Heart Institute

Camp Joyful Hearts is held at Joy Outdoor Education Center, 10117 Old 3-C Highway, in Clarksville, OH, approximately 50 minutes from Cincinnati and 75 minutes from Columbus. Easily reached by interstate and state routes, the camp occupies 315 acres of trees, trails, fields and meadows overlooking a river valley. Three handicap-accessible cabins with indoor bathrooms and hot showers will house campers near the air-conditioned dining hall.

Any child or adolescent with a congenital or acquired heart disease, ages 8 to 18, may attend. Teens and young adults with heart disease, ages 16 to 21, can volunteer as leaders-in-training and assist counselors with the younger kids.

In order to safeguard the privacy of all campers and to foster camper independence, visitors and phone calls are not permitted during the camp session.

If a camper must be contacted, the parent or guardian should contact the Heart Institute camp director at 513-636-7257 or 800-344-2462, ext. 6-7257. She will then reach the physician on site. In an emergency, you can reach Camp Joy’s on-call phone at 937-725-4036. This is strictly an emergency line.

Camp Joyful Hearts encourages participation in a variety of activities that help the camper develop skills and a sense of accomplishment. Activities are adapted to each child’s abilities and promote the development of new friendships and individual growth. All camp activities are supervised in a safe and nurturing environment.

Examples include:

• Archery
• Arts and crafts
• Boating
• Campfires
• Fishing
• Heart Institute education programs
• Music
• Nature
• Outdoor games
• Pioneer lore
• Singing
• Skits
• Swimming
• Tower climb

The camp staff includes a full-time camp director, program specialists, summer cabin counselors and auxiliary staff. The counselors are selected from experienced college-age and older individuals with an interest in working with children who have medical challenges.

A pediatric cardiologist, respiratory therapist and cardiac nurses are on the premises 24 hours a day. To help the campers understand and deal with health-related problems more effectively, additional members of the Heart Institute staff will visit the camp to answer questions and hold group education sessions. The Heart Institute staff will meet with campers’ parents on the first day of camp to review medical orders. Camp personnel will adhere to all medical orders and activity recommendations sent by the camper’s physician.