Vidant Children's Hospital Jell-O Toss to be held Tuesday, March 26 | Eastern North Carolina Now

For Immediate Release:

    GREENVILLE     Each year employees at Vidant Children's Hospital volunteer for a chance to let pediatric patients toss Jell-o onto their faces.

    The event, being held as part of the hospital's Child Life Month celebrations, will take place in the child life playroom located in the Vidant Children's Hospital at 2 p.m., Tuesday, March 26.

    "It is a way for our pediatric patients to see doctors and nurses as real people and help break down that fear factor," said Susan Sugg, child-life manager at Vidant Medical Center.

    Child Life Month is dedicated to honoring child-life specialists and increasing awareness about their important work. These health-care professionals specialize in child development, adhering to a philosophy of family-centered care to ease the anxiety experienced by children and families undergoing challenging health care experiences and other major life events.

    Child-life specialists prepare children for medical procedures with developmentally appropriate explanations, by planning and practicing coping skills, and engaging children in therapeutic and diversionary play activities. Understanding that the well-being of children depends on their social environment, child-life specialists strive to support the entire family throughout the child's health care experience, providing information, resources and insight.

    Child-life professionals can be found in many different areas of hospitals, such as emergency departments, patient rooms, surgical areas, radiology, sedation and both pediatric and neonatal intensive care units. Vidant Children's Hospital employs 18 child-life specialists and two child-life assistants.


    Contact: Beth Anne Atkins, Vidant Health Strategic Development, (252) 847-7735 or beth.atkins@VidantHealth.com

    Vidant Health, a mission-driven, not-for-profit corporation, owns, leases or has a majority membership interest in nine eastern North Carolina hospitals and has a management agreement with one other. The health system includes Albemarle Health, Vidant Beaufort Hospital, Vidant Bertie Hospital, Vidant Chowan Hospital, Vidant Duplin Hospital, Vidant Edgecombe Hospital, The Outer Banks Hospital, Vidant Medical Center, Vidant Pungo Hospital, Vidant Roanoke-Chowan Hospital, Vidant Home Health and Hospice, Vidant Wellness Centers, Vidant Medical Group and is affiliated with the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. On the web at www.vidanthealth.com.