We are excited about the recent birthing hospital initiative launches at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital (JMCGH) and Dyersburg Hospital. Through this initiative, each family of a newborn child at both hospitals will be given the opportunity to enroll in Tennessee’s Imagination Library and begin receiving one book per month mailed to the child’s home until age five, at no cost to the family. Each child enrolled in the program prior to hospital discharge, will receive a gift of the first Imagination Library book, The Little Engine That Could, as a tangible example of the program’s wonderful books that will arrive each month until the child reaches age five.
These local partnerships were made possible by a generous grant from the West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation to launch enrollment at four West Tennessee Healthcare hospitals:
- Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
- Dyersburg Hospital
- North Hospital
- Volunteer Hospital (which launched in April 2017)
This grant will cover half of the cost of the program’s first book given out at each hospital, potentially reaching over 4,000 newborns annually. The other half of the cost is paid for by Governors Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF).
“Children enrolled at birth in Tennessee’s Imagination Library have the opportunity to receive up to 60 high-quality books and develop a strong foundation in early literacy before kindergarten,” said GBBF Vice President, Dean Hoskins. “We are so thankful for community partners like West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation that understand the impact early literacy has on an individual’s health and collaborate for collective impact around children.”
To emphasize the benefits of reading with children beginning at birth, GBBF launched the birthing hospital initiative in 2014, partnering with hospitals across the state to introduce Tennessee’s Imagination Library program to families of newborns. Twenty-one birthing hospitals are now participating in the birthing hospital initiative statewide, potentially reaching more than 38,000 newborns per year with this program.
Twenty-two birthing hospitals are now participating in the birthing hospital initiative statewide, potentially reaching more than 39,000 newborns per year with this program.
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital
September 24
First Lady Crissy Haslam, Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF), local affiliate Madison County Imagination Library and West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation celebrated the launch of a birthing hospital partnership at Jackson-Madison County General hospital (JMCGH) on Monday, September 24.
“In the first few years of life, a child’s brain builds 700 connections per second, representing a critical time for language development through exposure to books and reading,” said First Lady Crissy Haslam. “Thank you to West Tennessee Healthcare and Jackson-Madison County General Hospital for giving the families of West Tennessee the opportunity to experience the joy and benefits of reading with their children at birth.”
Click here to view all of the pictures from the September 24 celebration.
Dyersburg Hospital
October 1
Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF), local affiliate Dyer County Imagination Library and West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation expanded the Imagination Library (IL) enrollment partnership at Dyersburg Hospital Monday afternoon, October 1st. At the celebration, West Tennessee Healthcare Foundation presented GBBF with a check to help expand the partnership at Dyersburg Hospital and launch enrollment partnerships at three additional West Tennessee hospitals. A copy of The Little Engine That Could was presented to an enrolled family. Since 2004, Dyersburg Hospital has participated in Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation’s birthing hospital initiative.
Click here to view all of the pictures from the October 1 celebration.