At Community Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Munster, there is now a piece of technology that eases some of the families’ stress while their newborn is hospitalized. The NicView™ live-streaming video system lets parents check up on baby, helps families across the country stay connected and gives peace of mind especially during this time of social distancing.
NicView is a small, innovative camera system placed at designated bed spaces in the NICU that allows parents, family and friends to view their infant in real time, 24/7, through a secure online portal. The system is specifically designed to help families develop bonds with their preemie or hospitalized infant, even when they cannot be at the bedside.
The camera delivers a secure image stream for parents and family members to view their baby remotely. Once parents sign up to use NicNiew, they are provided a unique login code that can be shared, if desired, with family and friends. Then loved ones from home or across the country can securely access the system via computer, smartphone or tablet.
“Bonding between parents and their new baby is as important in the NICU as it is at home,” said Kelly Spomar, RN, nurse manager of Community Hospital’s NICU and Pediatrics units. “When a newborn’s first few critical days, weeks or even months are spent in intensive care, it often results in feelings of unease and anxiety of separation for the parents as well as the stress of trying to fit in visits at the hospital. NicView helps alleviate some of that.”
With nearly 2,000 babies delivered last year, Community Hospital is one of the leading facilities in the state for newborn care. Community Hospital is also one of only a handful of facilities in Indiana to earn Perinatal Care Certification from The Joint Commission, as well as accreditation as a Level III NICU and Obstetric Care program through Indiana’s new Perinatal Levels of Care designation.
“Providing such high-level services requires the most advanced facilities and talented clinical teams,” said Lou Molina, CEO of Community Hospital. “We also realize that patient care often extends beyond the bedside, with support and peace of mind that comes from innovative technologies such as the NicView system. Making parents feel more involved strengthens trusting relationships with their healthcare providers and evokes reassurance. This simple device provides a better experience for parents and relatives of our littlest patients.”
To find out more about healthy beginnings for babies and mom at the hospitals of Community Healthcare System: Community Hospital, Munster; St. Catherine Hospital, East Chicago and
St. Mary Medical Center, Hobart, visit COMHS.org/baby.
