For Immediate Release
November 29, 2007
Contact: Laura Pollio
732-751-7537
lpollio@meridianhealth.com

1,000 CHILDREN’S BOOKS DEDICATED TO ASBURY PARK PEDIATRICS AS PART OF “REACH OUT AND READ” PROGRAM

More than Lollipops, Pediatricians Provide Books to Patients to Encourage a Love of Reading

Neptune, NJ - Recently, Former Congressman and President of Health Care Institute of New Jersey, Bob Franks and Asbury Park Mayor Kevin Sanders presented 1,000 children’s books to Asbury Park Pediatrics as part of the Reach Out and Read initiative, a program whose mission is to make literacy promotion a standard part of pediatric primary care, so that children grow up with books and a love of reading.

Asbury Park Pediatrics is a general pediatric practice affiliated with K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center.

“Children today, especially those growing up in poverty are at an increased risk of reading problems which could eventually lead to school failure in the future,” says Amy Peardon, D.O., FAAP, a the medical director at Asbury Park Pediatrics. “Limited money to buy books, few bookstores in low-income areas, limited parental education and time, and family stress, can all contribute to limited exposure to books and reading in the home. This program works to make reading a part of a child’s overall development and wellness.”

The Reach out and Read Program allows pediatricians, nurses, or family physicians the opportunity to give every child a new book to take home. The program also encourages parents to read to their children in the waiting room and suggests that if the parent has difficulty reading, to make up stories to go with the pictures and spend time naming objects.

“The Reach Out and Read Program is highly beneficial,” adds Dr. Peardon. ”Parents trust and respect the guidance that they receive from their child’s pediatrician, and just having the books available and discussing it in the exam room reinforces the importance of reading.”

In 2003, Jersey Shore University Medical Center also received a grant from Reach Out and Read and was able to provide books to patient families through the medical center’s Jane H. Booker Family Health Center pediatric clinic.

Both programs were started in part through a grant by the National Reach Out and Read organization; however additional funds from local organizations and individuals help keep the program adequately stocked with age-appropriate books. For more information on how you can contribute, please call the Jersey Shore University Medical Center Foundation at 732-751-5117.

About K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital
K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital at Jersey Shore University Medical Center is the first state-designated children’s hospital in Monmouth and Ocean counties. As the regional leader in advanced pediatric care, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital is home to the area’s most comprehensive range of subspecialty services with board certified pediatric subspecialists in over 20 disciplines. As a member of Meridian Health, K. Hovnanian Children’s Hospital partners with Jersey Shore University Medical Center, Ocean Medical Center, and Riverview Medical Center, and offers the area's largest affiliated network of board-certified pediatricians. For additional information, or for a referral, call the Meridian HealthLine at 1-800-560-9990 or visit KHovnanianChildrensHospital.com.

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