Taylor Swift Surprises Patients for the First Broadcast with Seacrest
Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, in partnership with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation (RSF), today celebrated the opening of a new state-of-the-art, multimedia broadcast studio, named Seacrest Studios, inside Children’s Hospital.
The launch of Seacrest Studios at Children’s Hospital marks the 10th broadcast media center, called Seacrest Studios, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation has opened inside a pediatric hospital. The studio allows 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 charitable endeavors by radio and television host and producer Ryan Seacrest along with his family.
Seacrest hosted an official ribbon-cutting ceremony at Children’s Hospital and kicked off the first live broadcast with help from dozens of patients and special celebrity guest Taylor Swift, who surprised the entire hospital community for the event.
“Today was an incredible milestone for my family and me, and everyone involved with the foundation. I’m so proud that we opened our 10th Seacrest Studios in Nashville today,” said Seacrest. “It was thrilling to have Taylor surprise the patients, which made the day of our first broadcast at Vanderbilt even more special. She infused so much joy into the entire hospital community, I don’t think any of us can stop smiling.”
Seacrest Studios, located on the second floor of Children’s Hospital inside the Butterfly Garden performance area, is a 723-square-foot studio encased in glass, allowing patients and visitors to see what is happening inside. A large window overlooks the hospital main entrance and lobby area.
“We are truly honored today to celebrate our exciting partnership with Ryan Seacrest, his family and their foundation and for the opportunity to open the 10th Seacrest Studios location,” said Luke Gregory, chief executive officer of Children’s Hospital. “Every day our hospital staff, physicians, nurses and Child Life specialists work with patients and families to provide a positive medical experience that is engaging and helps in the healing process. Seacrest Studios complements our mission to ensure Children’s Hospital is an inspiring and welcoming place for all children and families.”
Patients will have opportunities to take part in the studio, whether they are physically in the broadcast center as part of the creative process or watching programming on closed-circuit television from their hospital room. The studio includes a disc jockey microphone along with five guest microphones, production-quality cameras and a green screen for video projects.
The studio will be run by a full-time programming manager, Mamie Shepherd, who will work with Child Life, art and music therapy, nutrition, the hospital school program and other services to create programming unique to Children’s Hospital. Shepherd, who holds a degree in Digital and Broadcast Journalism from the University of Georgia, previously served as program manager of Seacrest Studios at Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Some programming produced and broadcast in the studios will 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. As part of the RSF mission the studio also brings in journalism students from area colleges and universities as interns to give them a hands-on experience.
The Ryan Seacrest Foundation has opened the Seacrest Studios in pediatric hospitals across the country along with the help of its sponsors, The Coca-Cola Company, E! Entertainment, iHeartMedia and ACM Lifting Lives.
About Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt
The 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 267-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 Foundation
The 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