New nursery provides unprecedented support for fragile newborns and families
January 26, 2009
Edmonton, Canada – At the Grey Nuns Community Hospital, rising demands for neonatal care and a vision of providing optimum support for families has led to a new environment and holistic approach for fragile newborns using the latest technologies.
A new $7.5 million nursery will open this week at this busy community hospital as part of a $17.75 million project to meet growing demands and achieve a vision for an innovative family-centred approach and environment. The Caritas Hospitals Foundation in Edmonton contributed $600,000 to the larger project.
The number of babies delivered at the Grey Nuns Community Hospital, operated by Covenant Health, has increased by 27% in the last five years and the number of babies admitted to the ICN has increased by 175% since the year 2000.
“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the need for neonatal care over the past decade,” says Greg Hadubiak, Covenant Health Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer responsible for Edmonton acute care. “As we redesigned our space to be able to care for more infants who required a higher level of care, we researched the best approaches across the county and listened very closely to what our caregivers and families had to say. Our project team did an incredible job of using technology and design to enhance privacy, safety, and comfort for mothers, babies and their families and to create a work and care environment second to none.”
The project provides additional capacity for 14 isolettes on the unit and allows the hospital to look after younger premature and fragile infants needing higher levels of care. The unit is a leader in Canada, offering all private rooms able to accommodate parental overnight stays. Spread over a footprint 10 times the size of the original unit, the new layout quadruples the care space for each family. Central monitoring, optimum soundproofing, infection control enhancements and special lighting allow parents and caregivers to provide the best environment for each infant as they develop.
“As a Catholic organization with 146 years of service in this province, we have a long legacy of caring for mothers and babies—and for those who are most vulnerable in our society,” says Covenant Health President and CEO Patrick Dumelie. “We look forward to working with Alberta Health Services to continue this tradition as part of our integrated health system, serving where we are most needed to improve the health and wellbeing of Albertans.”
Families will move into the new nursery January 28, 2009.
Covenant Health is Canada’s largest Catholic provider of health care, building on a 146-year tradition of compassionate care in Alberta. Covenant Health’s team of 12,500 staff, physicians and volunteers serve Albertans with a range of acute care, continuing care, assisted living, rehabilitation and palliative care in 16 facilities in 11 communities across the province.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Fran Ross
Communications, Covenant Health
tel: 780-735-7888 cell: 780-720-0966
