As the youth development coordinator at Children’s Health Education Center, I work with teenagers who, on a regular basis, remind me that I am not as tech savvy as they are.  In fact, I’m not even close. I don’t even deserve to shuffle their iPods.

Changing your status on Facebook or posting a blog on MySpace, while as ubiquitous to teens as pep rallies or skin cream, can present unforeseen dangers. Bullying happens in every school and at every level.  However, unlike other forms of bullying, cyber bullying can prove to be more mean-spirited and dangerous because it is likely under the radar of school officials and parents.

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Video games are a popular part of American culture. Recently, video game systems have received a physical makeover. Instead of only exercising your thumbs, many games now encourage gamers of all ages to get up and get moving. Last year, a study at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse was undertaken to see if playing Wii™ Sports is physically beneficial (2008 July/August issue of ACE Fitness Matters).

The study concluded that playing Wii Sports burns approximately 70 percent of the calories burned if the sport actually was played. In addition, playing the game elicits approximately 50 percent of the maximum heart rate as compared to actually playing the sport. This study concluded that Wii games are much better for improving physical fitness than playing conventional video games and actually can improve health. Pretty cool! For those of you not familiar with these video games, here is some info on the most popular activity-focused ones:

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When Maggie Mae walks into our hospital people notice.  You can tell she is special because of the thoughtful look in her eyes, the way she engages people without saying a word, and the fact that so many people want to spend time with her. Maggie Mae makes a difference with every interaction. She is a unique asset to Children’s Hospital, and she works only for hugs and dog treats.  You see, Maggie Mae is a dog, who brings an unconditional love and passion to her work.

Maggie Mae is featured in an online video entitled Puppy Love, produced by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and posted on JSOnline. It’s a wonderful story that really showcases the benefits of pet therapy.

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Children’s Health Education Center has long been known for its health and safety programs for children, parents, caregivers and teachers. But did you know that CHEC also has been a leader in child passenger safety? We support many motor vehicle safety programs and partnerships, including one with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation.

Last year, 589 people were killed on Wisconsin roads. Incredibly, that’s the fewest number of traffic deaths since 1944 and 20 percent lower than 2007, according to WIDOT.

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Yesterday, an editorial letter I submitted, Don’t Test for Drugs at School, was published in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I wanted to share the reasons why, as a pediatrician who specializes in adolescent health, I feel that random drug testing of teenagers in schools is unfounded.

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