Galesburg, IL |February 3 ,2020 - OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois has launched an interactive prescription drug safety course for students in grades 9-12. The course, Prescription Drug Safety, is made available at no cost through OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois’s relationship with leading social-impact technology innovator EVERFI, Inc.
The program is being offered at Lombard Middle School, District 205, Galesburg, IL
Prescription Drug Safety is designed to provide high school students with the knowledge and tools to make healthy, informed decisions when it comes to prescription medications. According to the CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse, one in five high school seniors reports having misused prescription drugs at least once with the misuse of prescription drugs highest among young adults ages 18-25.
“OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois is pleased to work with EVERFI on this very important initiative aimed at preventing prescription drug abuse,” said Mike Wells, President, OSF Children’s Hospital. “It is our goal to have a positive impact through these types of relationships throughout the communities in which we are called to serve.”
The Prescription Drug Safety course uses interactive scenarios and self-guided activities to help students learn the facts about drugs, how to properly use and dispose of them, and how to step in when faced with a situation involving misuse. The course uses an evidence-based, universal approach to learning along with interactive, true-to-life scenarios that reinforce key learning objectives.
An important component of the course is teaching students how to deal with situations involving misuse. Students explore the thoughts of their peers and debunk common myths. They also step into the shoes of a student engaging in misuse and get to see the real results of their choices.
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OSF HealthCare Children's Hospital of Illinois is the third largest pediatric hospital in Illinois and the only full service tertiary hospital for kids downstate. With 136 beds and more than 141 pediatric subspecialists, Children's Hospital cares for more children in Illinois than any hospital outside of Chicago. Formally established as a pediatric hospital within the walls of OSF Saint Francis Medical Center in 1990, Children's Hospital of Illinois has more than 6,000 admissions; more than 2,300 newborn deliveries, and nearly 12,000 emergency department visits each year. More at osfhealthcare.org/childrens/.
EVERFI is an international technology company driving social change through education to address the most challenging issues affecting society ranging from financial wellness to prescription drug safety to workplace conduct and other critical topics. Founded in 2008, EVERFI is fueled by its Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) community engagement platform and has reached more than 30 million learners globally. EVERFI powers community engagement in a sustained manner to empower individuals and organizations to make an impact within their communities. The Company also convenes Networks to bring together financial institutions, colleges and universities, and some of the largest corporations to leverage insights and connections to drive impact. Some of America's leading CEOs and venture capital firms are EVERFI investors including Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt, Twitter founder Evan Williams, Advance Publications, Rethink Education, and Rethink Impact. To learn more about EVERFI visit everfi.com or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter @EVERFI.