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Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital and Cook Children's Medical Center Host a National Night Out Event - 'America's Night Out Against Crime'

Posted on: Friday, 29 July 2005, 15:00 CDT

FORT WORTH, Texas, July 29 /PRNewswire/ -- On Tuesday, August 2, more than 34 million people in 10,000 communities from all 50 states, many military bases worldwide and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will come together and commemorate National Night Out, the largest night dedicated to crime and drug prevention.

Right here in Tarrant County, Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital and Cook Children's Medical Center are joining together to rally employees, patients, patients' families and the Tarrant County community in an effort to strengthen neighborhood and hospital support against community crime and raise awareness for drug prevention and health and personal safety. The free community-wide event, open to everyone, will be held on Sixth Avenue between Terrell and Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Aug. 2 from 6-9 p.m. (Terrell and Pennsylvania avenues will remain operational and the event will be held on Sixth Avenue, the closed-off street between the two hospitals. Just look for the red and blue outlined buildings.)

Improving Health in the Community

Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital and Cook Children's Medical Center are focused on making the Tarrant County community aware of health and safety information available at the hospital and in the community.

"We are very excited about the opportunity to join with Cook Children's to co-host this safety initiative -- National Night Out," said Barclay E. Berdan, president of HMFW. "Our mission is to improve the health of the people in the communities we serve and we do this through a variety of outreach efforts year-round. This is one more way we can reach out and give back. I hope our neighborhood friends and partners will join us for a fun and informative evening the whole family will enjoy."

The Harris trauma team will be on-site to educate teens and young adults about trauma and injury prevention. The car of a high-school senior, who was killed in a car racing accident, will be on display to encourage teens to drive safely. Community organizations, such as Crime Stoppers, Women's Haven and Communities for Alcohol Free Youth will participate as well.

Participate in Crime and Drug Prevention

Each person who attends the event will have the opportunity to visit with the Fort Worth Police Department and the hospitals' security departments about tips to keep their family and community safe and healthy. The Fort Worth Fire and Police departments, MedStar, CareFlite and Cook Children's Teddy Bear ambulance will be in attendance and open for tours. Face painters, a magician, a bounce house, games and food will be provided for all.

National Night Out is an opportunity for Tarrant County to say "no" to crime and drugs and say "yes" to building stronger neighborhoods focused on safety. Fort Worth residents are encouraged to leave their front porch lights on and come to Sixth Avenue, between Cook Children's Medical Center and Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, for an evening of camaraderie and information- sharing, all in the spirit of raising awareness and building stronger community partnerships.

Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said, "National Night Out's efforts to create safe and prepared communities go hand in hand with the mission of the Ready campaign, to educate and empower American families and businesses to prepare for and respond to emergencies."

"Thanks to our friends in the community and various local organizations who are volunteering their time and joining together for this event. We anticipate a great turn-out for National Night Out and invite everyone to join us," said Reggie Jackson, chief of security at Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital.

About Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital

Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital, a Magnet designated hospital celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, is Tarrant County's largest and busiest hospital and regional referral center. A member of Texas Health Resources, HMFW is licensed for 610 beds and provides the following services: cardiovascular; neurosciences; orthopedics and sports medicine; rehabilitation; adult critical care and neonatal intensive care; high risk and routine obstetrics and gynecology; trauma and emergency medicine; cancer care; medical/surgical; kidney transplants; occupational health; and more. For more information, please call 1-888-4HARRIS, or visit http://www.texashealth.org/hmfw .

About Cook Children's Medical Center

Cook Children's Health Care System is an integrated delivery organization dedicated to providing quality health care and to improving the well-being of children. The system's components include a 282-bed medical center, urgent care centers in Hurst and Fort Worth, community and regional clinics, pediatric physician network, health plan, home health services, medical transport service and community advocacy programs. Cook Children's provides more than 30 pediatric specialties and services, including nationally-known services in neonatology, hematology/oncology, cardiology and cardiovascular surgery and pulmonology. In fiscal year 2004, Cook Children's Medical Center and Cook Children's Physician Network provided a total of more than $187.4 million in uncompensated care, which includes charity, Medicaid shortfalls and nonpayment. For more information, go to http://www.cookchildrens.org/ .

Harris Methodist Fort Worth Hospital; Cook Children's Medical Center

CONTACT: Whitney Hoebeke, whitneyhoebeke@texashealth.org , or Laura VanHoosier, lauravanhoosier@texashealth.org , both of Harris Methodist Fort WorthHospital, +1-817-882-2152, or pager, +1-817-930-2515

Web site: http://www.texashealth.org/hmfwhttp://www.cookchildrens.org/

Source: PRNewswire

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