With a goal of providing vital health education, USA Health Children’s & Women’s Hospital has teamed up with the Mobile Public Library and the USA Alliance for Community Resilience to offer free family learning classes to the community.

The classes include "Early Learning with your Baby,” which advises parents and caregivers about the first few days with their newborn, and "Family and Friends CPR,” which teaches basic life-saving skills. Classes are held at Children’s & Women’s Hospital and Mobile Public Library locations.

As an added bonus of the partnership, every baby born at Children’s & Women’s Hospital in 2020 will receive a "Bright Beginnings” bag that includes a book, brochure and a postcard that can be turned in for their baby's first library card. "Being part of the only academic medical center in the region, it is important at Children’s & Women’s Hospital to educate our patients and the public on health topics – it’s what we do,” said Chris Jett, hospital administrator. "We are excited to partner with the Mobile Public Library and the USA Alliance for Community Resilience to help bring these classes to the public.”

"The mission of the Mobile Public Library is to support literacy and connect our community – and that goal is being fulfilled through our new partnership with Children’s & Women’s Hospital,” said Sara McGough, manager of the Ben May Main Library. "Our partnership speaks to the goals of growing healthy babies and children by providing opportunities to educate parents and caregivers for support that will last a lifetime.”

The USA Alliance for Community Resilience, a group of USA faculty, staff and community partners, will also be teaching classes at the hospital and library locations on various health-related topics. Candice Selwyn, Ph.D., a research assistant professor at the University of South Alabama College of Nursing and the chair of the USA Alliance for Community Resilience, said she hopes the new partnership will foster meaningful engagement across Mobile County. "Our team is dedicated to helping communities learn ways to improve their well-being and how to better care for not only themselves, but for their families as well.”  

Children’s & Women’s Hospital is located on 1700 Center Street in Mobile. The main branch of the Mobile Public Library is located on 701 Government Street in downtown Mobile.

To learn more about the partnership, contact Brooke Olson with Children’s & Women’s Hospital at (251) 415-1289 or Sara McGough with the Ben May Main Mobile Public Library at (251) 340-1532.

To see a list of classes offered at Children’s & Women’s Hospital including "Early Learning with your Baby,” click here.

For a higher resolution photo, contact Brittany Otis. 

ABOUT USA HEALTH

Beginning with the founding of the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in 1973, USA Health stands as the only academic medical center along the upper Gulf Coast. It provides excellent healthcare to the region's diverse population at USA University Hospital and USA Children's & Women's Hospital, one of only five freestanding hospitals in the country dedicated to the healthcare of children and women. Continuous research and technological advancements keep USA Mitchell Cancer Institute at the forefront of cancer treatment and outcomes. The health system employs 3,900 clinical and nonclinical staff members, including some 190 academic physicians who serve dual roles treating patients and teaching the next generation of medical doctors.