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Saint Barnabas Medical Center Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Opens New Family Resource Center Livingston, N.J. -- Often, the period following the birth of a premature infant can be a stressful time for parents that brings with it many unique questions and concerns. To help, Saint Barnabas Medical Center recently opened a Family Resource Center within its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The NICU Family Resource Center at Saint Barnabas provides an inviting, comfortable space where parents and families with babies in the NICU can relax, reflect and access current, high-quality resources in support of their health information needs. The idea came from the hospital’s Family Advisory Council, a concerned group of volunteer parents who had children in the Saint Barnabas NICU. Their hope it to use their firsthand knowledge to helps future NICU families. Funding was provided, in part, by The Livingston Sunrise Rotary and Saint Barnabas Medical Center Community Advocates. “Nothing makes having a baby in the NICU easy,” said Hayley Hirschmann, coordinator of the Family Advisory Council, whose own daughter was delivered three months prematurely and spent 96 days in NICU at Saint Barnabas. “But, we’re trying to make it a little easier by sharing our experiences.” The Center’s design includes three separate areas for NICU parents, family members and other visitors. A Family Resource Library has books and pamphlets on many NICU issues like prematurity and breastfeeding and is equipped with computers and wireless internet access. A Family Lounge offers a relaxation space with a television and comfortable seating. The Family Room, which is separated from the lounge by a sliding wall, has many uses including a site for parent education classes and family trainings or a place to eat. “Many of our NICU babies need to remain in the hospital to receive special care for weeks and months,” explains Eileen Steffen, R.N., NICU quality and research coordinator and co-coordinator of the Family Advisory Council. “The Center provides a place to help support families during the initial adjustment and when they come to the hospital to spend time with their baby. Ms. Hirschmann says that parents use the areas for all sorts of things. It gives families a comfortable place to wait while their NICU baby is in surgery, working parents an opportunity to check emails and older children a space to do homework. The Center also has lockers to keep personal items in while families spend time with their baby in the NICU. Laura and Antonio Costeira of North Arlington said the lounge was useful for their 12-year-old son who was able to watch television or do homework while they spent time with their daughter in the NICU. Members of the Family Advisory Council and other families who went through the NICU experience began giving back to Saint Barnabas in 2001 when they created Miracle Walk. Developed as a way to give back to the institution that saved their babies’ lives, the annual walk-a-thon, held each October in Verona Park, has raised more than $2.5 million. Funds are used to purchase state-of-the-art equipment for the 56-bed NICU at Saint Barnabas which treats more than 1,200 premature and ill newborns each year. The council members have also written a parent handbook for parents of premature infants (funded by Lehman Brothers Foundation) and developed and implemented a parent buddy program where current NICU families are matched with trained, volunteer buddies that have lived the NICU experience at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. The Council also writes a quarterly newsletter to provide ongoing information to current families and they have met with the NICU staff to share the NICU experience from a parent’s perspective. Planning is underway to host events such as a pizza get together where families can socialize outside of the NICU.” Saint Barnabas Medical Center is the recipient of the 2008 and 2007 HealthGrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence™ as well as the 2009 HealthGrades Excellence Award™ in Cardiac Care, Cardiac Surgery, Maternity Care, and Stroke Care and the 2008 HealthGrades Excellence Award™ in Bariatric Surgery and Women's Health. In addition, Saint Barnabas was also chosen as the best hospital in New Jersey and the 13th best hospital in the United States by AARP Modern Maturity magazine. For more information on Saint Barnabas Medical Center, please visit saintbarnabas.com and select Saint Barnabas Medical Center for the facilities list or call 1-888-SBHS-123.
Date: December 23, 2008 Saint Barnabas Contact: Samantha Anton, 973-322-5425 [ top ] |
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