February 23, 2009
TEEN STAR SURPRISES PEDIATRIC PATIENTS
Mitchel Musso Spreads Cool Message About Good Hand-Washing Hygiene

Popular teen actor and recording artist Mitchel Musso, best known for his role as “Oliver” in the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, recently visited Medical City Children’s Hospital to raise awareness for the Clean Hands Are Cool Hands campaign.
 

Launched by The HCA Foundation, the campaign was created in August 2008 to educate parents and kids about the importance of hand washing for preventing the spread of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) in schools. The common but highly contagious bacteria frequently inhabits a person’s skin or nostrils and can lead to a serious infection that is difficult to treat because of its resistance to antibiotics.

Once word spread through Medical City Children’s Hospital that Musso would be coming, the playroom quickly filled with wide-eyed kids who were eager to catch a glimpse of the personable teen who immediately connected with each child the moment he walked through the door. Musso recapped good hand-washing techniques, encouraging children to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while scrubbing their hands with soap and water or hand sanitizers. He also signed autographs and took pictures with the young fans. This was the second leg of Musso’s visit to the Dallas area. Earlier the same day, Musso visited his former elementary school, Doris Cullins-Lake Pointe Elementary, in Rockwall, Texas.

Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin, chief medical officer of HCA and medical expert for the Clean Hands are Cool Hands campaign, also accompanied Musso on his visit and shared the seriousness and importance of the campaign. “The growing prevalence of MRSA in hospitals and communities is creating new challenges for the healthcare community,” said Perlin. “It is important to make parents and kids aware of the little things they can do at home and at school to prevent its spread.”

MRSA accounts for 19,000 deaths in the United States each year, 86 percent of which are associated  with health care, while the remaining 14 percent are acquired in the community. The Clean Hands Are Cool Hands campaign, aimed at kids in kindergarten through fifth grade, includes a 30-second television Public Service Announcement (PSA) that features Musso interacting in an animated world with everyday items that can pass on germs and make people sick.

For more information, visit www.cleanhandsarecoolhands.com.