Odessa Regional Medical Center is proud to share that the first baby of the New Year at ORMC was born at 3:42 a.m. on Jan. 1, 2020. The baby girl named Madilyn Nichole Biskup was 7 pounds 4 ounces and 20 inches long. Her parents are Jessica Taylor and Trey Biskup.
In addition to celebrating the first baby born at ORMC in 2020, we are also excited to announce that Madilyn will be the first recipient of the POWER Bag, a new initiative that provides resources and tools to encourage new parents to frequently read, speak and interact with their babies beginning at birth. POWER stands for “Power of Words and Early Reading.”
“ORMC is a proud to partner with the Education Partnership of the Permian Basin other community sponsors on this POWER initiative,” said Stacey Brown, CEO of Odessa Regional Medical Center. “As a hospital delivering over 60% of the babies in Odessa, it is incumbent upon us to introduce these new parents to the importance of constant communication with their new babies from the very beginning of their lives all the way through their childhood.”
Research has shown that there is a major word gap in words spoken and the types of messages conveyed between children born into lower income families versus children born into working-class or professional families. 2019 data from Ector County Independent School District indicates that 57% of kindergarteners who attended Pre-K were not kindergarten-ready, and that 65% of the kindergarteners who did not attend Pre-K were not kindergarten-ready. POWER believes that kindergarten-readiness begins at birth, years before children start school.
Partners and sponsors of this initiative include Chevron, Children’s Miracle Network, Ector County Independent School District, Education Foundation, First 5 Permian Basin, Frost Bank, Medical Center Health System, Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, UT Permian Basin and XTO Energy.
Upon discharge, ORMC staff will provide new mothers with a POWER bag that includes an informational pamphlet, baby books, a baby toy, and more. For more information on POWER, visit www.powerpag.org.