Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Ryan Seacrest Foundation Partner to Open Seacrest Studios, a New Multimedia Broadcast Studio

Newswise — Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, in partnership with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), announced today that they are building a new state-of-the-art, multimedia broadcast studio, named Seacrest Studios, inside Children’s Hospital. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation builds Seacrest Studios media centers in pediatric hospitals for patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media that can aid in the healing process for children and families during a visit to or stay in the hospital. RSF and the studios are an endeavor by radio and television host and producer Ryan Seacrest along with his family. “It’s an honor and privilege to expand our studio footprint to Nashville,” said Ryan Seacrest. “Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt has fully embraced the spirit and intent of Seacrest Studios. We are confident that patients, their families, and the entire hospital community will benefit from the addition of our studio.” Seacrest Studios will be located on the second floor of Children’s Hospital inside the Butterfly Garden performance area. The 723-square-foot studio will be encased in glass, allowing patients and visitors to see what is happening inside. A large window will overlook the hospital main entrance, lobby area. The studio is slated to open in early 2016. “We are excited and honored to be selected as a site for Seacrest Studios,” said Luke Gregory, chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital. “The Ryan Seacrest Foundation and Seacrest Studios complement our mission for patient- and family-centered care to ensure our families feel engaged in all aspects of care and the healing process and to make Children’s Hospital a welcoming and inspirational place for every child.” Patients will have the chance to take part in the studio, whether they are physically in the broadcast center as part of the creative process or watching entertainment programming on closed-circuit television from their hospital room. The studio will have a full-time programming manager who will work with Child Life, art and music therapy, nutrition, hospital school and other services to create programming unique to Children’s Hospital. Some of the programs produced and broadcast in the studios include: interviews and live performances by celebrities and various music artists; live radio programs and music; educational segments on science; history and art; patient-created music videos and shows and more. Part of the studio goal is also to bring in journalism students from area colleges and universities as interns to give them a hands-on experience. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation has opened nine other Seacrest Studios in pediatric hospitals across the country along with the help of their sponsors, E! Entertainment, The Coca-Cola Company, iHeartMedia and ACM Lifting Lives. About Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at VanderbiltThe Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is a nationally recognized provider of pediatric health care services, currently with ten specialty programs ranked by U.S. News & World Report magazine in its Best Children’s Hospitals issue. The hospital is also ranked 13th in the nation by Parents magazine. With more than 400 physicians trained in 30 pediatric and surgical specialties, the 271-bed facility provides the highest level of pediatric health care services and is also a top-tier teaching and research facility. The hospital features Centers of Excellence for the treatment of diabetes and congenital heart disorders, and also offers comprehensive services for other childhood diseases such as cancer, organ and bone marrow transplants, Level 1 pediatric trauma, sickle cell disease, developmental disorders and is home to a Level IV neonatal intensive care unit, the highest designated level of neonatal care. No child in Tennessee is denied care based on their ability to pay. Children’s Hospital opened in 2004, expanded its physical space in 2012, and is readying for additional growth that will add four floors and 160,000 total square feet through its “Growing to New Heights” campaign. The new expansion, anticipated to open in 2017, will help advance the size and scope of the hospital’s mission. About the Ryan Seacrest FoundationThe Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education-focused initiatives. RSF’s first initiative is to build broadcast media centers — Seacrest Studios — within pediatric hospitals for patients to explore the creative realms of radio, television and new media. Founded in 2009, RSF currently has Seacrest Studios at hospitals in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Orange County, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. For more information, visit www.ryanseacrestfoundation.org