St. Joseph Women’s Medical Center Hosts Ribbon Cutting for NICU Renovation Project

Houston, TX (April 29, 2014) – St. Joseph Women’s Medical Center (SJWMC), in partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital, marked another milestone in the hospital’s 127-year history with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, April 24 to celebrate the completion of phase one of their Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) renovation project.

Guests included staff and physicians from both hospitals, Congressman Al Green, representatives from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s office, Houston City Council Member Dwight Boykins, Dr. Stephen E. Welty, Chief of Neonatology at Texas Children’s Hospital and Hallee Winnie, Executive Director of the March of Dimes, Houston Division.

“St. Joseph is extremely proud to make this investment to enhance the care of our tiniest patients,” said Patrick Mathews, chief executive officer at SJWMC. “Our staff and physicians have patiently waited for this day, and this special occasion wouldn’t be possible without the collective efforts of our dedicated nurse leaders, nursing staff and the Texas Children’s team.”

SJWMC announced the start of the renovation project in January, which gives the 35-bed unit a fresh look with new flooring, paint and blinds, along with the latest technology in ventilators, feeding pumps and warming devices for their patients. The family waiting area, conference room and public restrooms were also remodeled. Phase two is expected to be complete by mid-May.

In September 2013, SJWMC began a partnership with Texas Children’s Hospital to manage their neonatal services, which gives parents access to the latest treatments available in neonatal and pediatric care, state-of-the-art equipment and pediatric sub specialists – including cardiology, neurology, infectious disease, ophthalmology and more.

“At Texas Children’s Hospital, our mission to build a healthy community of children begins at the very start of life,” said Cris Daskevich, senior vice president of Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women. “Our relationship with St. Joseph’s allows us to partner in providing exceptional neonatal care to the premature and critically-ill infants that need it most, so that babies can have the best possible outcomes.”

The SJWMC NICU staff has cared for thousands of babies over the years and they are very proud of their patient outcomes. According to Juanna Brandon, MBA, BSN, RN, NICU director, “The unit has celebrated over two years without a central line infection. This is a huge quality indicator for our hospital and parents should be comforted to know that our staff and physicians keep the health and safety of their little one our top priority.”