First Baby of the New Year Born at Baptist Medical Center South
First Baby Born of 2009 at Each Baptist Health Hospital Welcomed with Gift Basket from THE PLAYERS

Jacksonville, Florida, January 1, 2009 -- Each year, the first baby of the New Year is celebrated at hospitals throughout the nation, and Northeast Florida is no exception.

This year, the first baby born in Jacksonville was delivered at Baptist Medical Center South. Kendi, a baby girl, was born at 12:50 AM to parents Paula and Kenneth of the Westside. She weighed 5 lb., 11 oz., and is the family's sixth baby.

Baptist South is a 248,000-square-foot hospital comprised of 120 suites, including 12 maternity, 12 Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and an 18-bed Day Stay. The hospital is building a new eight-story patient care tower that will house 62 inpatient beds and an additional 10-bed, level II Newborn Intensive Care Unit. The new tower also will include new labor delivery recovery postpartum (LDRP) rooms and will attach to the current labor and delivery unit in the main hospital.

This year, the first babies of 2009 born at each of Baptist Health's hospitals received a large gift bag courtesy of THE PLAYERS Championship. The gift bag included ball caps, T-shirts, lanyards and coffee mugs for the new parents; a beach towel; seat cushion; and a beanie bear.

The first 2009 babies born at the other Baptist Health hospitals were:

Baptist Medical Center Downtown
Davis, boy, born at 5:15 AM

Baptist Medical Center Nassau
Owen, boy, born at 5:43 AM

Baptist Medical Center Beaches
Laela, girl, born at 8:24 AM

In addition, every baby born at one of the four Baptist Health hospitals between January 1 and April 10, 2009, will receive a complimentary baby T-shirt that says, "THE PLAYERS Future Champion." Parents of the babies born during that period also will be invited to register for a special Mother's Day prize package, which will provide one family with the opportunity to experience THE PLAYERS Championship in May. These gifts from THE PLAYERS are intended to help Moms and Dads celebrate their champions while helping to grow future golf fans.

"THE PLAYERS is excited about this opportunity to partner with Baptist Health in celebration of newborns and their families," says Jay Monahan, executive director of THE PLAYERS Championship. "Our salute to these 'Future Champions' will help kick off a new, multi-year charitable commitment THE PLAYERS is making to Baptist Health and the excellent care they provide to families throughout the region."

"We have always enjoyed an excellent relationship with THE PLAYERS, and have deeply appreciated their commitment to our community," says Hugh Greene, president and CEO of Baptist Health. "We're looking forward to taking our partnership to a new level, for the benefit of the children and families we serve."