Mead Johnson Nutrition and Hand to Hold Announce Third Annual NICU Heroes Awards
March 31 2015 - 9:30AM
Business Wire
Parents of Preterm and Medically Fragile
Infants Are Invited to Nominate Outstanding NICU
Professionals
Mead Johnson Nutrition (NYSE: MJN), a leading provider of
pediatric nutrition products worldwide, and Hand to Hold, a
national nonprofit neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) parent
support organization, are pleased to announce the opening of the
third annual NICU Heroes Awards. Parents and caregivers are invited
to nominate NICU health care professionals that have demonstrated
exceptional commitment and dedication while caring for babies and
their families.
According to a recent study, 14.4 percent of babies born in the
U.S. are referred to the NICU for advanced carei. That’s more than
a half a million births in the U.S. each yearii. By far the most
common reason for a NICU referral is prematurity, defined as a
birth before 37 weeks’ gestation. Prematurity is the leading cause
of newborn death and re-hospitalization and can result in lifelong
disabilitiesiii.
Families of preemies and babies born with special health needs
are often overwhelmed by their need for information and support,
and NICU professionals make a huge difference in the lives of these
families. Community-based programs, such as Hand to Hold, provide
support to families before, during and after NICU stays.
“The NICU Heroes Awards give families a chance to honor the
professionals that have positively impacted their lives,” said
Ivonne Monteagudo, senior vice president and general manager, North
America and Global Marketing, Mead Johnson Nutrition. “As the only
global company solely focused on infant nutrition, Mead Johnson
understands that newborns deserve the best start in life. We
welcome this opportunity to recognize the dedicated healthcare
professionals striving to provide the best outcomes possible for
these babies and their families.”
The 2015 NICU Heroes Awards will honor two NICU health care
professionals whose compassionate care and dedication helped lessen
the emotional toll of a NICU stay.
During the nomination period – April 1 - 30, 2015 – parents and
guardians can share stories highlighting the exemplary care
families and their children received from NICU staffs throughout
the United States.
Five nominees will be named as finalists. Two finalists will be
chosen as winners by an independent panel of NICU health care
professionals and parents from around the country. During the NICU
Heroes Awards ceremony at their hospital, winners will receive:
- a trophy and certificate, presented at
the winner’s hospital;
- a $2,500 donation in their name to the
pediatric healthcare charity of their choice*; and
- a one-year subscription to the Hand to
Hold Resource Library, designed to provide education to parents
during a NICU stay, for the winner’s hospital.
Each nominee will receive a certificate of appreciation and a
copy of their nominating essay. As a mother of two preemies, Kelli
Kelley, founder of Hand to Hold, understands the key role a great
health care team can play during a NICU journey. “NICU families
often struggle with the words to appropriately thank neonatal
professionals for the difference they made in the lives of their
children,” she explained. “Whether it’s extra time working through
medical decisions or a shoulder to cry on, NICU Heroes reach beyond
their job descriptions to help parents navigate this journey. The
nominees and winners do everything they can to meet the needs of
their tiny patients and their families.”
Last year, parents and caregivers nominated neonatal healthcare
professionals from more than 30 states. Neonatal Nurse Practitioner
Stephanie Horecky Hall of Medical University of South
Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina, and Neonatologist
Stewart Lawrence, MD, of Mountain States Neonatology, an
affiliate of Pediatrix Medical Group and who practices at
Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho, were
honored as 2014 NICU Heroes.
Parents and guardians of children admitted to any NICU can
submit nominations online at www.handtohold.org/hero from
April 1 through April 30, 2015 at 5 p.m. CDT. Finalists will be
announced July 13, and winners will be announced August 3. Children
may have been admitted to the NICU for any reason, do not have to
be a current NICU patient, and may be any age.
* Some limitations may apply.
About Mead Johnson Nutrition
Mead Johnson, a global leader in pediatric nutrition, develops,
manufactures, markets and distributes more than 70 products in over
50 markets worldwide. The company's mission is to nourish the
world’s children for the best start in life. The Mead Johnson name
has been associated with science-based pediatric nutrition products
for over 100 years. The company’s Enfa™ family of brands is the
world's leading brand franchise in pediatric nutrition. For more
information, go to www.meadjohnson.com.
About Hand to Hold
Hand to Hold is a community-based, national support program for
parents of preemies, babies born with a special health care need
and those who have experienced loss due to these or other
complications. The nonprofit organization’s vision is to enable a
network of families to offer support, comfort and understanding to
one another, and to provide them with knowledge, information and
resources to ensure the best outcome for their children and family.
For more information, go to www.handtohold.org.
_____________________
i March of Dimes and National Perinatal Information
Center/Quality Analytic Services. Special Care Nursery Admissions.
Accessed from
https://www.marchofdimes.org/peristats/pdfdocs/nicu_summary_final.pdf
ii Centers for Disease Control. National Center for Health
Statistics. In 2012, 3,952,841 babies were born.
http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/births.htm
iii March of Dimes. Prematurity Snapshot.
http://www.marchofdimes.org/mission/prematurity-campaign.aspx
Accessed January 20, 2015.
Media Contacts:Mead Johnson NutritionPashen Black, (847)
832-2179pashen.black@mjn.comorHand to HoldLaura Bond Williams,
(512) 497-8035laura@momentum-pr.comAnne Lasseigne Tiedt, APR, (512)
784-3805anne@momentum-pr.com
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