Miami Emerging Leaders Help Bring Comfort and Support To NICU Families At Holtz Children’s Hospital
The Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce Leadership Miami’s One M1AM1 team, in partnership with ICU baby and Holtz Children’s Hospital, is celebrating a ribbon-cutting event to inaugurate a newly reimagined respite room for families with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Working with ICU baby, the team of emerging leaders in the chamber’s 2022 Spring Leadership Miami program, helped raise more than $20,000 in donations to renovate the room, which serves hundreds of families with babies who are severely ill or in critical condition at the hospital every year.
The room’s transformation included creating a more serene and welcoming space for families who are undergoing unimaginable challenges with their children, and includes freshly painted walls, soothing artwork, new furniture, and water and coffee for families, something they previously did not have immediate access to. The refurbished room is also equipped with the latest technology including a smart TV monitor that doctors can use to pull up important medical records for patient conversations, Wi-Fi-enabled iPads with access to digital content and resources for NICU parents, and books parents can read to their babies, which research shows helps with bonding, reduces stress and aides in children’s brain development.
During the event, One M1AM1 discussed plans to launch a new online Family Forum, a space where parents can continue to find resources, learn about NICU-related topics, and engage in community with other parents, after they are discharged from the NICU.
