Flint Township View

Hurley Foundation receives $240K in grants to support Video Interaction Project




FLINT – Hurley Medical Center, in partnership with NYU Langone Health and Michigan State University’s Pediatric Public Health Initiative (PPHI), has launched the Video Interaction Project (VIP) at Hurley Children’s Clinic in Flint, 300 E. 1st St.

VIP is an evidence-based parenting program that uses pediatric health care, videotaping and developmentally appropriate toys, books and resources to help parents engage in activities such as pretend play, shared reading, and daily routines as opportunities for strengthening early development and literacy in their children. Enhancing parent-child interactions and early child development gives at-risk children increased opportunities for achievement and success in school and in life.

Hurley has received a $140,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Flint as well as a $100,000 grant from The Hagerman Foundation to launch the program.

PPHI is a joint initiative between Michigan State University and Hurley Children›s Hospital and has a vision to build a model public health program to mitigate the impact of the Flint Water Crisis and to improve outcomes of Flint children through community and clinical programs, childhood health policy and advocacy, and research.

“As an organization, it is our goal to do everything we can to reduce the developmental impact the water crisis may have had on the children in Flint, MI” said Dr. Lauren O’Connell, a Developmental- Behavioral pediatrician at Hurley who is leading the VIP initiative in Flint and is also a member of PPHI.

VIP was developed by Dr. Alan Mendelsohn and colleagues in the Department of Pediatrics at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU.

“VIP is designed to encourage critical interactions between parents and children through playing or reading by providing parents with one-on-one sessions with a parenting coach during their routine pediatric check-ups in infancy, when babies’ brains are developing rapidly,” said Mendelsohn, assistant professor of Pediatrics and Population Health at NYU Langone. “We are thrilled to partner with Hurley to bring VIP to the children and families in Flint.”

VIP ultimately will serve up to 300 children. For more information, visit www.videointeractionproject.org. – L.R.


Leave a Reply