Hospitals are all about keeping their communities fit and healthy. That "fit and healthy" goal also appears to apply to Suburban Hospital's Safe Sitter® program. The Maryland hospital has been a teaching site for 15 years-and it's still going strong.

In fact, 2009 was one of its best years. Last year, the hospital taught 10 classes at its facility and 12 at area middle schools!

Site Coordinator and Instructor, Eleni Antzoulatos, played a big role in reaching those impressive numbers. During her time at Suburban, she has personally taught over 80 students and coordinated 50 Safe Sitter® programs reaching over 300 students. This is quite a feat when one considers that all of that has taken place during her four years as Instructor. She's spent the past two years as Site Coordinator, stepping into the role after having helped the previous coordinator.

"It has been a rewarding experience as I am not only influencing the lives of Safe Sitters by teaching lifesaving skills they will need, but also impacting the lives of the children they babysit," said Eleni.

Since Safe Sitter® is a popular class, continuous efforts are made to recruit Instructors by advertising in the hospital's newsletter and through the middle school's PTA distribution group. However, Eleni said Suburban's best marketing tool to recruit potential students has proven to be the students and the parents themselves.

"They come home, folder in hand, and share what they learned with their parents, friends and neighbors," she said. During graduation ceremonies, parents listen as Instructors review the history of Safe Sitter®, what the students learned, and the role parents play in their child's babysitting career.

"After leaving Suburban, parents are impressed with the program and the Instructors. The parents in turn talk to other parents and, before you know it, our classes are full," Eleni added. "We have received several letters of appreciation from parents thanking Suburban for maintaining these classes and recounting stories on how their child saved another child's life."

Safe Sitter® is one of Suburban's most successful programs, Eleni stressed. "Parents in the community recognize that Safe Sitter® is a way to enrich their child's life and give them the confidence and skills needed for a successful future," said Eleni. "We continue in the Safe Sitter® tradition of making learning fun, interactive and based on real-life experiences."

Nancy Borger, who's been teaching Safe Sitter® for Suburban for over 13 years, is referred to as the hospital's Safe Sitter® "guru," Eleni said. She was impressed with the course when her older son took it many years ago-and she's been teaching it ever since.

"I think that the content is important for all students to take, whether they babysit or not," Nancy said. "There are lots of good life lessons dealt with in the class-from business strategies and first aid to rescue skills and behavior management techniques."