Donors celebrated at the Pollard Family Special Care Nursery Ribbon Cutting event

Over the past 17 months Guelph General Hospital has transformed space on the 6th Floor to enhance the care experience for the tiniest of patients accessing the Special Care Nursery. This $6M redevelopment project was fully funded by the Guelph-Wellington community with donations from The Foundation of Guelph General Hospital’s Together, We Care campaign including a $1M donation from the Pollard family.

Earlier this month, we welcomed donors, volunteer leaders, and members of all three levels of government to join a tour of the all-new Pollard Family Special Care Nursery.

The newly renovated space features ten private patient rooms and one room designed to accommodate twins, keeping infants close to their loved ones and care teams. Two of the ten rooms are specialized for the sickest babies close to the nursing station which allows for close care. One of the ten rooms is a dedicated isolation room to support babies requiring a higher level of care.

“The most important improvement to the space by far is the integration of families, who now are able to be part of their infant’s care journey. Those are precious moments in their lives, filled with both fear and excitement, we want to do everything we can to keep them connected through it all,” shared Melissa Skinner, Vice President, Patient Services and Chief Nursing Executive.

In addition to new specialized spaces the nursery boasts improved patient safety, meeting best practices related to neonatal care, medication and feeding preparation, storage, and nursing workflows.

Also funded by donors, Guelph General Hospital has fully renovated the Family Birthing Unit Operating Room and newborn resuscitation area, where C-sections and high-risk deliveries are performed. These spaces are immediately adjacent to the new Pollard Family Special Care Nursery for easy access.

On display at the ribbon cutting event, was a large poster of the Together, We Care campaign heart graphic that incorporates over 9,000 donor names – those who made a donation to the campaign.

“Every contribution is valued and the heart image reminds us how we can accomplish so much when we work together with a shared goal,” Byczynski remarked. “The Pollard Family Special Care Nursery is one of many transformational projects that donors have made possible through their caring gifts.”