Things not to Bring on Clown Rounds.”

Thanks so much for what you added here, Hi-Lo — you have helped to make this ‘list’ more comprehensive and an even more useful blog post!

Hope you will visit our site again, add your thoughts and comments

Let’s keep ‘em smilin’!
Becky “CarroTop Rainbo” Cortino