The March of Dimes Foundation presented the award at annual gala Oct. 22
CAMDEN -- The nursing team at Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center's Special Care Nursery (SCN) was recently awarded the 2016 March of Dimes Foundation's Born to Shine award. The award was presented at the March of Dimes New Jersey Chapter annual gala on Oct. 22. The prestigious award honors local top clinicians for their dedication and work in the fields of maternal and child health.
"Lourdes is a leader of neonatal care in the southern New Jersey region," said Mark Nessel, executive vice president and chief operating opfficer, Lourdes Health System. "Our nursing team's commitment to clinical excellence and dedication to babies and their families makes them truly deserving of this award. We are honored that the March of Dimes has recognized our SCN team with this distinguished award."
For nearly six decades, Our Lady of Lourdes Medical Center has been a regional leader in neonatal care, with dedicated nurses providing comprehensive, compassionate care to premature and sick newborns and their families.
Neonatology was one of the first tertiary care services offered at Lourdes. Since 1960, when Lourdes purchased the world's smallest resuscitator for preemies, the Neonatology nursing team has worked tirelessly to provide non-stop care to medically fragile infants. Since then, Lourdes added to its "high-tech" resources, and a multidisciplinary team of internationally recognized specialists and nurses using the latest technologies work collaboratively to provide high-quality, high-touch care that has made all the difference for babies and their families.
Today, Lourdes' 15-bed SCN cares for about 350 babies annually. The SCN is equipped to care for babies who are born at greater than 32 weeks' gestation and weigh greater than 1,500 grams. The SCN nursing team work seamlessly with their physician counterparts to achieve the highest level of care. Many of the nurses have been with Lourdes for decades, a true testament to the place these special babies and their families have in their hearts. And another testament to their care is the outpouring of love and compassion families show through letters, updates and photos.
Regularly, the team holds patient reunions, joyously reuniting nurses with now-thriving children and young adults. The bonds of love and appreciation remain strong.
Lourdes nurses and its clinical team have continued a tradition of advancing neonatal care.
Not pictured: Lori Attanasio, RN; Teresa Baker, RN; Mary Ballard, RN; Patricia Butler, RN; Nancy Erasmus, RN; Mary Falco, Unit Secretary; Sandra Hafycz, RN; Kelly Hoyt, RN; Effie Lao, RN; Maria Ma, RN; Kathryn Malcarney, RN; Karen Meacham, RN; Patricia Peterson, RN; Georgiann Pino Gifford, RN; Ofelia Torrevillas, RN; and Kari Wames, RN.