The Situation

The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton (Dayton Children’s) provides healthcare and emergency medical services to children in a 20-county area of western Ohio. The hospital’s primary purpose is to improve the health of children in the Miami Valley and to be a health care resource to all children, regardless of their socioeconomic status.

The Solution

To help advance its mission, the hospital produces Growing Together – a printed newsletter for parents, teachers and caregivers. Growing Together is a vehicle for the hospital to:

• Keep kids healthy and safe through informative articles about seasonal and timely health issues
• Educate parents about warning signs and preventative measures that help avoid illness and accidents
• Communicate advancements like new treatments or facilities that are available at Dayton Children’s
• Realize Dayton Children’s vision to become the first choice for children’s health

The newsletter uses illustrations, original photography, and a lively color palette to create a design that is friendly to both children and parents.

About 120,000 copies of the newsletter are distributed by mail to families, physicians and educators. In addition:

• Local doctors receive copies of the newsletter in their waiting rooms.
• Dayton Children’s has formed partnerships with businesses and public service providers to distribute the magazine. Examples of partners include Lowes, Babies R Us, Elder-Beerman, Head Start programs, and county early intervention services.
• Approximately 2,500 copies go to area schools and health departments.
• Growing Together is also available on the hospital web site.

The Impact

As a printed piece with brief articles, Growing Together meets the information needs of its audience. The publication is:

• A quick and convenient resource for parents who need information about how to keep kids healthy and safe.
• Relevant and easy-to-read for parents of any income or socioeconomic background. Growing Together writers make complex medical topics simple to understand and often use lists and sidebars to reinforce key points.
• Accessible at major retail locations, schools and care centers – in addition to being delivered to parents’ mailboxes and available online.
• Easy to share advances Dayton Children’s communication reach.

Because it aptly meets the needs of its audience, Growing Together is very popular with schools, childcare centers and health districts. In 2008, the “special request” database of people and organizations who wish to receive the newsletter increased by 25%.

Awards

• 2008 Bronze ADDY
• 2007 Silver ADDY