Martin's Point to Offer Red Cross Babysitting Course

Classes scheduled Oct. 10 and 17 at Martin's Point facility in Portland

Martin's Point Health Care is offering a Red Cross Babysitting course for children 11 and older. The course stresses safety, sitter responsibilities, first aid techniques, and methods of dealing with emergencies.

The two-part course will be held Oct. 10 and 17, from 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Martin's Point Health Education Center at 331 Veranda St. in Portland. The program costs $30. To register or receive more information, call 828-2497.

The course will be taught by Leigh Kirchner, a Certified Health Education Specialist.

"Babysitting is the first opportunity most kids will ever have to take on some genuine responsibility," said Kirchner. "This class will give those kids the skills they need to face this responsibility confidently, and should also give the parents who hire these kids the feeling that the babysitter will be able to handle whatever comes their way."

Martin's Point Health Care's Health Education Center in Portland offers a full range of programs open to the public, including health, nutrition, safety and community wellness classes. Established in 1981, Martin's Point is now Maine's largest health care practice, employing 290 healthcare professionals who serve more than 44,000 patients at clinics in Portland, Windham, Brunswick and Newington, N.H. in the areas of family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics, radiology, cardiology, mammography and other fields.

Martin's Point has attracted widespread attention for its high-tech initiatives, including a robot to assist in dispensing prescriptions, and Patients Personal Points, a free, Internet-based service that allows patients to use their computers to communicate by a secure server with their doctors to schedule appointments, ask advice, and obtain prescription refills. Patients Personal Points recently won a national technology award from the Healthcare Innovations in Technology Systems (HITS) "Partnership in Technology" national awards program.

Headquartered in Portland at 331 Veranda St., Martin's Point accepts all major health plans and insurance, including but not limited to HealthSource, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Harvard Community Health Plan, Maine Partners, Champus, Tricare, Aetna, Cigna and NYLCare Plans.

For more information about Martin's Point Health Care, its physicians, or program offerings, visit the Martin's Point website at www.martinspoint.org.

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