St. Bernards Medical Center in Jonesboro has officially opened its expanded neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) with an increased capacity of 19 beds.
The expansion was made possible through a donation from the Luke Kellums NICU Fund, which has pledged a total of $100,000 for the expansion over the next three years. So far, $30,000 has been donated towards the expansion.
Dana Lands, St. Bernards' Director of Women and Childhood Services, emphasized the significance of the expansion, stating that it will reduce the stress on families seeking care in Northeast Arkansas.
"It's not just three families. It's not just three beds," Lands said. She said the additional space will create a "trickle-down" effect that will allow more families to be treated in Jonesboro without the added costs and stress of a transfer to Little Rock. "We're providing that to them and that's huge."
The Luke Kellums NICU Fund was named in memory of Luke Kellums, who tragically passed away weeks after a premature birth at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock. Luke's father, Dustin Kellums, shared the importance of the expansion.
Reflecting on he and his wife's experience of having to go out of town for their son to get treatment, Kellums highlighted the benefits of local families being able to stay closer to home.
"This local family now can probably go sleep in their bed; drive over the next day see their baby, instead of being stuck down in Little Rock in a hotel," Kellums said.
St. Bernards said their NICU is classified as a level 3A and has cared for more than 2,500 infants to date.