(left to right) Brayden, Kevin, Caitlin and Parker Johnson, and Kathryn Ziegler, DO.
Parents of infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Abington Hospital – Jefferson Health can now feel a little more at ease when they’re unable to be physically present at their baby’s bedside.
Thanks to a generous donation, each of the NICU’s 34 beds are now equipped with “NICVIEW” web cameras, which allow parents, family and friends to view their infant in real-time, 24/7, through a secure online portal. An additional four web cameras were purchased to accommodate patient overflow in the NICU, bringing Abington’s total to 38 cameras.
The purchase of the web cameras was made possible by a $100,000 gift by Kevin and Caitlin Johnson of New Hope, along with Kevin’s parents, John and Sue Johnson of Flemington, N.J.
Kevin and Caitlin’s twin boys, Brayden and Parker, are former patients in Abington’s NICU, born at 28 weeks. They are now enjoying life as happy, healthy one-year-olds.
“This technology will completely transform the NICU experience for the hundreds of families we serve in the Andrew Tesauro Special Care Nursery each year,” said Kathryn Ziegler, Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine at Abington Hospital’s Division of Neonatology.
“From tears of happiness, to heartfelt expressions of gratitude, the results have been nothing short of amazing.”
Access to the NICVIEW web camera system is secure. Parents are given personal login information (which can be shared with family and friends) to access the online portal and see their baby anytime from anywhere in the world.
“Families from across the U.S. have been utilizing the web-camera system already,” Dr. Ziegler added. “Also from India, Pakistan, South Korea, Germany, Mexico, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.”
Abington – Jefferson Health encompasses Abington Hospital in Abington, Abington – Lansdale Hospital in Hatfield Township, two urgent Care Centers and five convenient outpatient facilities, which include Abington Health Center – Willow Grove, Abington Health Center – Warminster, Abington Health Center – Blue Bell, Abington Health Center – Lower Gwynedd and Abington Health Center – Montgomeryville.
More than 1,400 physicians are on staff at both Abington Hospital and Abington – Lansdale Hospital. In addition, some physicians are members of Abington Health Physicians, an employed network of primary care physicians and specialists.
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