Neonatal ICU reunion in Bridgeport celebrates babies’ progress

BRIDGEPORT, CT (May 22, 2017) – Nearly 200 former patients and family members attended the May 21 alumni reunion sponsored by the Allison Family Neonatal ICU at the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital campus at Bridgeport Hospital May 21.

The event included children’s entertainment and refreshments and gave the NICU staff an opportunity to catch up with former patients and parents. Some of the babies weighed barely one pound when they were born.

The NICU is undergoing a $7 million renovation to provide more patient and family privacy and improve other aspects of family comfort. The work, funded entirely through community donations, will be completed in December. A total of $6 million has already been raised, according to the Bridgeport Hospital Foundation.

Established by Bridgeport Hospital in 1973, the NICU became part of Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital when Bridgeport and Yale New Haven hospitals consolidated their pediatric services in 2012, giving Bridgeport area families improved access to a higher and broader level of neonatal specialty care.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org