Ronald McDonald House family room almost complete for new Children's Hospital at Scott & White

TEMPLE, Texas – A special suite for parents, part of the new Children’s Hospital at Scott & White, is nearing completion and will be ready when the hospital opens October 4, 2011. Named the Ronald McDonald House Family Respite Room, or Ronald Room for short, it is a suite that allows parents to step away from the traditional hospital environment.

“We are building a world-class children’s hospital, and our patients will have parents and family who need a break from time to time,” said Scott & White Children’s Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Ellen Hansen. “Parents with a seriously ill or injured child often tire from lack of sleep and stress. The Ronald Room is a place for parents to step away, try to relax a bit and recharge their batteries as best they can.”

The Ronald McDonald respite room is an extension of the type of service and care provided by the Temple Ronald McDonald House. This new room is a safe zone for adults to step away from doctors and nurses, and have some time to themselves to drink a cup of coffee, watch TV, read a magazine, take a shower, do some laundry, or look out on the healing garden and collect their thoughts.

“In a children’s hospital everything is child-friendly by design. So, everywhere you go there are things that are for children, by children, about children. At the same time it is normal for a parent to need a break – just a little downtime,” said Susan Bolton, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Temple, Texas. “The Ronald McDonald room will give adults a place to go. It’s is in the hospital, so it’s not far from their child’s room. We can’t remove the burden from these adults, but we can make it a little more bearable.”

The room has a price tag of $90,000. Funding for the Family Respite Room is through the McDonald’s cooperative of owners and operators, and the Rotary Club of Temple. The McDonald’s Co-op is giving $30,000, with another $20,000 coming from the Rotary. Volunteers will staff the room.

“This room is a resource that actually helps the child in may ways,” said John L. Boyd III, MD, CEO and chief medical officer of the Children’s Hospital at Scott & White. “We know from research and experience that children heal faster and respond to care better when there is a family presence in the hospital. Communicating with the medical team that is treating their child is vitally important for patents, and improves the outcomes.

When completed, the room will feature:

• Kitchen with refrigerator, microwave, fresh coffee and snacks provided by family room supporters
• Bathroom with shower and linens for those who can’t make the trip home to shower – or don’t want to shower in their child’s room
• Washer, dryer, detergent and a pair of scrubs for those who may not have a fresh change of clothes
• Living room area with a sofa, recliners and a flat screen TV
• Computer workstations so family members can keep in touch with family and friends on the status of their child through email, CarePages, do research or connect with the workplace

The Children’s Hospital at Scott & White is a 64-bed pediatric specialty hospital that will open its doors to patients on October 4, 2011. The newest children’s hospital in Texas, and the only one between Dallas and Austin, features a long list of medical specialties, surgery and therapies, all for children through age 17.

About Scott & White Healthcare ( sw.org )
Scott & White Healthcare is a non-profit collaborative health care system established in 1897 in Temple, Texas. Among the leading health care systems encompassing one of the nation’s largest multi-specialty group practices, Scott & White provides personalized, comprehensive and the highest quality health care enhanced by medical education and research. Scott & White Healthcare includes 12 hospital sites, two additional announced facilities, more than 60 clinic locations throughout Central Texas and staff exceeding 13,000 (including more than 900 physicians and scientists and nearly 400 specialized health care providers). Get the latest news from Scott & White Healthcare by visiting our online newsroom, News blog or on Twitter (@swhealthcare).

For more information, contact:

Scott Clark
Media and Public Relations
Scott & White Healthcare
sdclark@swmail.sw.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

September 6, 2011