Edward Hospital opens first Ronald McDonald Family Room in Illinois

NAPERVILLE, Ill., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The first Ronald McDonald Family Room in the State of Illinois opens today at Edward Hospital in Naperville.  The Family Room was developed through a partnership between the Edward Foundation, the hospital's fundraising arm, and Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC®-CNI).

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120221/CG57249)

The nearly 2,000-square foot Ronald McDonald Family Room is a short walk from Edward's Newborn Intensive Care (NICU) and Pediatric Intensive Care Units (PICU).  It has a living room with relaxation areas, a kitchen, two computer stations with Internet access, two sleeping rooms, showers and a playroom for patients and siblings.

"For a long time, we've dreamed of having a place for parents to rest and regroup when they're here with their sick children," says Pam Davis, President & CEO, Edward Hospital.  "Thanks to RMHC-CNI and the Edward Foundation, the dream has come true.  The Family Room provides similar benefits as a Ronald McDonald House but within the hospital walls."

"It is our honor to partner with Edward Hospital in this new space for families," said RMHC-CNI CEO Doug Porter.  "Together, we recognize the need to care for the entire family during their child's illness and the Ronald McDonald Family Room will provide 'care and comfort' during some challenging times for families." 

Always located in or in close proximity to major children's hospitals, RMHC-CNI provides a "home away from home" for families of pediatric patients being cared for in Chicago-area hospitals, while also proactively reaching out to children in need with mobile medical care and educational opportunities.

Construction and ongoing maintenance of the Family Room is being funded by the Edward Foundation's KidsCare campaign.  RMHC-CNI, in addition to supporting the campaign, will operate and manage the Family Room, providing hospitality in the heart of Edward Hospital.

The KidsCare Campaign is also helping fund the complete renovation of Edward Hospital's NICU, PICU and Pediatric Special Procedure Area, which is used for diagnostic imaging, infant hearing, hematology/oncology and other testing and treatment.  The Campaign still has more than $500,000 of naming and sponsorship opportunities available.

Renovations such as the Family Room are needed because demand has outgrown space.  In all, more than 17,000 infants and children have been cared for in Edward's Pediatric Units over the last five years, facilities that weren't designed to handle that many patients.

Edward's 16 pediatric patient rooms are now outfitted with high-tech equipment that will allow them to function as intensive care rooms when necessary, meaning a sick child won't have to be moved from one room and unit to another room and unit.

"The renovated pediatric rooms are more comfortable for parents and the nurses have a better view of the rooms and access to the children," says Diane Blevins, Director of Children's Services, Edward Hospital.

Renovation of Edward's NICU will begin soon and result in 22 private rooms that will provide newborns and parents with space, comfort and privacy needed for treatment, consultation with doctors and nurses, and time alone for mom, dad and newborn.

To learn more about the Family Room and volunteering, contact Katie Allabough, Director of the Ronald McDonald Family Room, at [email protected] or (630) 527-3800.

To support the KidsCare Campaign, visit www.edward.org/foundation or contact Meghan Moreno, Executive Director, Edward Foundation at [email protected] or (630) 527-3954.

About Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC®-CNI):  The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana (RMHC®-CNI) is to improve the health, well-being and education of children through four core programs:

• Our four Ronald McDonald Houses provide a 'home away from home' to keep families close while their children are being treated at a nearby hospital.
• Our Ronald McDonald Family Room provides hospitality in the heart of Edward Hospital.
• Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, in partnership with Advocate Hope Children's Hospital, provides essential health services to children in underserved areas.
• Our Scholarship Program provides $4,000/year renewable scholarships to academically outstanding, community-minded and economically challenged young people.

For more information, visit www.RonaldHouseChicago.org.

SOURCE Edward Hospital