Now that Phase I is complete (raising $8.5 million for construction), we have officially moved into Phase II of the $20 million capital campaign – to raise an additional$11.5 million to expand and renovate WakeMed’s Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), as well as numerous other critical pediatric service enhancements.
“We are extremely grateful to the community for their outpouring of financial support to help us expand much-needed pediatric services here in Wake County, but our work here is not done,” commented Jack Radford, executive director of the WakeMed Foundation. “There is a great need to continue to fund enhancements in pediatric services, particularly our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, and we are dedicated to raise an additional $11.5 million to continue to expand our services which serve the children of our community.”
In September 2009, WakeMed received approval to expand its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) by 12 additional beds to a total of 48 beds. WakeMed Raleigh Campus has the only Level IV NICU in Wake County, offering the highest level of neonatal intensive care. During this expansion, WakeMed will begin the process of converting neonatal beds to private rooms, which will allow parents to sleep in the room and care for their hospitalized infants. WakeMed cares for nearly 150,000 children each year, making WakeMed one of the largest providers of pediatric care in North Carolina.
The first phase of the Just for Kids Kampaign fully funded construction of Wake County’s first Children’s Hospital opening to patients in mid-June. The Children’s Hospital, which comprises 34,000 square feet of the new patient tower on the Raleigh Campus, is the first project in WakeMed’s history funded entirely through community support. The Children’s Hospital houses 45 beds – eight pediatric intensive care, 12 pediatric observation and 25 pediatric inpatient beds.
