The Friends of Reading Hospital providing more than $160,000 for hospital programs

Mike Urban, Reading Eagle, Pa.
·2 min read

Oct. 3—The Friends of Reading Hospital is providing $160,000 for hospital programs during the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, the hospital announced Monday.

The Friends is an association of community leaders that focuses on raising funds through events like the Reading Hospital Road Run to support and enhance Reading Hospital's mission of "Advancing Health. Transforming Lives," a release said.

Projects being funded for July through September of 2022 include:

—McGlinn Cancer Institute at Reading Hospital Patient Assistance Fund, which provides financial relief with nonmedical expenses to cancer patients in need and who are undergoing surgery, chemotherapy or radiation treatment.

—Warm Handoff Program, a partnership between Reading Hospital Emergency Department and the Council On Chemical Abuse. The program provides certified recovery staff in the emergency department 24 hours a day. People who come to the department suffering from the effects of opioid or other substance abuse meet with a recovery support specialist who can arrange for immediate admission to a detox or drug and alcohol treatment program.

—Reach Out and Read, which distributes age-appropriate books to children during their well-child checkups in affiliation with the nationally recognized Reach Out and Read program. This program emphasizes the importance of preliteracy development and the advantageous impact it has on the growth and development of children.

—Automatic compression devices for the Department of Emergency Medicine to help provide chest compressions to victims of sudden cardiac arrest. The devices can improve cardiac arrest survival and survival with good neurologic outcome.

—Center for Parenting, a program at the Children's Health Center offering group visits for parents and babies to learn about child development and safety. The program provides parenting resources to mothers and children at risk and offers interactive experiences to engage parents.

—Neonatal Turtle Tubs, which help promote swaddle bathing in both the NICU and pediatric units. Swaddle bathing is an evidenced-based, developmentally supportive technique of wrapping an infant in a blanket and immersing them in the bath water to provide contain and support the infant.

Dr. Charles F. Barbera, Reading HospitalpPresident and CEO said: "The Friends of Reading Hospital have been a dedicated partner to the hospital for more than 130 years and are a constant support to our community and team members. I thank them for their commitment to our mission."

"On behalf of The Friends I'd like to thank our sponsors and donors for their generosity," said Sharon Keating, organization president. "We are proud to provide funding and are confident these projects will enhance education and access to life-saving care for the patients and families in our community."