Newswise — AKRON, Ohio (May 6, 2015) – They weren’t supposed to be born yet, and many of them are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, but 39 tiny babies took an amazing journey yesterday – just a few days before what will certainly be a memorable Mother’s Day for their families.
The infants were moved to the new 2-story Women’s Board of Children’s Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in the $180 million Kay Jewelers Pavilion that just opened at Akron Children’s Hospital.
Parents and medical staff were on hand to ensure a smooth move and to watch over the precious cargo. After hundreds of hours of planning and several simulated trips, it took nearly 100 staff members from multiple departments just 8 hours to move all 39 babies to their new temporary homes.
Akron Children’s new NICU is a big change from the infants’ previous home. Instead of one room accommodating several babies, all of the neonates will have their own private room, which has been shown to improve healing and get the babies home sooner.
Each of the 75 rooms also includes a private bathroom, TV, sofa bed and comfy gliding chair – the perfect place for new moms to snuggle their babies on Mother’s Day.
"I'm looking forward to getting into our new room today," said Sarah Kusznir, whose son, Nicholas, has been in the NICU since he was born 3 weeks ago. "We have 4 other children so it will be nice to have private space. It's still difficult for me to move around so being able to stay with him and sleep in the same room as him will make a big difference."
Offering the highest level of neonatal care, the hospital has the ability to increase the new 75-bed NICU to 100 beds. In the past year, Akron Children’s Hospital has had more than 570 NICU admissions to its downtown Akron campus. The facility also has 2 delivery rooms to accommodate mothers with high-risk deliveries.
“We know from caring for families at our NICU, and research, that babies tend to improve faster in individual rooms,” said Christine Young, director of nursing, neonatal services. “It’s just so much easier for families to all be in one room with their own space – it’s better for bonding, nursing, and even in helping families have an understanding of what it will be like to care for their baby once they’re out of the hospital. Our goal is for these babies to become strong and healthy and to go home with their families.”
Additional information about the move:•It took each baby an average of 15 minutes to travel 600 feet to their new room•The babies range in weight from 2 lbs., 11 oz. to 18 lbs., 1 oz. with an average weight of 6 lbs., 13 oz. •The babies range in age from 1 day to 13 months with 11 weeks old being the average age and the majority being less than a week old•About 100 staff members from several departments were required for the move including doctors, advanced practice providers, nursing staff, respiratory therapists, transport team, nursing administration, security, biomedical engineering, social work, volunteer services, information technology, nutrition services, lactation services, chaplaincy services, simulation center, family care coordination and parent volunteers.•On move day, each baby received a full assessment by a multidisciplinary team of physicians, advanced practice providers, respiratory therapists, nurses and pharmacy to be approved for transfer. •Each baby was transported via isolette or crib by a transport team to room in the new NICU. The transport team consisted of a transport nurse, a NICU nurse, a respiratory therapist and a paramedic. For the more critically ill babies, a neonatologist, nurse practitioner or physician assistant also accompanied the team.•Physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses and respiratory therapists were stationed in the new unit to receive the babies, assess them, and settle them into their new rooms.
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About Akron Children’s HospitalRanked among the best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, Akron Children’s Hospital is the fastest growing children’s hospital in the U.S. according to Modern Healthcare. We own and operate two pediatric hospitals in northeast Ohio and more than 80 primary and subspecialty care locations. We have the second busiest emergency department in the state and perform more pediatric surgeries than any other hospital in northeast Ohio. With more than 800,000 patient visits each year, we’ve been leading the way to healthier futures for children and communities through expert medical care, prevention and wellness programs since 1890. Learn more at akronchildrens.org.
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