Marshfield Medical Center-Ladysmith providers and staff understand the importance of serving their unique rural communities through understanding area health program wants and needs. 
One way the hospital responds to the community is by providing its annual Teddy Bear Clinic, held most recently in February 2020.
This special clinic gives children an interactive chance to learn and become more comfortable with health care. Through meeting staff, seeing hospital and clinic spaces and learning more about healthy living, children and their caregivers reduce fears of children accessing care when they need it most. 
At the Teddy Bear Clinic, children receive stuffed bears and act as parents to the bears. They take their bears through each step of the stuffed animals’ well-check visits, which includes weight, blood pressure and provider visit. Bears also went to radiology for X-rays, had blood draws, met with an anesthesiologist and visited surgery facilities to have broken legs wrapped.
Children and their families also visited several educational booths. 
A number of hospital and clinic departments and staff come together each “clinic” to provide a high-quality experience for children and families. For example:
Children at one booth choose from different types of “play” food to put together a healthy plate of food for their bears to eat. 
Ladysmith Dental Center staff share activities that encourage tooth brushing and good dental health.
Handwashing station staff demonstrate the importance of proper hand hygiene.