King Edward VII Memorial Hospital Hosts First-Ever Special Care Baby Unit Campaign

Neonatal staff members from King Edward VII Memorial Hospital (KEMH) are organizing their first-ever Special Care Baby Unit Campaign (SCBU), beginning 10 September. Members of the public are invited to stop by the hospital lobby any day next week between 10:00am and 2:00pm to meet SCBU team members and view equipment demonstrations and display boards.

The campaign’s theme, Competent, caring services for our smallest patients, focuses on the role the SCBU team plays when caring for premature and sick babies born on the maternity ward, as well as caring for babies born via Caesarean section. Neonatal staff members utilize state-of-the-art healthcare technology to provide evidence-based care to approximately 300 newborns annually.

The team, comprising nurses, physicians, dietitians, pharmacists, social workers and occupational therapists, also provides care for babies returning to Bermuda from tertiary care centres aboard.

“Women at risk of delivering prematurely, at less than 34 weeks gestation, are transferred to overseas facilities, where outcomes for the baby are considerably better,” explains Dr. Eugene Outerbridge, Chief of Paediatrics for Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB). “When these babies are ready to return to Bermuda, the SCBU team provides care until they are mature enough to be discharged. In addition, when it is not possible to transfer a mother aboard for an anticipated early delivery, SCBU staff members provide initial stabilization and first-class care for the premature infant, until he or she is transferred to a tertiary care centre.”

Janet Wheelan, BHB Clinical Manager for SCBU said, “We want families to understand what to expect if their baby is being cared for on SCBU. Our nurses have been trained in neonatal care and have experience with a range of specialized and life-saving equipment for premature and ill babies. We are inviting the public to stop by the lobby this week to meet our team members and learn about the technology we use. In addition to being highly skilled in neonatal procedures, SCBU team members provide a caring and compassionate environment for families dealing with sick or premature newborns.”

Megan Provencher, a BHB neonatal nurse on the unit said: “Parents rely on SCBU nurses during one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. We provide emotional support to mothers and fathers during these stressful days and teach parents how to care for their babies so they feel confident and prepared upon discharge. And of course, we are thrilled when moms and dads return to the unit with their little ones so we can see how well they are doing.”

In addition to a lobby display, information booth and equipment demonstrations, SCBU nurses are organizing a Reunion Day, called “You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby!” for former SCBU patients and their families on Saturday afternoon, 15 September from 10:00am to 2:00pm on the Celebration Lawn at the Botanical Gardens. Games, activities and refreshments will be provided and relatives and friends of former SCBU patients are invited to join in the fun.

A video of newborns formally cared for at SCBU will be set up and played next week in the lobby and may be accessed on the link indicated below.

Link 1: youtu.be/eXy9NXAVo0M

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