TMF NICU Kiosk - CBS

June 13, 2011 - CBS KYTX 19 - TYLER, TX -- The March of Dimes today announced that it is partnering with Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler, At Home Healthcare and Children's Miracle Network to operate and fund the NICU Family Support® Center program, which includes an informational kiosk placed in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit. 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 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The NICU kiosk is designed for parents to have instant access to information and resources pertaining to having a premature child. The kiosk was placed in the NICU setting and is available at all times.

"Preparing for a new baby is a time of great excitement," said Abby Warnick, March of Dimes Division Director in Tyler. "Families don't expect anything to go wrong, but about one 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."

"This is a great gift and we are so thankful to the March of Dimes, At Home Healthcare and Children's Miracle Network for partnering to make this available to our families," said Brenda Morris, MD, medical director, Mother Frances Hospital-Tyler Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. "Parents and family members have a lot of questions when their baby is born early or with complications. This kiosk will allow them to access a lot of great information in one place and comfort them at a time when they need comforting."

NICU Family Support is an important 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 March of Dimes estimates that 10 percent of all newborns require some level of intensive care.
Nationally, March of Dimes NICU Family Support receives financial and in-kind support from Scholastic, Inc. and Farmers Insurance.

In 2004, NICU Family Support became a signature project of the March of Dimes and rolled out to NICUs across the country. There are now over 100 NICU Family Support sites nationwide, with sites in every state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, reaching over 75,000 families annually.
"At Home Healthcare is thrilled to partner with Mother Frances because of its reputation for excellence and the quality care it provides to babies," said Tricia Harty of At Home Healthcare. "Mother Frances does incredible work every day to care for sick babies and their families. We are excited to be a supporter of the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Center site and are looking forward to this collaborative effort to support parents."

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