Henry County Public Health is making their immunization room more sensory friendly with grant funding from the University of Iowa Health Care. The first thing everyone will notice is an underwater themed mural painted on two of the walls by local painter Annie Guldberg. The colorful mural full of sea creatures should help distract all kids by giving them something fun to focus on. In addition, parents will now have the option to ask for sensory aids on the health questionnaire. So far options include dimming the lights, using a sound machine, weighted lap blankets, plush vibrating ball pillows, or fidget toys. The waiting room has also been enhanced with light filters and an activity table. More items will be added based on patient feedback and available funding. 
“We know that getting shots can be scary for children, especially children with disabilities, so we hope these changes will help improve the overall experience,” states Kelly Carr, Community Outreach Coordinator.
Public Health is located at 106 E. Jackson Street in Mt. Pleasant and immunization clinics are held Tuesdays 9-11am, Wednesdays and Thursdays 1-4pm, and the 1st and 3rd Thursday 1-6pm.
This project is funded by a mini grant from the ON TRAC project of Iowa’s University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). This project and these mini grants are funded by the Administration for Community Living’s (ACL) Community Based Transition Grants. If you have any questions call 319-385-0779, email publichealth@henrycountyiowa.us, or visit Facebook.com/HealthyHenryCounty.