Penn Highlands DuBois to host ‘mocktail party’

DUBOIS — On Thursday, June 30, the Penn Highlands DuBois Trauma Team will host a public “mocktail party” to stress the dangers of impaired driving ahead of the Fourth of July weekend.

The event, which will be held in the lobby of Penn Highlands DuBois from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., is designed to urge anyone whose holiday plans include drinking to select a designated driver ahead of time.

The “party” is coordinated in cooperation with PennDOT, the DuBois City Police Department and the Highway Safety Network.

Attendees will enjoy “mocktail” beverage recipes to encourage safe celebration while testing out the impaired driving simulator. DuBois City Police officers will conduct mock standardized field sobriety tests with participants while they wear impairment simulation goggles. There will also be a selfie station where participants will be encouraged to join the conversation online by sharing a safety selfie from the event using #CelebrateSafe.

Additionally, a drug recognition expert with the DuBois City Police will discuss how impaired driving encompasses more than just alcohol and how officers are trained to recognize when an individual has been driving under the influence of drugs.

“This is a great opportunity for the community to learn more about the dangers of impaired driving,” said Kara Bauer, RN, BSN, the trauma, outreach and injury prevention coordinator for Penn Highlands DuBois, who is overseeing the event. “I encourage everyone to join us to test out the ‘mocktails’ and simulator.”

For more information, contact kabauer@phhealthcare.org.

Penn Highlands Healthcare was officially formed in 2011, and is comprised of eight hospitals: Penn Highlands Brookville, Penn Highlands Clearfield, Penn Highlands Connellsville, Penn Highlands DuBois, Penn Highlands Elk, Penn Highlands Huntingdon, Penn Highlands Mon Valley and Penn Highlands Tyrone — that have served area communities for the past 100-plus years.

Its business continuum also includes home care agencies, long-term care facilities and residential senior living communities, as well as durable medical equipment companies and retail pharmacies.

Penn Highlands Healthcare has evolved into an organization with 6,651 workers in 150+ locations throughout 39 counties in Northwestern/ Central and Southwestern Pennsylvania.