WCH relaunches Imprints of Joy to honor births
Wooster Community Hospital has relaunched its Imprints of Joy campaign, an opportunity to honor babies and support women’s health services at the same time.
Wooster Community Hospital is offering an opportunity to honor babies and support women’s health services at the same time. The Imprints of Joy campaign was initially launched just before the pandemic and provides contributions to the hospital’s maternity programs.
“(The campaign) honors the birth of a child, no matter how long ago,” said Angela Rincon, director of development at Wooster Community Hospital.
Rincon said the lockdowns and visitor restrictions during the pandemic made it challenging to create awareness of the new program. In order to capture the initial excitement, Imprints of Joy is being relaunched.
“Wooster Community Hospital wants to assure young families that it is providing patients in our labor and delivery programs the highest caliber care, especially for those who have high-risk pregnancies,” Rincon said. “The funds raised will help the youngest and most vulnerable population that we serve — our babies.”
Monies raised by the campaign will benefit the women’s pavilion labor and delivery programs to assure any care, medications, technology, support and expertise are always available to the community, especially for high-risk pregnancies.
Wooster Community Hospital is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. “The hospital funds itself and has no debt,” Rincon said. “Wooster Community Hospital does not receive any city tax dollars.” Contributions are tax-deductible.
“Anyone — parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends — can honor a baby’s birth, no matter how long ago,” Rincon said.
The Imprints of Joy wall is a display that consists of several panels that hold circular acrylic medallions. An inscribed section of the wall reads: “New lives. New hopes. Cherished memories. These first footprints signify the love of families and friends upon the arrival of newborns in Wooster Community Hospital Women’s Pavilion.”
Once purchased, the medallion is imprinted with a reproduction of a baby’s footprint along with their name and birthday. “A copy of the footprint from the birth certificate is used,” Rincon said. “When that is not available, we can use the weight of the baby to produce a comparable image.”
The hospital’s women’s pavilion is a Level 2 facility. This means they care for babies even if they are premature. “As much as possible, moms and babies are kept together in this community,” Rincon said. “Monies raised through our Imprints of Joy campaign will be reinvested in the unit to benefit the community.”
Rincon said funds will be used to support things like staff training, the purchase of advanced monitoring equipment for moms and babies, community programs such as safe sleep for newborns, and support for the bereavement program supplemented by nurse training on supporting a family in crisis.
“Maternity programs in a number of adjacent communities have closed,” Rincon explained. “The assurance that a top-notch facility is right here in Wooster to provide the finest obstetric care possible is something the community should be proud of and take comfort in. An investment in this campaign is an investment in the programs and services we provide now and for generations to come.”
Those interested in purchasing a medallion should call Rincon at 330-263-8701 or email her at arincon@wchosp.org. The Imprints of Joy medallion is priced through Labor Day at $250. Keepsake 3-inch glass ornaments also are available for $75.
The information needed for either the medallion or the glass ornament is the same: the baby’s name, birthdate and a copy of the baby’s footprint. If an image of the footprint is not available, the baby’s weight may be used to create an image.
The Imprints of Joy wall is located directly across from the entrance to the women’s pavilion at Wooster Community Hospital and may be viewed daily during regular hospital visiting hours from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.