News Releases
Ronald
McDonald House to be Established Inside Memorial Hermann Children's
Hospital
Houston,
Texas –The families
of critically ill children treated at Memorial Hermann Children’s
Hospital will be able to rest and recharge in a homelike environment
when construction is complete on a 14-bedroom Ronald McDonald House
within the facility.
Under an agreement
recently signed by the two organizations, Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital will remodel seven parent
rooms near its 7th floor neonatal intensive care unit (ICU) and another
seven near its 9th floor pediatric ICU. The build-out will include
a laundry facilities and a large parent lounge with kitchenette.
Ronald McDonald
House will furnish and decorate the rooms to create a comfortable, home
away from home, including Internet service, refreshments, books,
games and other services. The organization will also provide a full-time
coordinator and house manager as well as part-time and volunteer
staff to assist families during their stay at the House.
Construction
and redecoration should be finished in the spring of 2006.
“When a child
is hospitalized, it can be disruptive and even traumatic for the
entire family,” said Steve Allen, M.D., CEO of Memorial Hermann
Children’s Hospital. “Because mothers and fathers play
an important role in their child’s recovery, it’s essential
that their time in the hospital be well supported. Memorial Hermann
Children’s has
always had programs in place to support parents, and now through our
partnership with Ronald McDonald House, that support will be expanded
as the needs of mothers and fathers are met by compassionate volunteers
as well as by other parents.”
While free-standing
facilities of Ronald McDonald of House provide temporary housing to
out-of-town families, the rooms it maintains within hospitals serve
local residents who may only need a place to rest for a few hours or
days, explained Naomi Scott, Executive Director of Ronald McDonald
House Houston.
“Our
new partnership with Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital will
expand our capability to serve families, especially those from our
own community,” she
said. “Families will find a home away from home where
they can eat a quick meal, talk with a volunteer, visit with other
families, or just sit, relax and gain strength to cope with their child’s
critical situation. This
House will be much more than a physical place to eat or sleep – it
is a refuge from the trauma and loneliness of caring for a sick child
away from home.”
-MH-
About
Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital
With 12 hospitals
located in the Texas Medical Center and throughout the greater Houston
area, Memorial Hermann is a vital healthcare resource known for world-class
clinical expertise, quality patient care, leading edge technology
and innovation. Memorial Hermann Children’s
Hospital is a 178-bed hospital that combines the technological advances
of a full-service, university-affiliated hospital with the special
compassion and healing expertise that has distinguished it as one of
the finest children’s hospitals in the nation. More than
37,000 children are treated every year at Memorial Hermann Children’s
Hospital, from the tiniest of premature infants to adolescents up to
the age of 17. Memorial Hermann takes a holistic approach to
health care, offering programs and services that address the physical,
social, psychological and spiritual aspects of wellbeing. To learn
more about Memorial Hermann Children’s Hospital, visit www.memorialhermann.org.
About Ronald McDonald House of Houston
From the time that the Ronald McDonald House of Houston opened its
doors in 1981 the mission has been to offer a home away from home
to the families of children while they undergo treatment for cancer
and other serious illnesses at a Texas Medical Center institution. RMH
answers the special needs of these families by offering loving, home‑like
environments where they can find support from another as they share
experiences with others who are also undergoing the trauma of childhood
illness. RMH is able to operate these facilities thanks
to the generous gifts of time and financial support from individuals,
companies, and foundations from throughout the community. Visit www.rmhhouston.org
to learn more about RMH.
For more information, contact Media Relations.
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