Multi-Site NICU Read-a-thon

Septemeber 2020 Read-a-thon Highlights:

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Participating NICUs:

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• Advocate Children's Hospital Oak Lawn

• Akron Children's Special Care Nursery at St. Joseph's

• Baylor Scott and White Medical Center McKinney

• Baylor University Medical Center Dallas

• Beacon Children's Hospital

• Carle Foundation Hospital

• Cedars-Sinai

• Dublin Methodist Hospital Neonatal Special Care Unit; Nationwide Childrens'

• Emory Decatur Hospital

• HCA Clear Lake

• Humber River Hospital

• Inova Loudoun

• Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children

• Medical Center of Aurora NICU

• Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center

• Mercy Health Saint Mary's

• Mercy Kids NICU - St. Louis

• Mott's Children's Hospital

• OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois (University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria)

• Monmouth Medical Center

• Presbyterian Hospital

• Providence St. Vincent Medical Center

• Rady Children Hopstial of San Diego

• Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital

• Randall Children's Hospital

• Rochester General Hospital

• Rose Medical Center

• Sacred Heart Medical Center at Riverbend

• Saint Lukes Plaza

• Salem Hospital NICU

• Sanford USD Medical Center

• Santa Clara County Valley Medical Center

• St. Luke’s Baptist Hospital NICU

• St. Mary's Hospital

• St. Vincent Healthcare, SCL Health

• Swedish American Hospital NICU

• UCHealth Poudre Valley Hospital

• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

• University of Vermont Medical Center

Winning Hospitals (based on reading rate):

First: Emory Decatur Hospital 

Second: University of Vermont Medical Center

Third: Rochester General Hospital

Our NICU Read-a-thon:

NICU read-a-thons are friendly reading competitions between both families and NICUs. Our read-a-thon works to encourage family reading, support infants and families, and build NICU morale especially during the isolating time of COVID-19.

Participating hospitals receive BWB's read-a-thon process guide with step-by-step guidelines for organizing and implementing a read-a-thon. Our guide includes materials and resources such as:

• Family information on how and why to read in the NICU

• Healthcare Provider information on NICU reading rationale

• Suggestions for engaging families and healthcare providers in read-a-thon

• Templated materials to promote read-a-thon

• Templated reading tracking sheets

• ​Templated data collection sheets

• Books lists in multiple languages, including easy access to free, online books

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Learn more about how reading aloud with babies beginning in the NICU supports infant brain development, promotes family bonding, and reduces stress here.  

Read-a-thon Feedback:

“Families rallied around the chance to start reading with their babies as a way to bond.”

-  NICU Nurse

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"I loved it! And the babies seemed to enjoy it, too. I noticed they became calm, attentive, and had more regular heart rates and breathing rates when being read to."

- NICU Speech Therapist

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"I'm so proud of our entire NICU team for participating in this amazing opportunity to help bring awareness to a crucial and often under recognized topic."

- NICU Medical Director

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“This experience reminds me why I love my job."

- Chief Nursing Officer

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To learn more about BWB and NICU reading, see our poster on our NICU reading program from the Vermont Oxford Network Annual Quality Congress

Join the 2021 read-a-thon!