As we celebrate Patient Experience Week, the Center for Patients and Families is excited to reflect on what has become an annual favorite activity to enhance the pediatric patient and family experience. Recently, we celebrated our 2nd annual Read-A-Thon in honor of Read Across America. Due to COVID-19 limitations, the program had to adapt yet expanded its reach by going virtual!
Dental students assembling activity bags.
The event is a collaborative between the CHOG Reach Out and Read and Tiny Tots Book Club programs designed to encourage reading as a family activity no matter the setting and make it fun. The book selected this year was, I Like Myself! !Me gusta como soy! By Karen Beaumont, which focuses on self-esteem that celebrates the joy of liking oneself. The bilingual book, along with an activity bag were provided to all patients – inpatient and 3rd floor clinics. That means over 200 families received a book to add to their home library.
Kevin Rountree practicing AIDET while distributing Read-A-Thon materials.
Enjoy the reading of I Like Myself! here and Little Blue Truck here. The books were shown through our hospital Patient Education channel with readings in English and Spanish. ASL (American Sign Language) reading was also recorded and provided online.
Programs like this take a team approach and collaborated effort from a variety of departments and backgrounds. Thank you to Dr. Courtney Widjaja for co-planning and making the virtual platform possible; Volunteer Services for collecting activity items, Dental College of Georgia student volunteers, Interpreter and Translation Services, Information Technology (IT), Patient Advocates, Nursing Education, Purchasing, CHOG Administration, General Pediatrics and a special thanks to our readers Kuna Fortngo, Luis Rodriguez, Liz Kellar, Nahir Rodriguez, ASL interpreter Bridgett Krol; and Kevin Rountree, Director of Patient Access, for assisting with the distribution of the book and patient/caregiver engagement in the activities.
Patient Advocates, Residents and Support Coordinator ready to distribute Read-A-Thon book and activities.
