b'EM Day of Service 2024Childrens Home of ReadingBy Akshilkumar Patel, MD, PGY2Across the world, emergencyservice agency offering behavioral health departments serve a vital role inand education services to at-risk children providing healthcare to members ofand youth ages 12-17 that accepts clients the surrounding community. Often, afrom across the state. As part of our patients only feasible route to beingeffort, we helped re-vitalize the campus evaluated by a healthcare professional isgrounds by cleaning and prepping the through a local emergency department.community garden boxes so they will be The field of emergency medicineready to be replanted with fresh produce uniquely shapes the health and wellnessin the spring. We also helped fertilize and of its entire community. The Emergencyclean several garden beds to beautify Medicine Residents Association (EMRA)the campus. Our event culminated in has organized an annual effort knowsa tour of the facilitys residential unit as EM Day of Service. During the monthwhere we experienced firsthand the Akshilkumar Patel, MD of September, EM residency programsefforts and achievements made by CHOR PGY2 Tower HealthReading Hospital across the country identify needs in theirin improving the lives of children in the community and volunteer to addresscommunity.those needs. As EM residents and faculty, engaging To join the EM Day of Service movement,directly with the community we serve emergency medicine residents andwas a truly rewarding and uplifting faculty members of Tower Health experience. It allowed us to strengthen Reading Hospital organized to serve theircommunity partnerships and further time at the Childrens Home of Readingunderscored the importance of fulfilling (CHOR). The CHOR is a non-profit socialneeds in our community.PACEP News | Fall 2024 19'