Volunteers Donate $65,000 to Support NICU

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla., December 27, 2016 During the Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center auxiliary's annual holiday luncheon on Dec. 2, the volunteers donated $65,000 to support the hospitals neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Our hard-working, dedicated volunteers at the Bird Cage Gift Shop and the Pinkadilly Thrift Shop endow the largest portion of the auxiliary's annual donation, along with fundraisers held throughout the year that other volunteers assist with, said Pat McCarthy, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center auxiliary president. It is so gratifying to all our auxilians to help the hospital expand its services to provide for the continuing needs of our community.

In 2015, the hospital volunteers pledged to raise $200,000 to support the construction and equipment of the 16-bed Level II NICU at Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center.

One of the goals of the Auxiliary is to provide financial support to Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center. The NICU extends the hospital's reach into the community with a state-of-the-art facility for the babies that need specialized care. We are proud to contribute to that endeavor, McCarthy said. Including this most recent gift, we have donated a total of $70,728 toward our total pledge of $200,000 and hope to continue with additional gifts each year until the pledge has been fulfilled.

The NICU is extremely appreciative of this generous gift, as this offers us the ability to purchase additional equipment and supplies as we extend the healing ministry of Christ and provide excellent care to our smallest patients, said Becky Vernon, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center director of women and children's services.

Opened in August, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Centers NICU cares for newborns 32 weeks and older, and is the only NICU in Volusia County with private, family-centered rooms, allowing parents to stay 24 hours a day with their babies.

About Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center

Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is a member of Adventist Health System, a faith-based health care organization with 46 hospital campuses and nearly 8,200 licensed beds in 10 states. Our locations include Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center in Daytona Beach and Florida Hospital Oceanside in Ormond Beach, as well as outpatient facilities in Port Orange, Daytona Beach Shores and New Smyrna Beach. With 277-beds, Florida Hospital Memorial Medical Center is one of the six Florida Hospitals in Volusia and Flagler counties that composes the Florida Hospital East Florida Region. As the largest hospital system in the area, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region has 899 beds and nearly 5,900 employees. With a mission to extend the healing ministry of Christ, the Florida Hospital East Florida Region collectively contributed nearly $120 million in benefits in 2015 to the underprivileged, the community's overall health and wellness and spiritual needs, and capital improvements.