| The March of Dimes announced that it has named Henrico Doctors' Hospital to implement NICU Family Support. 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 (NICU).
"Preparing for a new baby is a time of great excitement," Steve Farbstein, chairman of the board, Virginia Chapter of the March of Dimes, said in a news release. "Families don't expect anything to go wrong, but about 1 in 10 newborns wind up in a NICU because they are born too soon, too small or with a birth defect. The experience can be overwhelming for families. NICU Family Support aims to make the journey through newborn intensive care smoother and less traumatic for families."
It is estimated that 10 percent of all newborns require some level of intensive care. In 2006, Henrico Doctors' Hospital cared for 406 newborns in its NICU and Progressive Care Nursery (PCN). The first community hospital in Central Virginia to offer a NICU, Henrico Doctors' is the only community hospital in the greater Richmond area with a Level IV NICU subspecialty designation. HDH is also the only community hospital in the greater Richmond area to have 24 hours a day, 7 days a week coverage by board certified neonatologists.
The March of Dimes selected Henrico Doctors' as its partner for NICU Family Support because of its reputation for excellence and the quality care it provides to babies, according to Farbstein.
Dave Williams, CEO of Henrico Doctors' Hospital, said the partnership fits well with the hospital's existing support programs for patients and their families.
"We are excited to have been chosen as a March of Dimes NICU Family Support site and are looking forward to this collaborative effort to support parents while delivering the best care to their babies," said Williams. "This is a wonderful opportunity to work with graduate NICU parents and staff to develop programs specific to the needs of our NICU families."
The NICU Family Support project is a major 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. The March of Dimes is also funding research to find the causes of premature birth.
The preceding was compiled from a Henrico Doctors' Hospital news release.
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