Lauren Ray’s daughter was born three months early at Emory Johns Creek Hospital and had to stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for more than 80 days.
Ray — who now works in Women’s Services at the hospital — says that although she lived close by, she stayed at the hospital most of the time to keep an eye on her daughter.
“For the times that I wasn’t here, I was just — my mind wasn’t anywhere, but here,” Ray said.
But now, parents who have children in the NICU at Emory Johns Creek will be able to see them even when they aren’t there. The hospital installed eight cameras in the Level III NICU and will give parents the ability to watch live streaming video of their newborns.
READ: Local groups need volunteers to nurture newborns in need
READ: N. Fulton doctor helps Falcons, big companies improve sleep
READ: Emory heart and vascular center expanding in N. Fulton, Forsyth
The hospital says it delivers about 1,030 babies each year and more than 100 are admitted to the NICU, which is often home to newborns who are born prematurely or critically ill. Christine Wollenhaup, Emory Johns Creek’s Director of Women’s Services, says the cameras help parents who may be unable to visit their baby, due to the child’s medical condition.
READ: Johns Creek - Meet your candidates for the November 2017 election
READ: Atlanta Humane Society sending staffers to Houston for disaster relief
“This will allow them to worry less, knowing that they can view their baby on the computer,” Wollenhaup said.
Families can access the system using a secure password to stream the video to their laptops, smart phones and tablets. The system also allows nursing staff to turn off the cameras during any medical procedures.
For more information on the Birth Place at Emory Johns Creek Hospital, visit emoryhealthcare.org/emoryjohnscreek.
MORE N. FULTON NEWS...
About the Author
