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On May 13th, the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas welcomed a new addition – a Family Room. The brand new room can be found at St. David’s Women’s Center of Texas, on the St. David’s North Austin Medical Center campus, right down the hall from the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The arrival of the 264-square-foot Family Room came shortly after an expansion of the NICU and will offer a place of relaxation and comfort for families with children in the NICU, allowing them to be right down the hall from their child.
While the current Family Room consists of only one room, there may be plans in the future to expand if the need exists, according to Kent Burress, CEO of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas.
“Our goal is to be there to provide for the families,” Burress said. “Mostly it’s just a chance to get away for a minute and still be just a few steps from where the child is.”
The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas made an initial investment of $43,050 toward the project, which has been in the works for the past year. St. David’s HealthCare provided the rest: the space, design, plumbing, internet, electrical, cleaning, utilities and security services.
The Family Room, which is unique to Central Texas for families with children in neonatal intensive care units, features a sleeper sofa, a small kitchen with light refreshments, TV and a desk. Burress said another important amenity the room offers is a computer with internet access so family members can connect with their support groups and keep other relatives updated.
For further ease, the process of using the Family Room is simple and requires very little red tape. Families are usually referred by nursing staff in the NICU; however, the room is available for families with pediatric patients in the hospital. Volunteers are always present in the room to answer any questions or simply provide a friendly face.
“Our ultimate goal is to give these families a place to step away and be in a completely different environment, even though they are right there in the hospital,” Burress said. “Mostly, it is that opportunity to recharge, catch their breath and renew their energy, so they can be more present for the child and for the medical care team.”
MORE INFO
www.rmhc-austin.org