Preemies return to Bridgeport Hospital to celebrate with caregivers

BRIDGEPORT, CT (May 7, 2018) – Over 100 people – babies, their parents and staff –celebrated together during the Allison Family Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) alumni reunion May 6 at Bridgeport Hospital. When the premature or critically ill babies were last in the hospital during the past year, some weighed barely more than one pound and most were in need of high-level care to survive.

The Bridgeport NICU was completely modernized over a one-year period from late 2016 - 2017 and renamed for the Allison Family of Westport, the project’s lead donor. A ribbon cutting was held in February to mark the completion of the project, which was funded entirely through philanthropy, thanks to gifts from the Allison Family and others. Work in the unit provided more privacy for infants and their families, enhanced technology and more efficient use of space.

The Allison Family NICU provides care to over 500 premature and critically ill babies each year. The NICU and other pediatric services at Bridgeport Hospital were consolidated under Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital in 2012, increasing access to subspecialty services and experts for young patients and their families in the area.

Bridgeport Hospital, part of Yale New Haven Health, is a non-profit 501-bed acute care hospital with two campuses (plus 42 beds licensed to Yale New Haven Children's Hospital). Its Bridgeport and Milford Campuses serve patients from across the region. The hospital admits more than 23,000 patients and provides nearly 350,000 outpatient treatments annually. The Connecticut Burn Center at Bridgeport Hospital is the only burn center in the state and one of only 64 verified burn centers in the United States. Bridgeport Hospital is committed to providing safe, compassionate and cost efficient care to its patients and the community. www.bridgeporthospital.org