PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — September is Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Awareness month. As part of the observances, the NICU at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois joined approximately 45 other NICUs across the country participating in a nationwide read-a-thon from Sept. 14 – 24.
“There’re numerous opportunities for the staff here to be reading as well as for the families, and our hope is that over the course of this read-a-thon every baby would be able to go home with a book, as well as have families bring in their own favorite book to read to their child as well,” said Kristopher Rosburg, MD, a neonatologist with OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria.
Due to COVID-19 infection concerns, all books donated must be new. Members of the community can learn more about making a donation by calling (309) 624-0629.
OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois employs roughly 140 pediatric specialists.
“From the medical side, we are able to provide comprehensive services for our smallest of infants from cardiology, cardiac surgery, general surgery, and all the other specialties. We rarely have to send our infants away to get cares and services provided to them.”
Dr. Jawad Javed, Medical Director of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois
OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, located in Peoria, is the third-largest pediatric hospital in Illinois and the only full-service tertiary hospital for kids downstate. With 136 beds and more than 141 pediatric subspecialists, Children’s Hospital of Illinois cares for more children in Illinois than any hospital outside of Chicago. Formally established as a pediatric hospital within the walls of OSF HealthCare Saint Francis Medical Center in 1990, Children’s Hospital of Illinois has over 7,000 admissions, 2,500 newborn deliveries, and 18,000 emergency department visits each year. More at www.childrenshospitalofillinois.org.
