Caring Clowns Celebrate Graduation at St. Luke’s

St. Luke’s Hospital and Health Network held a unique ceremony June 30 -- a clown graduation. Five volunteers flipped their tassels from one side of their caps to the other after receiving diplomas from the Bumper “T” Caring Clown training program.

“It’s a great way to liven up the day,” said Georgina Winfield, director of volunteer services at St. Luke’s.

Winfield often takes pictures of the clowns as they visit patients, “so that their family members don’t think they were hallucinating when they say clowns were in their rooms,” she joked.

Each clown-in-training receives a kit with makeup, a red nose, big buttons, a lab coat and a stethoscope with a plastic ear on one end and a button that giggles. They choose a clown name, a theme and study the art of clowning, said Pat Silfies-Beahm, who is also known as "DR Bandaides." She has trained clown volunteers since 2003.

The title of "DR" is abbreviated without a dot on purpose, explained Mark Schessler, a.k.a. "DR Choo Choo."

“We only go to school for six weeks and doctors go for 10 years,” Schessler said, “so we give up the dot.”

The big R is also to make sure no one confuses them with medical doctors, Silfies-Beahm said. “You’re really lucky we’re not your doctors.”

The new graduates are Pam Bauman as DR Ele Bell, Dottie Miller as DR Jam, Janis Rotondo as DR Rosy Day, Stefanie Raw as DR Fix-U-Up and Betsy Toole as DR Bootsie Tootsie. To the melody of the "Alphabet Song," they sang their class song with verses like “ICU and you see me.”

Bauman, who is also a nurse, said she joined the troupe because she has always loved clowning around. Her clown name comes from her favorite childhood character, Clarabell the Clown, and because she loves elephants.

“I love elephants, because they're kind, caring and big on families,” Bauman said. “They take care of each other.”

The clowns make what they call “merry-go-rounds” (instead of doctors’ rounds) at the hospital to cheer up patients, Schessler said.

“This is just too much fun,” he said. “I get more out of it than I give.”

At times, they help just by listening to those who need someone to talk to, Silfies-Beahm said.

“Sometimes, we are their only outlet to talk,” she said. “That is just as important as laughter.”

In addition to Schessler, the instructors included Alfred Beahm (Silfies-Beahm's husband) as DR Stitches, Kathy Weider as DR Giggles, Mary Crocus as DR Clueless and Sue Willis as DR I. Vanna Hug RN Right Now, said Silfies-Beahm.

As Caring Clowns, they have gone to several St. Luke’s events including the for , the pediatric rehabilitation center open house, Cancer Survivors’ Day at the Lehigh Valley Zoo and the grand opening of the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Wind Gap.

Many of the clowns are also members of the clown "alley" Disciples of Joy, Silfies-Beahm said. "Alley" is similar in meaning to legion or club, she explained.

The group meets regularly at Christ Church United Church of Christ in Bethlehem, and its members attend community functions, such as Nazareth Days in Nazareth.

Nazareth Days 2011 will be held July 16.