Kaweah Health Launches Pediatric Patient Reading Program

VISALIA, CA (August 18, 2023) — Kaweah Health is excited to announce the launch of a new pediatric patient reading program in partnership with Visalia Police Department on August 16. Through this new partnership program, local law enforcement officers will spend time reading to hospitalized children in Kaweah Health’s Pediatric Unit.

Officer Alvaro Ramirez, part of the Hope Team division, helped start this exciting literary healing initiative. During the first of the planned weekly story times, Officer Ramirez read books in English and Spanish, greeted healthcare staff, and uplifted the spirits of some of youngest hospital patients and their families.

The looks on the children’s faces told their own story — they appreciated the special time spent with the police officer at a time they needed it most. “My purpose in this life is to serve, and I just appreciate the opportunity to serve these kids,” said Officer Ramirez.

The 12-bed pediatric unit is staffed by Kaweah Health’s specially-trained pediatric nurses, compassionate staff, and physicians from Valley Children’s Medical Group. Through the partnership with Visalia Police department, Kaweah Health can continue elevating the quality care pediatric patients receive close to home.

“This new partnership program with the Visalia Police Department further enables our pediatric patients to be cared for by all members of their local community. Our mutual goals are to enable our kids to stay close to home, heal quickly, and be encouraged and supported during their time with us,” said Danielle Grimaldi, Nurse Manager at Kaweah Health’s Pediatric Unit.

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Kaweah Health is a publicly-owned community healthcare organization that provides comprehensive health services to the greater Visalia region and Tulare County. With more than 4,800 employees and 700 medical staff, Kaweah Health is committed to meeting the community’s health needs through state-of-the-art medicine, high-quality preventive services, and specialized health centers and clinics. For more information, visit KaweahHealth.org or follow Kaweah Health on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter