A Lakewood baby is one of two honorees in this year’s Big Steps for Little Feet event at Monmouth Medical Center.
The 13th Annual Big Steps for Little Feet Walk of The Hirair and Anna Hovanian Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit will take place at The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center on September 15, along the boardwalk at the Great Lawn North in Long Branch, NJ.
The NICU specializes in care for high-risk premature and critically ill newborns. Each year, the Walk honors our NICU graduates and provides valuable financial support for the unit.
More than 11 percent of babies born in the US are premature. Our board certified neonatologist and nursing team specialize in family-centered treatment providing a multidisciplinary experience. Our NICU staff gives each baby their best fighting chance to thrive, while offering comfort and convenience for families. Monmouth’s NICU cared for over 500 critically ill and premature babies last year, and boasts one of the state’s highest infant survival rates. Michael’s Feat parent suite, a place where parents can stay overnight for discharge planning, to be close to critically ill baby, or for palliative care was opened in 2015.
HOW YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Big Steps for Little Feet teams and supporters have enabled Monmouth Medical Center to purchase state-of-the-art medical equipment to care for the region’s smallest and most fragile babies. Big Steps for Little Feet continues to impact the care received at Monmouth Medical Center. Funds raised at the Walk generously support The Hirair and Anna Hovanian Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at The Unterberg Children’s Hospital at Monmouth Medical Center.
The Hirair and Anna Hovnanian Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is uniquely equipped to meet the needs of infants born too early or too small, or who require special care or surgery. In 1968, Monmouth became the first hospital in New Jersey and the first community hospital in the country to establish a newborn intensive care unit, and today, it is the region’s largest state-designated Level III neonatal intensive care unit. It has one of the highest survival rates among neonatal intensive care units in the country and ranks in the top one-third for survival among such units that participate in Vermont/Oxford Network’s international database for benchmarking.