North Oaks Medical Center to Host Annual NICU Reunion for Former Patients on Dec. 1

Former patients of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at North Oaks Medical Center and their families are invited to attend a holiday reunion on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 9-11 a.m. in the E. Brent Dufreche Conference Center, located within North Oaks Diagnostic Center at 15837 Paul Vega, MD, Drive in Hammond.

North Oaks staff members will volunteer their time to host the free event, which will feature refreshments and holiday activities, including the chance for children to share their Christmas wishes with Santa Claus. In addition, each former patient will receive an age-appropriate book and keepsake professional photo with Santa.

Sometimes, a baby is born prematurely or with a health condition that requires admission to an NICU. Patient stays range in length from a few days to as long as 6 months.

“Our staff members become attached to the babies and their families and, likewise, the families to our staff,” explains North Oaks Critical Care Services Director Janet Morse, RN. “This annual reunion is therapeutic in that it gives us the chance to rekindle the bond shared and celebrate the children’s developmental milestones from year to year.”

The North Oaks NICU has earned the rank of being among the top 25 percent of such facilities in the United States, according to the prestigious Vermont Oxford Study in their review of patient outcomes in selected areas. North Oaks Medical Center has operated an NICU since 1991.

To register to attend the NICU Reunion, please call the North Oaks Special Events Line at (985) 230-2255 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on weekdays.