Building Safe Playgrounds for our Community

As part of our mission to help our members get care, stay well, and build healthy communities, Keystone Mercy Health Plan has taken a special interest in ensuring that children in our communities have a safe place to play.

As part of our concern for the health and wellbeing of our members, Keystone Mercy Health Plan wants to decrease the number of children sustaining preventable injuries because of a lack of safe play spaces and after school activities. Construction of safe play areas, along with education, and the development and support of supervised activities with strong adult mentors, has been shown to decrease these preventable injuries.

In addition, play is especially important to the physical health of children, and is also vital to mental and social development. Having a place to play is extremely important in the fight against childhood obesity. Physical activity has also been shown to increase academic performance, reduce youth violence, and contribute to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Utilizing tools and guidelines provided by KABOOM!, a national non-profit organization that envisions a safe place to play within walking distance of every child in America, Keystone Mercy Health Plan has made a safe playground a reality for two elementary schools in the Philadelphia area.

Click on the links below for information and photos from our playground build projects:

• Drexel Neumann Academy - October 9, 2008
• Logan Elementary School - September 19, 2008
• Hancock Elementary School - May 21, 2008
• Village Charter School - October 22, 2007
• Luis Munoz-Marin Elementary School - March 24, 2007

Watch a video of our build team in action at the Marin School Playground Build.

Read an article written by Hancock School students about their new playground.