SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Veteran D.C. broadcast journalist Barbara Harrison will join Children's National Hospital Foundation as Director of Community Engagement, the institution announced today. Harrison will lead a task force to bolster relationships between Children's National and the community.
Next year, the hospital will celebrate 150 years of caring for children. Children's National opened in downtown Washington, D.C. with 12 beds to care for Civil War orphans. Today, it is one of the country's top-six pediatric hospitals and treats patients from around the world.
"Barbara Harrison's deep commitment to our community and its children and her decades of storytelling make her the perfect fit for this role," said DeAnn Marshall, president of Children's National Hospital Foundation. "I know she will elevate our efforts to engage the public during our 150th birthday celebration."
As an anchor and newscaster at NBC4 Washington for 38 years, Harrison was known for her in-depth and trustworthy reporting. She interviewed luminaries from around the world, including sitting presidents and first ladies, U.S. Supreme Court justices, business leaders and some of the most celebrated names in sports and entertainment.
"While I've been privileged to sit down with many celebrities, I think my personally most rewarding experiences have been in talking with children," says Harrison.
Harrison has reported significantly on the greater D.C. community. Her segment, Wednesday's Child, devoted to the plight of foster children, served as a model for similar programs across the country.
"Hundreds and hundreds of children went to bed in a permanent home because of Barbara and her Wednesday's Child program," noted NBC News4, in a segment honoring Harrison's work.
Children's National Hospital Foundation raises philanthropic support for Children's National Hospital. Harrison joins the institution at a time of growth and expansion. In 2020, coinciding with its 150th birthday, Children's National will open its new Research & Innovation Campus and other advanced capital projects. Its goal is to raise $150 million to improve the health of children locally and globally
About Children's National
Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation's children since 1870. Children's National is the nation's No. 6 pediatric hospital and, for the third straight year, is ranked No. 1 in newborn care, as well as ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children's National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded children's hospital in the nation. Children's National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.