Friday, July 28, 2006

WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Kit Bond today joined parents, doctors, nurses and hospital representatives at the St. Louis Children’s Hospital to announce federal funds for expansion of the hospital’s Nenonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

“Day after day you provide the highest quality medical care to children from all parts of the state, from the most distant rural areas to the closest St. Louis city neighborhoods,” said Bond. “Thank you for everything you do for the children of Missouri and this country.”

Bond, a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, secured $1 million for St. Louis Children’s Hospital in the fiscal year 2007 Labor, Health and Human Services Bill. Before being signed into law the bill must be passed by the full Senate and reconciled with the House of Representatives bill.

The $1 million in federal funds will be used for expansion of the hospital’s NICU. Funds will be used for construction, renovation and equipment. The hospital will expand the NICU to 75 beds to serve even more premature infants and their families. Bond pointed out that no child is ever turned away from St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s NICU, which explains why the current unit has been operating at or above capacity for more than 2 years.

“Senator Bond's unwavering commitment to our state's most fragile infants will impact hundreds of young lives in Missouri. His support for our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit expansion will be of tremendous benefit in our daily efforts to care for these critically ill babies, and for this we are most grateful,” says Lee Fetter, Children's Hospital president.

Children’s hospitals play a critical role in the health of children and make a real impact in the community, especially St. Louis Children’s Hospital, said Bond. St. Louis Children’s is a safety net hospital and community provider for low-income children. The hospital provides the most specialized and medically advanced care available, including preventative and primary care, and trains pediatricians, pediatric specialists and the majority of pediatric researchers.

Bond also thanked the staff of the St. Louis Children’s Hospital for their far-reaching impact, which has served children and families in the St. Louis area, from all 50 states and more than 50 countries.

“Advances in medicine and technology have helped improve the care of all children and newborns, but the miracle of modern medicine is most evident when you visit the NICU,” said Bond. “Thanks to the leadership and vision of Children’s, the most fragile and critically ill newborn babies have much greater chances for surviving and thriving today than ever before.”

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