Bryan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Receives Grant from March of Dimes

The Bryan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is pleased to announce it has received a $7,000 grant from the March of Dimes to establish COPE, a multi-media curriculum that helps educate parents who have just experienced the premature birth of an infant.

“I can say that this is our proudest moment at the Lincoln March of Dimes,” said Michael Fleming, Southeast Division Director of the March of Dimes. “As a mission dad, my wife and I spent three months in a neonatal intensive care unit watching our daughter grow. I know that with this grant, the March of Dimes support and the great program at the Bryan NICU, we are going to make a difference in the lives of families impacted by prematurity.”

For parents, one of the most difficult aspects of having a premature baby is feeling unsure about how to care for and support their newborn. COPE (Creating Opportunities for Parent Empowerment) is a program that addresses this concern in a very positive, proactive way. 

Through COPE, parents receive online, written and audiotaped information teaching them how they can assist in their infant’s care. Materials are distributed to families during their stay in the Bryan NICU and also after they have been discharged. Nationally, the results of this program have shown a decrease in depression and anxiety symptoms in parents, a reduced length of stay in the NICU, and an increased belief and confidence in the ability to care for their child. 

“The mission of Bryan Health is to advance the health of individuals in our region through collaboration with physicians and communities,” said Beckie Trevino, assistant nurse manager of the Bryan NICU. “By partnering with the March of Dimes to implement this program, we are reaffirming that commitment and providing resources to help make a difference in the lives of critically ill babies and their families during a difficult time.”

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Bryan Medical Center is a Level III facility with expertise to care for babies as young as 24 weeks gestation. The team at Bryan cares for over 350 infants annually, with stays ranging from a few weeks to several months. The March of Dimes has dedicated over 75 years to the health of children and their families, focusing on research that will lower and eliminate premature births. 

For more information on how you can support the Bryan Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and this program, please call (402) 481-3168.