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STARLIGHT STAR BRIGHT FOUNDATION PROVIDES CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL OF NJ AT NEWARK BETH ISRAEL WITH CHILD LIFE PROGRAM SUPPORT Newark, NJ -- Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center has received funding to benefit child life programs from The Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation NY*NJ*CT, as part of Starlight’s Pediatric Hospital Support Program. This year the Pediatric Hospital Support Program has supported 61 tri-state area hospitals with an estimated value of programs totaling more than $1.7 million.
“Having an enhanced Child Life program makes the hospital environment less scary for children,” says Timothy S. Yeh, MD, FAAP, FCCM, Chairman of Pediatrics and Physician-in-Chief, at the Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “It truly helps to reduce stress for our patients. Numerous studies indicate that having children engage in play lessens fear and anxiety to a point that it actually makes procedures, such as surgeries, less traumatic for the patients.” Anne Reilly, Coordinator of the Child Life Department at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey, reports that Starlight’s pediatric hospital support program has supported monthly parties for the inpatient units and has funded a Child Life specialist position for the last two years and a fellowship for five years prior. All of this support has had “the biggest impact on our program.” Over the past 12 years, Starlight’s pediatric hospital support program has supported 84 hospitals in the tri-state area with an estimated project value of more than $7.6 million. The programs supported by Starlight have brightened the lives of more than one million hospitalized children. In general, the program supports projects that will continue to have an impact on children beyond the initial year of implementation and strives to make a child’s hospital experience less stressful.
“Starlight’s mission is to help seriously ill children and their families cope with their pain, fear and isolation through entertainment, education, and family activities,” stated Elaine Siver, Executive Director of Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation of NY*NJ*CT. “This program is designed to aid children services in hospitals such as Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. We are confident it will help restore some of the happiness that a serious illness takes away and make the experience more pleasant.” In addition to receiving support for the Child Life program from the Pediatric Hospital Support Program, Starlight is also placing a brand new Nintendo Wii Fun Center at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey. Fun Centers are interactive entertainment units that include a Sharp Aquos flat-panel screen, a DVD player and the newly anticipated Nintendo Wii System. These portable units can roll anywhere in the hospital, including right up to a child’s bedside, so even children who can’t move can still play. Whether nervously awaiting surgery, or feeling lonely in their room, Fun Centers help children cope with their feelings of fear and anxiety. About Children's Hospital Children's Hospital is the state's premier hospital caring for children, with specialized services to treat ill and injured children from newborn to adolescent years as well as preventive programs that promote wellness in the community. Children's Hospital of New Jersey is an affiliate of the Saint Barnabas Health Care System, the largest integrated health care delivery system in the state. As a hospital devoted only to children, Children's Hospital of New Jersey recognizes that the special needs of children and their families extend far beyond clinical interventions. The facility provides an atmosphere of caring and warmth that complements the extraordinary medical care that is delivered by medical and surgical specialists who are all dedicated exclusively to children's health. The hospital's comprehensive inpatient and outpatient pediatric services include a licensed cardiac surgery program, state-designated regional perinatal center, pediatric intensive care unit, pediatric emergency department, Neonatal Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)/Apnea Center, Valerie Fund Children's Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders, neonatal ICU with New Jersey's only ECMO unit, HIV/AIDS treatment for children as well as a sexual and child abuse program. For a referral to a pediatrician or pediatric specialist, please call About the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation The Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation makes a world of difference for seriously ill children and their families. Since 1985, the NY*NJ*CT chapter has been offering hope and a brighter future for seriously ill children. The goal of the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation is to help these children experience the simple joys of being a child. Each year, Starlight serves over 275,000 critically, chronically, and terminally ill children throughout New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Some of Starlight’s most unique programs include Great Escapes, special outings for children and their families, STARBRIGHT World, a private online community for teens who are living with chronic diseases to connect, Hospital Happenings, including themed parties, toys, and visits from entertainers. For more information on the Starlight Starbright Children’s Foundation of NY*NJ*CT, please log on to www.starlight-newyork.org. DATE: April 1 , 2008 CONTACT: Beth Salamon, Public Relations (973) 322-4926 |
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