Even when the future of medicine feels far away, ULSOM’s Heartwheels! program knows that the future starts today.  

Children are natural explorers, fascinated by the world around them and theircuriosity is what allows themto be exposed to so much of the world, whether that be a fuzzy caterpillar munching on a leaf or a bright yellow backhoe digging up interesting rocks down their street. Yet, opportunities to engage with healthcare beyond routine check-ups are limited.  

Heartwheels! bridges this gap by making healthcare more accessible, engaging and hands-on. Through interactive activities like manipulating water-filled tubing to simulate cardiovascular dynamics, participants of all ages grasp complex concepts in a fun, memorable way.  

“The more hands-on, colorful, and silly we can make the activities, the better,” shared Dr. Steven Koenig, co-director of Heartwheels! “If it is fun and memorable for us, then it is sure to be fun and memorable for the children that we work with.” 

As Heartwheels! exposes people of all ages, backgrounds and groups to healthcare and medicine, they are able to envision themselves as a future physician, nurse or researcher, empowered by their experiences in health care simulations. While many people, both young and old, never have the opportunity to roleplay working in health care, Heartwheels! provides that opportunity and inspires the next generation of caretakers.  

The program also exposes young participants to things that might otherwise be scary or difficult to understand in a relaxed and fun way. Many events include a real heart that kids can see and touch to learn more about it. While at first, most kids are apprehensive, they become comfortable with the topic the more they learn about it. Since heart disease is the leading cause of death in Kentucky, it is important that people of all ages are comfortable talking about heart disease and understand what it means to keep your heart healthy.  

“It brings us great joy to have repeat participants at our events who can come back and tell us what they learned last time,” shared Dr. Gretel Monreal, co-director of Heartwheels! “This gives us hope that our participants are leaving our events and sharing what they learned with the world. The more advocates for STEM education we can create today the more physicians, researchers and health professionals we will have tomorrow.” 

Heartwheels! continues to be a fan favorite. Parents, teachers and the participants themselves are excited about the collaborative partnerships Heartwheels! has with local schools and educators. As we work towards inspiring the next generation of health professionals, we are proud of faculty members Drs. Gretel Monreal and Steven Koenig for spearheading this initiative and being a driving force of STEM education in our community.  

Heartwheels! is a mobile STEM outreach program that can visit your school, event or location. For inquiries, reach out to Drs. Gretel Monreal and/or Steven Koenig.