Baptist Health Paducah celebrated more than a decade of miracle babies at a special NICU reunion
PADUCAH, KY (Sept. 26, 2024) - Baptist Health Paducah held a Neonatal Intensive Care unit (NICU) reunion attended by more than 500 of its graduates and families. The event was held at the Paducah-McCracken County Convention & Expo Center where families were greeted by the John & Loree Eckstein Neonatal Intensive NICU staff and other members from the hospitals labor and delivery and post-partum units. The children and their families enjoyed circus-themed games, food, balloons and prizes.
Edward O’Neill, MD, is the hospital’s neonatologist who’s been working in the NICU since 2011. “The reunion is a wonderful reminder of why we do what we do,” O’Neill said. “When we met these babies and their families they were under tremendous stress and anxiety about what they didn’t understand. To see them at various ages like 4 months, 4 years, 10 years and even 13 years and see that they are thriving in all aspects of their lives is truly a blessing.”
The NICU, which started in 2011 in a section of the nursery on the hospital’s second floor, tripled in size when it moved into a new 8,000-square-foot wing in 2017 on the second floor of Medical Park 2.
Since opening in 2011, the NICU has cared for more than 2500 babies, allowing parents to bond with their baby and even return to work while their baby is being cared for, instead of being hours away. Each year, the hospital cares for approximately 200 babies in the NICU. The hospital also has a neonatal transport service, allowing infants to be transported to Baptist from outside hospitals to receive care.
“We can always use reminder of what and why we love what we to do! It was awesome to have so many of our former patients in one place being celebrated. The families said such nice things to all of us…it just fuels the fire to continue what we love to do,” O’Neill said.
In 2018, the NICU earned distinction as a Level 3 NICU, becoming the only Level 3 NICU in western Kentucky. A level 3 NICU can care for very small or very sick newborns boasting a wide variety of on-site specialty trained neonatal nurses, neonatologists and therapists – all trained in high-risk neonatal care. The NICU admits approximately 215 babies each year with the majority needing extra help breathing, regulating body temperature and eating. Most of the admissions are of term or late preterm babies. Approximately 30% of admissions make up babies younger than 32 weeks.
“It was so amazing to see so many kids thriving,” said Lisa Parnell, Maternal Child Services Director. “When the babies are the size of your hand when they’re born and then last night, to have them come in and see them running around with the balloons in their hands - it’s exciting for all of my staff to see them thriving.”
The NICU hosts three types of rooms: six private rooms for the most critical babies that offer enough space for parents to sleep in the rooms or are large enough for families with twins or triplets; six midsize private rooms offer recliners and gliders for parent’s comfort; six additional bays for babies needing observation, with curtain privacy. Each room features The Cappock Family Cams that are perched on top of NICU isolettes, allowing family members to log in to view the baby at any time, often easing anxiety and calming fears.
In addition to the patient rooms the NICU also offers special rooms for breastfeeding, respiratory, physical, and occupational therapies and a NICU transport room.
To learn about the John & Loree Eckstein Neonatal Intensive Care unit or for a tour of the hospital’s Labor and Delivery or post-partum suites, call 270.575.2100.