Reader-to-Patient is a volunteer read-aloud program for children in hospitals. It is dedicated to providing those children with quality literature. Reader-to-Patient was begun in 1994 as part of Children's Literature for Children (CLC), a non-profit, tax-exempt organization which brings children and books together. Judy Grimes is the Children's Hospital Director for the Reader-to-Patient program.

Few settings are more stressful for parents and children than hospitals. Reader-to-Patient believes that one of the most effective forms of communication is story, and story is alive and well in the realm of children's books. The inspiration for Reader-to-Patient is the belief that sharing stories of substance can have a calming, healing effect on both on young patients and on their families. Reading aloud can provide an imaginative respite from the realities of medical procedures.

The Reader-to-Patient program has been implemented in three hospitals: Scottish Rite and Egleston (Children's Healthcare of Atlanta) in Atlanta, Georgia, and Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children in Jackson, Mississippi.

The Reader-to-Patient Program at Scottish Rite was the recipient of the 2003 In-Hospital Volunteer Excellence Award which was given by the Georgia Society of Directors of Volunteer Services.

The Reader-to-Patient Program has expanded to three locations in Kenya. Dr. Wanja Thairu is overseeing the program at Gertrudes Garden Children’s Hospital, Kikuyu Hospital and Tumutumu Hospital.

Reader-to-Patient volunteers provide the following services:
*Reading aloud, either informally to individual patients or formally in a group setting
*Selecting and purchasing children's books of quality
*Recruiting and training of volunteers Organizing and storing the books in a central location for easy access by volunteers.

Judy Grimes (B. Ed., University of Tennessee and M.Ed., Georgia State University) is a reading specialist with degrees in elementary, reading, and gifted education. For fourteen years, she served as a teacher and administrator at The Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia.

Her hospital experience began when she entered the Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program at Scottish Rite Children's Medical Center in Atlanta, Georgia. While serving as a chaplain, she trained many volunteers and read to children for many hours. Her work was recognized in 1997 by the NBC affiliate station of Atlanta, WXIA, as a recipient of the Community Service Award.

For more information on Reader-to-Patient, contact:
Judy Grimes, Children's Hospital Director
P.O. Drawer 823
Monticello, MS 39654
Phone: (601) 587-0821
email: jgrimes@childrensliterature.org or JGrimesRTP@aol.com