MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital, in partnership with the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, opened a new state-of-the-art 1,275 square-foot broadcast media center called Seacrest Studio on Wednesday.
Seacrest Studios are the charitable endeavors of the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, founded by media entrepreneur, radio personality, and television host and producer Ryan Seacrest and his family. The Ryan Seacrest Foundation hopes to contribute to children and their families’ healing while lifting the spirits of the Le Bonheur staff.
Today, Ryan Seacrest hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Le Bonheur to open the new space at the hospital, making it the 12th location of its kind in the country. Ryan was joined by country music singer Jordan Davis, actress, singer and humanitarian Kat Graham, and Memphis Grizzlies’ forward Jaron Jackson, Jr. for fun activities with patients inside the studio.
“I’m thrilled to welcome the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital and its team to the Seacrest Studios family.” Said Ryan Seacrest, Chairman & Founder, Ryan Seacrest Foundation. “This marks the 12th Seacrest Studio nationwide, with more to come. I’m honored to work alongside a team of some of the best health and media professions to create life changing memories for patients and their families through the power of media.”
The Seacrest Studio at Le Bonheur Children’s is located on the first floor of the hospital and will be used to provide a variety of programming to patients, whether physically in the studio or watching through a closed-circuit network from their rooms. The studio will help encourage kids to express themselves and find new creative outlets while at Le Bonheur. Patients will have the opportunity to host their own radio and television shows, play games, watch live musical performances and interview celebrity guests. The studio is encased in glass, which will allow patients, staff and visitors to view the daily programming happening inside.
"We are so grateful to Ryan Seacrest and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation for bringing a Seacrest Studio to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital,” said Le Bonheur Interim President and CEO Trey Eubanks, MD. “Le Bonheur is committed to excellence for our patients and our selection as a Seacrest Studio location reflects that dedication. Children’s hospitals are special places. Healing involves the entire family and often takes more than medicine to be successful. With the opening of the Seacrest Studio at Le Bonheur, our patients will be exposed to the world of TV, radio and new media and will enjoy an outlet for fun and creativity during their hospital stay.”
Seacrest Studios was founded on the commitment to aid in the healing process of children receiving medical care at children’s hospitals and help support their families. Its programming allows children to tap into their creativity that helps them thrive, experimenting with radio and television broadcasting in these media centers while bringing an uplifting spirit to the hospital’s communities. With today’s opening at Le Bonheur, the Ryan Seacrest Foundation will have successfully installed 12 broadcast media centers in pediatric hospitals nationwide with Memphis joining Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Cincinnati, Dallas, Denver, Nashville, Orange County, Orlando, Philadelphia and Washington D.C. The foundation plans to open new studios at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in Queens, N.Y., and Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah in 2023.
About Le Bonheur Children’s
Le Bonheur Children’s, based in Memphis, Tenn., provides expert care for children in more than 45 pediatric subspecialties, encompassing robust community programs, a pediatric research institute and regional outpatient centers in Jackson, Tenn., Tupelo, Miss., and Jonesboro, Ark. Le Bonheur also features a 255-bed hospital in Memphis and a 21-bed satellite hospital within Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tenn. As the primary pediatric teaching affiliate for the University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Le Bonheur trains more than 350 pediatricians and specialists each year. Nationally recognized, Le Bonheur has been named a U.S. News & World Report Best Children’s Hospital for 12 consecutive years and is a Magnet-designated facility, the ultimate credential for high-quality patient care and nursing excellence.
For more information, please call (901) 287-6030 or visit lebonheur.org. Connect with us at facebook.com/lebonheurchildrens, twitter.com/lebonheurchild or on Instagram at lebonheurchildrens.
About 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 primary 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, Nashville, Orlando and Memphis. Two new studios are scheduled to open this year in Queens, NY at Cohen Children’s Medical Center and Salt Lake City, UT at Primary Children’s Hospital. For more information, visit www.ryanseacrestfoundation.org
