Arkansas Children’s Hospital Receives A $10,000 Grant from New York Life

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Receives A $10,000 Grant from New York Life

Funding provides monthly safety baby showers in Crittenden County

Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Children’s Hospital recently received a $10,000 grant from New York Life to host inaugural safety baby showers in Crittenden County. The support was made possible through the Community Impact Grant program from the company and New York Life agent Jerry Coats and his wife, Lynne, an employee of the company.

“We are grateful for New York Life’s investment in Safety Baby Showers, which will change many families for the better,” said Jill Mcilroy, Development Officer at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Foundation. “This grant will help fund a very special program that is designed to educate families about newborn safety. The program gives each couple the opportunity to learn how to deal with the challenges that occur when a new baby arrives.”

“I’m proud to work for a company that encourages its agents and employees to devote their time, energy and talents to support the needs and priorities of their local community,” said Jerry Coats, an agent of the company’s Arkansas General Office. “We are pleased that our gift will have a longlasting impact on the children of Arkansas.”

Since 2009, Safety baby showers have provided new and expecting mothers resources to learn about best safety practices for their babies and young children, in the home and on the road. These fun and educational showers focus on expectant mothers who do not have access to home or transportation safety supplies. Basic supply kits are provided to each family who participates. New this year, expecting dads are also encouraged to participate in the safety baby showers.

More than 20 expecting parents were in attendance at the first safety baby shower in April. The showers will be held once a month for the remainder of 2016. Topics focus on the prevention of infant sleep related deaths and choking, motor vehicle injury, fire/burn related injury, poisoning and abusive head trauma as a result of shaken baby syndrome.

For additional information about the safety baby showers, contact the UAMS East office, (870) 735-5527. Referral forms can be found at the local health unit and physician offices in Crittenden County. Attendance limited to expectant moms and partners living in Crittenden County, or receiving services at the Crittenden County Health Unit.

About Arkansas Children’s Hospital Arkansas Children’s Hospital created the Injury Prevention Center (IPC) in 2007. The IPC is the only multi-faceted injury program in Arkansas with the mission to reduce child injury, death and disability throughout the state. This initiative is one way Arkansas Children’s Hospital is providing care close to home for the more than 700,000 children in the state.

Arkansas Children’s Hospital (ACH) is the only pediatric medical center in Arkansas and one of the largest in the United States serving children from birth to age 21. Over the past century, ACH has grown from a small orphanage in Little Rock to a statewide network of care that includes an expansive pediatric teaching hospital and research institute, as well as regional clinics in several counties. ACH also reaches children across the state and nation through a range of telemedicine capabilities that ensures every child has access to the best care available, regardless of location or resources. The hospital’s campus in Little Rock spans 36 city blocks and houses 359 beds, a staff of 505 physicians, over 200 residents in pediatrics and pediatric specialties and more than 4,000 employees. A campus under development in northwest Arkansas will bring 233,613 square feet of inpatient beds, emergency care, clinic rooms and diagnostic services to children in that region of the state. A private nonprofit, ACH boasts an internationally renowned reputation for medical breakthroughs and intensive treatments, unique surgical procedures and forward- thinking research — all dedicated to fulfilling its mission of championing children by making them better today and healthier tomorrow. For more info, visit archildrens.org.

From Ashley Leopoulos