Tupelo hospital uses camera system to connect parents with baby in NICU
The cameras were purchased with donations from the community as part of a fundraiser by the North Mississippi Health Care Foundation
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Being the parent of a newborn is stressful, even when there are no medical complications. But for those families with newborns in the neonatal intensive care unit, the stress is unimaginable.
But the NICU at NMMC’s Women’s Hospital has a new camera system that lets parents keep track of their newborn 24/7.
The technology is called “AngelEye.” It is a camera system that brings live streaming video of the newborn to family members, anywhere, anytime, on any device, through the AngelEye app.
“It really helps out families, especially when they have to go back to work and can’t be present at the bedside as much as they would like to, they can log in and see the baby anytime they would like to,” said Jessica Fears, neonatal nurse manager.
It has also helped staff connect better with patient families.
“They can send messages, pictures, and videos of the babies to the families and help that mom feel more comfortable while she’s away. She can get that information she normally couldn’t get,” Fears said.
The $300,000 for the AngelEye cameras was provided by the community. It was part of a fundraising effort coordinated by the Health Care Foundation of North Mississippi and all the money was pledged within sixty days.
“52 donors, personal, corporate donors, we wrote a couple of grants, just a tremendous outcome,” said Steven Blaylock, President of the North Mississippi Health Care Foundation.
Toyota Mississippi was one of the corporate donors.
“To be able to partner with the Health Care Foundation and other community organizations for this technology is huge for us, it eliminates that mobility barrier between new mothers and new families who have a day-to-day struggle to be able to visit their infants who end up in the NICU,” said Kristen Burroughs, a spokesperson for Toyota Mississippi.
39 AngelEye camera systems have been in place since mid-January.
Each AngelEye system costs around $5,000.
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