Dozens Of New TVs Coming For Pediatric Patients At Belleville Hospital

BELLEVILLE, NJ — A grant will pay for 35 hospital-grade flat-screen televisions and upgrade children’s programming in English and Spanish at Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville, administrators recently announced.

According to the hospital, the Clara Maass Medical Center Foundation has received a $25,000 award from the Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood Foundation, which will be used to support pediatric patients in the Emergency Department at Clara Maass Medical Center.

The Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood award will be used to purchase 35 hospital-grade flat-screen televisions and upgrade children’s programming in English and Spanish, initiatives that will create a more joyful environment for pediatric patients and their young siblings who often accompany them. These upgrades will also help to alleviate the burden on parents who must distract and entertain their children as they communicate with medical staff about important treatment, administrators said.

Something as simple as a familiar television show can be a way to help put kids at ease while they’re at Clara Maass, administrators said:

“The Emergency Department (ED) is the first point of entry for many patients, and their wait times can be long due to the additional hours needed for observation and diagnosis before they are discharged to home or admitted to the hospital. This can be particularly challenging for children who are often anxious and restless during their stay in the ED.”

“We are so appreciative of this generous Dunkin’ Joy in Childhood award,” said Mary Ellen Clyne, president and CEO of Clara Maass Medical Center.

“Our emergency department can be very busy, and a newly upgraded entertainment system for pediatric patients will make their experience and their parents’ much more enjoyable,” Clyne added.

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