San Diego Zoo Kids Channel begins broadcasting at MUSC Children’s Health and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston

Young patients, their families and invited guests were treated to a visit with some amazing animal ambassadors—including a snake, alligator, barn owl and a turtle from the South Carolina Aquarium—at a gathering at MUSC Children’s Health. This special event was held to announce the arrival of a closed-circuit television channel, San Diego Zoo Kids, at MUSC Children’s Health and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston.

 San Diego Zoo Kids is an innovative television channel with programs produced exclusively for medical facilities that serve pediatric patients and their families. The creation and development of the channel has been funded by businessman and philanthropist T. Denny Sanford. San Diego Zoo Kids’ programming offers family friendly, animal-oriented stories that are both entertaining and educational. Due to a generous donation from William and Prudence Finn, the channel is now available on TV monitors in every patient room, as well as in waiting areas at MUSC Children’s Health and on TV monitors at the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston.

“Providing the San Diego Zoo Kids programming to our patients was a natural fit because we know that healing happens at multiple levels and in many ways for children,” said Mark Scheurer, M.D., MUSC Children’s Hospital chief medical officer and pediatric cardiologist. “Exploring these animal stories helps our patients take a small break from dealing with serious or life-threatening health issues, and will help them engage with the world outside our walls when their illnesses necessitate they be in the hospital. As a parent and care provider, I’m glad that this mental respite will be there for our patients and their families.”

The service is also making its debut on television monitors at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston. “On behalf of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston, I would like to thank the San Diego Zoo for providing our families with the Zoo channel,” said Bert Hefke, chairman of the board of directions, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Charleston. “This family friendly programming is a valuable resource for both education and entertainment. It will make a difference in the lives of families during their time of crisis and recovery. The San Diego Zoo Kids channel will provide hours of calming effects after long and difficult days. It will bring special memories and greater conversations for families who are not able to take their critically ill child to the zoo. We expect children will be inspired, thus providing hope and healing! The Zoo channel will help continue to ensure we are accomplishing our mission statement: We believe that when a child is in time of greatest need, families and communities can come together to create solutions, ultimately changing a child’s life forever.”

The San Diego Zoo Kids channel offers up-close video encounters with animals, stories about caring for animals, quizzes about animals and habitats, and a wide variety of short video vignettes hosted by San Diego Zoo Global ambassador Rick Schwartz and San Diego Zoo Kids host Olivia Degn. Viewers can also see video from the San Diego Zoo’s famous Panda Cam and other online cameras, as well as content from other zoos across the country.

“The stories we tell on the San Diego Zoo Kids channel not only entertain children and their families during what can be a stressful time, but hopefully inspire a new generation to appreciate wildlife and their natural habitats,” said Douglas G. Myers, president and chief executive officer, San Diego Zoo Global. “We have heard from several doctors, nurses, and families that providing these animal stories has been a resource of calm and comfort for their young patients.”

The channel also features animal stories from the South Carolina Aquarium. “We know from both firsthand experience and documented research just how powerfully soothing and regenerative exposure to aquariums can be,” said Kevin Mills, South Carolina Aquarium president and CEO. “In our many visits to MUSC Children’s Hospital, we’ve witnessed the joy children experience when meeting our animals, and now we look forward to becoming a regular feature in a patient’s stay.”

San Diego Zoo Kids debuted in 2013 at Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego. Since then, it has been installed in 94 children’s hospitals and Ronald McDonald Houses in 27 states across the U.S., and at facilities in Mexico, Canada and Australia.

About MUSC Children’s Health

MUSC Children’s Health is a system of preventive and clinical care that delivers the most advanced, evidence-based health services to children from fetal stage and tiny newborns through the teen years. While the flagship MUSC Children’s Hospital is located in downtown Charleston, specialized pediatric care is now delivered through an expanding network of outreach locations, making children’s health care more convenient for families. MUSC Children’s Health is accessible across South Carolina at specialty clinics close to where community pediatricians treat their patients and through the state’s largest telehealth network. The telehealth network includes maternal-fetal care, tele-ICU, nutrition counseling, school-based care and a number of evolving programs. To learn more about MUSC Children’s Health, visit musckids.org.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities^® of Charleston

Ronald McDonald House Charities® (RMHC®), a nonprofit, 501 (c) (3) corporation, creates, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Through its global network of over 290 Chapters in more than 63 countries and regions, its three core programs, the Ronald McDonald House®, the Ronald McDonald Family Room® and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile®, and millions of dollars in grants to support children’s programs worldwide, RMHC provides compassionate care and resources to children and families being served by leading hospitals worldwide. RMHC programs provide access to quality health care and enable family-centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their child’s care. For more information, visit rmhc.org.

About South Carolina Aquarium

The South Carolina Aquarium is home to thousands of aquatic animals and features more than 60 exhibits. From river otters and sharks, to loggerheads and shorebirds, the Aquarium represents the rich biodiversity of South Carolina from the mountains to the sea. Dedicated to promoting education and conservation, the Aquarium also presents interactive exhibits and programs for visitors of all ages along with spectacular views of the Charleston Harbor. The South Carolina Aquarium is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and is open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last ticket sold at 4 p.m.). The Aquarium is closed Thanksgiving Day, half day Dec. 24 (open 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and Dec. 25. For more information, call (843) 577-FISH (3474) or visit scaquarium.org.

About San Diego Zoo Global
Bringing species back from the brink of extinction is the goal of San Diego Zoo Global. As a leader in conservation, the work of San Diego Zoo Global includes on-site wildlife conservation efforts (representing both plants and animals) at the San Diego Zoo, San Diego Zoo Safari Park, and Institute for Conservation Research, as well as international field programs on six continents. The work of these entities is made accessible to children through the San Diego Zoo Kids network, reaching out through the internet and in children’s hospitals nationwide. The work of San Diego Zoo Global is made possible by the San Diego Zoo Global Wildlife Conservancy and is supported in part by the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global.

https://sandiegozoo.box.com/s/zxslu0867iz8fmyxacozn0hsp4l8psqp