The March of Dimes Florida Chapter launched the second March of Dimes NICU Family Support® in the state at Holtz Children’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
March of Dimes NICU Family Support provides information and comfort to families of premature babies and other critically ill newborns being cared for in a Newborn Intensive Care Unit.
(Photo L-R: State of Florida Secretary of Health and Surgeon General Dr. Ana M. Viamonte-Ros visiting with a NICU mom and baby was on hand to launch the second NICU Family Support site in Florida.)
The project is an important component of the March of Dimes Prematurity Campaign, a nationwide effort to address the growing problem of premature birth, which is the leading cause of newborn death and a major cause of serious health problems. It costs society billions of dollars every year. March of Dimes is also funding research to find the causes of premature birth.
Incorporating NICU families into every level of the project, March of Dimes NICU Family Support addresses the needs of families throughout the hospitalization, during the transition home, and in the event of a newborn death. NICU Family Support also includes a professional development component to provide hospital NICU staff with support and educational opportunities. The project will be led by a March of Dimes staff person who has professional NICU experience or experience as a NICU parent. An advisory committee made up of graduate NICU parents and NICU professionals will be involved in selecting activities and providing direct services to current NICU families. Each NICU family will receive a March of Dimes Parent Care Kit including informational books and materials to record their baby’s milestones. |
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It is estimated that 10 percent of all newborns require some level of intensive care. In 2004, 13.4% of infants (29,287) were born preterm in Florida and stayed in a NICU, some for hours and some for months. The Holtz Children’s Hospital NICU cared for over 2,300 babies in 2006.
(Photo L-R: Paul C. Hunt, March of Dimes Florida Chapter Public Affairs Chairman; Dr. Ana M. Viamonte-Ros, State of Florida Secretary of Health and Surgeon General; Dr. Teresa Del Moral, University of Miami; Marvin O’Quinn, Jackson Memorial Hospital; and Shaleen Fagundo, The Children’s Trust.)
Financial support is being solely provided by The Children’s Trust for the implementation of the NICU Family Support at Holtz Children’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial Hospital. The Children’s Trust is a dedicated source of revenue established by voter referendum to improve the lives of children and families in Miami-Dade County.
In 2004, NICU Family Support became a signature project of the March of Dimes and rolled out to additional NICUs across the country. By the end of 2007, there will be at least 56 NICU Family Support sites in the United States, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, reaching over 40,000 families annually. SHANDS Children’s Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville is the first site in Florida.
The Holtz Children’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial Hospital is a 254-bed facility, the largest children's hospital in the Southeast United States specializing in research and treatment for a wide range of pediatric medical specialties including pediatric diabetes, hematology/oncology, bone marrow transplant, cardiac catheterization, infectious diseases/immunology, pediatric transplant services and gastroenterology. Holtz is dedicated to specialized care offered by an experienced medical and support staff and some of the top pediatric specialists in the nation. The U.S. News and World Report ranked a number of its medical programs among the best in the country.
NICU Families are encouraged to CLICK HERE for more information: http://marchofdimes.com/prematurity/index_nicu.asp |
