Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center Celebrates NICU Expansion with Groundbreaking Ceremony
Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center Celebrates NICU Expansion with Groundbreaking Ceremony
Lititz, PA (5/23/12) – Employees, physicians and graduates of Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) joined together last week to celebrate the hospitals newest endeavor: expanding the facility’s NICU unit.
Construction started this week on the project, which will include1,750 feet of new space, allowing for five additional beds. The current NICU unit is a Level II, meaning it can take care of premature babies as early as 32 weeks gestation. The five additional beds will be Level III, allowing Heart of Lancaster to take care of infants starting at 28 weeks gestation.
“Our NICU has exceeded expectations since it opened in October of 2009,” said James Machado, Administrator at Heart of Lancaster. “We have more premature babies coming in than we have beds available, often leaving us no choice but to transfer these babies to another facility. This expansion will both allow us to take care of more babies as well as younger ones.”
JoAnna Hess of Lititz, PA is no stranger to Heart of Lancaster’s NICU. In July of 2010, JoAnna gave birth to her daughter Morgan seven and a half weeks early. The Hess Family was on site at the groundbreaking.
“The night she was born I came to Heart of Lancaster for a stress test with just a bottle of water and a book. My anticipated 2 hour visit quickly took a turn I wasn’t expecting,” said JoAnna during her speech at the groundbreaking.”
Today, Morgan is a healthy, nearly two-year old toddler.
“I would never wish that any family would have to experience a NICU stay, but when it becomes necessary, I’m glad that this new facility will make it possible to care for them better than ever,” said JoAnna.
The nearly $1 million NICU expansion is expected to be completed in October.
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About Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center Heart of Lancaster Regional Medical Center is a 148-bed hospital that is staffed with caring and respectful health professionals. Heart of Lancaster offers a choice of the county’s top physicians, beautifully appointed patient rooms, state-of-the-art technology in a patient-friendly and stress-free environment. For more information, visit www.heartoflancaster.com.
