IT’S TIME FOR YOUR 1, 2, 3’S & ABC’S
DRISCOLL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL BREAKS GROUND ON THE CHILDREN’S LEARNING CENTER FOR EMPLOYEES

Wednesday, August 25, 2004
10am

(Corpus Christi, TX) It’s an exciting time at Driscoll Children's Hospital as we are growing to expand a great opportunity to our employees and their families. Driscoll Children's Hospital will soon be providing a high-quality and nurturing program to the children of their employees with the opening of the Driscoll Children’s Learning Center in early 2005.

The center will have five classrooms which will operate full time and a school age classroom. The Learning Center will be equipped to oversee infants, toddlers, preschool and school age children. The hours of operation will be suited to meet the needs of the ever changing staff schedules. The center will be open Monday-Friday from 5:45 am- 8:15 pm. The Learning Center will actively pursue Accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Driscoll Children's Hospital is one of only three employers offering such a benefit to their employees.

“This is our continuing commitment to create a better work environment and support our own growing families”, notes Rick Merrill, president and CEO of Driscoll Children's Hospital. Director of the Learning Center, Angela Craig, says “The Learning Center will be created to be more representative of a home- a place you would want to spend 8-14 hours per day and be comfortable. The colors will be more relaxing and the environment will be natural while maintaining a very child-friendly, high-quality and inviting atmosphere for children.”

According to recent studies, only 20% of hospitals sponsor Child Care centers across the U.S. In turn, they have seen a decrease in absenteeism, burnout, turnover and stress. In fact, a Driscoll’s family lifestyle will change with the opening of this center. For several years this mom and dad had to work split shifts to oversee the childcare of their children and with the Learning Center opening they will now work the same schedule and be able to have dinner together as a family.

Please stop by and meet some of the children and employees who will truly benefit from this wonderful expansion to our hospital. “Come and See us Grow” with families who are excited to be a part of the Driscoll Children's Hospital’s family.

About Driscoll Children’s Hospital
“Improve the health of adults and you give them back their health …
Improve the health of children and you give them their life.”

Since opening its doors in 1953, Driscoll Children’s Hospital has been offering hope and healing to the children of South Texas for half a century. The facility is a 200-bed pediatric tertiary care center with pediatric board-certified specialists representing 19 medical and nine surgical specialties. Each year, more than 6,000 children are admitted for inpatient care, 5,000 for day surgery, and 50,000 for outpatient primary and specialty care, as well as 40,000 for emergency care, as the first South Texas hospital with emergency services exclusively for children. Additionally, Driscoll maintains a state-of-the-art ground/air transport team, 20-bed pediatric intensive care unit, 40-bed neonatal intensive care unit, and specialized medical outreach.

www.driscollchildrens.org

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