Commonwealth Health Moses Taylor Hospital and Wilkes-Barre General Hospital are partnering with the American Heart Association (AHA) in February for the “Little Hats, Big Hearts” campaign. The program aims to raise awareness about congenital heart defects, which are structural problems with the heart present at birth.
The American Heart Association put out a call to knitting and crocheting enthusiasts across Northeastern Pennsylvania in December. Volunteers then knitted or crocheted small, red hats. The hats were dropped off at ten hospitals in NEPA.
Members from the American Heart Association collected, washed and packaged all of the hats and distributed them to each of the ten hospitals, including Moses Taylor and Wilkes-Barre General.
During the month of February, American Heart Month, babies born in each hospital will receive a hand-knitted hat. The hat is meant to encourage mothers to live heart-healthy lives and to help their children do the same. AHA distributed 180 hats to Commonwealth Health Moses Taylor Hospital and 90 hats to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital.
Principals involved with the “Little Hats, Big Hearts” campaign include, standing from left: Andrea Kocher, nurse manager, Mother-Baby and Pediatrics, Moses Taylor Hospital; Elaine Walker, Director of the Heart and Vascular Institute, Regional Hospital of Scranton and board member of the American Heart Association; Lindsey Fredericks, communications coordinator, Commonwealth Health; Amy Skiba, American Heart Association; Melinda Spear, Director of Women’s Services, Moses Taylor Hospital, and Angela Harashinski, nurse manager, NICU, Moses Taylor Hospital.
The hospitals affiliated with Commonwealth Health have begun a multi-county recruitment campaign with the goal of hiring approximately 160 registered nurses and additional support staff this year.