In February 2017, 13-year-old Charlotte Olson donated more than 1,300 books to Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper’s outpatient office in Voorhees for the Reach Out and Read program at Cooper. On September 7, Charlotte made a return visit to the office with a donation of several hundred more books towards her goal of collecting an additional 2,000 for the program. The books will be distributed at all Children’s Regional offices throughout the region.
The West Berlin adolescent was crowned Miss New Jersey Pre-Teen Cover Girl 2017 in part for her community service efforts which included the ongoing book drive to benefit patients at Cooper.
“The book drive made me feel good about helping others,” Charlotte said. “I wanted to do more.”
“We appreciate Charlotte’s efforts on behalf of all of the children we see in all our offices at Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper,” said pediatrician M. Jawaad Hussain, MD, FAAP, who worked with the Olson family to coordinate the donation. “Reading skills are an important part of child development. These books help us to encourage children to have a love of reading early in life, which will benefit them their entire lives.”
Charlotte Olson (center) once again collected books to benefit young patients at Cooper. Cooper staff was on hand to accept the donation (left to right): Ivette Martinez, APN; social worker Ellen Hearon; social worker Toni Mathis; pediatrician M. Jawaad Hussain, MD, FAAP; and pediatrician Scott L. Kiehlmeier, MD.
About Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper
As the only state-designated acute care children’s hospital in South Jersey, Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper is committed to excellence in education, research, and high-quality, safe care for pediatric patients and their families. Children’s Regional Hospital at Cooper provides exceptional pediatric primary care and comprehensive specialty care services for every patient, every day, in a patient- and family-centered environment. Services include:
- Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) treats full-term and premature infants with medical and surgical problems related to premature birth, and respiratory, metabolic, or birth disorders
- Only hospital-based pediatric surgery program in South Jersey
- The only Pediatric Trauma Center in South Jersey, verified by the American College of Surgeons as meeting 229 rigorous standards for providing the most advanced life-saving measures for children in need of trauma care
- Renowned Pediatric Emergency Department with fellowship-trained physicians, and distinct waiting areas and rooms specifically designed to meet the needs of infants and children
- Academic medical center with the largest pediatric teaching program in South Jersey
About Reach Out and Read
Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success by incorporating books into pediatric care and encouraging families to read aloud together. With unparalleled access to families with young children, Reach Out and Read medical providers give books to children at well-child visits from infancy until they start school. More importantly, they encourage families to read aloud and engage with their infants, toddlers, and preschoolers every day. The ROR program at Cooper was established in July of 1998. Reach Out and Read New Jersey currently has 92 programs throughout the state serving over 75,000 children annually.
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Wendy A. Marano
Public Relations Manager
marano-wendy@cooperhealth.edu
856.382.6463