Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Community Healthcare - (Page 54)

SPOTLIGHT ON: COMMUNITY HOSPITAL Bundles of Advances in care help newborns thrive I BY ELISE SIMS Joy about it because I knew that the care provided would be superior. I can’t begin to tell you how grateful I am for the way the staff took care of him. Everyone was wonderful. They took care of my baby as if he was one of their own.” “The neonatal nurses are more than just nurses at Community Hospital; they are your social worker, your interpreter and your cheerleader,” Memon adds. “Words of encouragement go a long way to help families at this stressful time. I couldn’t believe how many neonatal nurses were still here since I had Jordan at Community, including Diane Homans, R.N., who was one of the nurses attending to Sebastian. That kind of dedication is almost unheard of today.” t was like déjà vu for Jordan Mora and her mom, Deanna Memon, when baby Sebastian made his debut into this world 25 weeks early on June 3, 2011, at Community Hospital in Munster, weighing in at 1 pound, 15 ounces. Twentytwo years earlier, Deanna gave birth to Jordan at Community Hospital at 28 weeks and 2 pounds, 1 ounce. Both babies got the specialized care that they needed in the nurseries of the Family Birthing Center to grow and develop and eventually go home to their families. More than 2,400 babies are born at Community Hospital each year, making the hospital one of the leading facilities in the state for newborn care. Of the babies born here, some 440 of them, like Sebastian, require specialized care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Neonatologists, nurses and support staff provide close observation and attention to the special needs of babies that help newborns not only survive but also thrive. “It wasn’t what we were expecting,” Mora says about Sebastian’s premature birth. “But I felt better ADVANCED CARE WHEN IT’S NEEDED MOST The Family Birthing Center at Community Hospital has various levels of nurseries that provide individualized care for babies based on their medical needs. The hospital operates a Level III advanced Neonatal Intensive Care Unit staffed by neonatologists from the University of Chicago 24 hours a day; a Special Care Nursery; and a Neonatal Nursery. Many of the premature babies have respiratory conditions and need help breathing. Special equipment to monitor breathing gives even the tiniest babies a ﬁghting chance because of advances in care. “We’re ﬁnding less invasive ways to provide medical intervention,” says Michelle Cherry, R.N., BSN, nurse manager, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit/ Nursery. “We use CPAP or high-ﬂow nasal cannulas so babies receive positive pressure to help them breathe without having to keep them intubated as long. Our beds are better for these tiny babies, too,” Cherry says. “We use ‘giraffe’ beds that have double Neonatologists, nurses and support sta provide close observation and attention to the special needs of babies that help newborns not only survive but also thrive. 54 Vim & Vigor · W I N TER 2 012 PHOTO BY THINKSTOCK

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Community Healthcare

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Community Healthcare
Contents
Community Message
Community Briefs
From Silence to Success
Winning the Weight War
Because I Said So!
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
The Future Is Now
Everyday Hero
What Does 200 Calories Look Like?
Johnny Be Good
In the Driver’s Seat
We’ve Got Your Back
Bank on Your Health
Virtual Health
A Symphony of Comfort
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Catherine Hospital
SPOTLIGHT ON: St. Mary Medical Center
SPOTLIGHT ON: Community Hospital
Miracle on Ice

Vim & Vigor - Winter 2012 - Community Healthcare