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Danielson Rotary Club Gives $500 in Support of Day Kimball Hospital’s Reach Out and Read Program

The Danielson Rotary Club recently presented $500 to Day Kimball Hospital’s Reach Out and Read Program. From left to right: Carmel Osterlund, incoming president elect of the Danielson Rotary Club; Judy Haines, incoming president; Richard Moore, president; Danielle Baillargeon, MPH, immunization coordinator and Reach Out and Read coordinator; and Tori Bates, interim director for philanthropy
at Day Kimball Hospital.

PUTNAM, CT – The Danielson Rotary Club recently presented Day Kimball Hospital representatives with $500 in support of the Pediatrics Centers’ Reach Out and Read (ROR) Program. ROR, a federal program, was brought to Day Kimball Hospital by retired employee, Jane Rovaldi. ROR provides a new book to each child scheduled for a well visit at one of the Pediatric Centers.

“On behalf of the children of the Pediatric Centers and Reach Out and Read, I am humbled by the Danielson Rotary Club’s generous donation! Their contribution will enable doctors to continue to make literacy part of pediatric care and books a
part of a healthy childhood,” said Danielle Baillargeon, MPH, immunization coordinator and coordinator of Reach Out and Read. “This program makes it possible for children to start a home library by the time they reach kindergarten and, helps parents learn how to interact with their children around books and reading. These are essential building blocks to prepare children to enter school. The Rotary Club’s donation will help
to ensure that books will continue to be purchased for
these children.”

Reach Out and Read is a non-profit literacy organization, and was developed by pediatricians and early childhood educators to help children start school ready to learn. According to ROR’s National Center, doctors and nurses know that growing up healthy means growing up with books. The Reach Out and Read Program provides the tools to help promote children's developmental skills and later school success. Unfortunately, every year 35% of American children start school without the language skills they need to learn to read.

Dr. Krista Matsen, pediatrician at Day Kimball Hospital’s Pediatric Centers added, “Reading to children is a
great way to encourage an early love of books and an interest in reading and literacy skills. It helps augment language and cognitive development in children and is a great bonding activity for families to share. The Reach out and Read Program has helped us provide books for children starting at the 6 month well visit and extending through the 5 year visit. This helps us to ensure that all the children we are seeing are given the exposure to books and reading before they start school. It is wonderful to be able to see a child’s face light up when they receive that new book. We are all very grateful for any contributions to this wonderful program and thank the Danielson Rotary Club for their generosity!”

Richard Moore of the Rotary Club said, “The Danielson Rotary was informed that the Reach Out and Read Program was in need of some funding to provide books to the children visiting the Ped Centers. We look to support such projects within our community, and providing reading encouragement to children is a focal point within our club. We had the funds and books available for distribution and were excited to be able to help the Centers by providing to this program!”

If you would like to make a donation to Day Kimball Hospital’s Reach Out and Read Program, call Danielle Baillargeon at 928-6541 x2013. For more information about this national literacy program, please visit http://www.reachoutandread.org/.

Day Kimball Hospital is a non-profit, 103-bed community hospital in Putnam. Day Kimball has been in operation since 1894, and provides for the health care needs of Northeastern Connecticut, and nearby Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Day Kimball Hospital is served by more than 1,000 employees and more than 100 physicians, dentists and medical specialists.

In coordination with its affiliated health centers in Danielson, Dayville, Plainfield and Thompson, Day Kimball offers acute and general medical/surgical care, a 24-hour Emergency and Prompt Care Department, obstetrics, gynecology, pediatrics, oncology, hematology, cardiopulmonary and psychiatric programs.

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Day Kimball Hospital
320 Pomfret Street (Route 44)
Putnam, Connecticut 06260
Phone: (860) 928-6541 or (860) 774-3366
TTY: (860) 963-6422