New panda theming has been added to the musical playground outside Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital as it’s being transformed into a new Panda Cares Center of Hope.
Atrium Health Navicent and Panda Express announced the restaurant group’s 10-year commitment to raise $441,922 to benefit the children’s hospital at a ribbon cutting this spring. The money will go toward caring for the more than 45,000 children who receive care at the children’s hospital each year.
“We are incredibly thankful to Panda Express for this generous pledge which will do so much to help patients at Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital,” said Atrium Health Navicent President Delvecchio Finley. “By creating a Panda Cares Center of Hope space for children to play, we hope that we’ll be helping these young patients to have an outlet to help them smile and experience joy during times which may be very difficult for them and their families.”
Panda Cares Center of Hope are hospital spaces that are designed to provide a safe and comforting place where kids can be kids again. Through hospital-provided programs and services, Panda Express funds are used to address a child’s entire well-being including their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs.
“Walking into a hospital can be scary, especially for kids. Our role is to make them feel as comfortable as possible and this park is a big part of that,” said Cyndee Jones, a nurse leader at Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, during the ceremony. “If we think about times in our lives when we deal with stress, we all have those places that bring us comfort, and kids are no different. This park provides a place for incredible healing to happen. When you pass this park, you might see someone getting a fresh breath of air, or kids being normal kids and playing, or siblings reuniting for first time since a hospitalization.”
A Children’s Miracle Network partner, Panda Express has three locations in central Georgia. In 2019, the national corporation raised more than $26 million to support their Panda Cares initiatives.
“We are proud to partner with Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals to bring the vision of the Panda Cares Center of Hope to life and are humbled to be part of the healing journey for the families and kids at these hospitals,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, co-founder and co-CEO of Panda Restaurant Group. “Children are our future, and through this partnership and curriculum designed to give children the strength to thrive, we will bring smiles and hope to communities nationwide.”
In the four years since Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital opened its doors on Feb. 25, 2019, the hospital has continued to drive for excellence in enhancing the lives of children through high-quality patient care and education.
As the only dedicated pediatric facility in central and south Georgia, and one of the most comprehensive in the state, the children’s hospital has the only dedicated pediatric emergency room in the area, and also provides care in general pediatrics, pediatric critical care, imaging, neonatal intensive care, pediatric surgery and outpatient services.
The hospital is a member of the Children’s Oncology Group and is accredited through the Child Life Internship Program from the Association of Child Life Professionals. It is also a member of the American College of Surgeons National surgical Quality Improvement Program for pediatrics and the Vermont Oxford Network, which allow the hospital to measure successes relative to other programs across the country.
For more information about Atrium Health Navicent Beverly Knight Olson Children’s Hospital, or for help finding a doctor, visit childrenshospitalnh.org.