St. John’s Regional Medical Center’s NICU Receives Book Donation from Local Girl Scout

Book donation to support parent and baby bonding

OXNARD, CA – (February 5, 2019) – St. John’s Regional Medical Center (SJRMC), a Dignity Health hospital is pleased to share it received a generous book donation from Thousand Oaks Girl Scout, Adriana Ferraro. The library of books will benefit parents and babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Adriana gathered and donated approximately 500 books as part of her efforts to make a difference in her community and earn the highest award level in Girl Scoutsthe Gold Award. The books donated will serve as a resource to encourage NICU parents who have limited contact with their premature baby, to bond and promote development through the art of reading. Upon graduating from the NICU, babies will be gifted a book, signed by their NICU nurses.

“We are grateful for Adriana’s thoughtful and generous donation,” said Jan Ayala, NICU Manager. “These books will contribute to the development of our tiniest patients. NICU parents will now have the opportunity to bond with their babies in a unique way.”

Studies show that reading to babies in the NICU can help parents develop the same feelings of bonding that parents of healthy newborns cultivate in the days after a baby’s birth.

The St. John’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) provides highly specialized, family centered care for newborns that require extra attention. The NICU is currently being expanded from two rooms with eight bays each to a 20 private room unit. The new NICU will enhance services by providing babies and their families with sophisticated nurse monitoring capabilities along with added privacy and comfort.

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About Dignity Health - St. John’s Regional Medical Center:
St. John’s Regional Medical Center in Oxnard is a recipient of the Healthgrades Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence (2012-2015) and is rated among America’s 100 Best Hospitals for Cardiac Care for five consecutive years. St. John’s Regional Medical Center’s cardiac program offers effective treatment for heart disease as a STEMI Receiving Center, world-class clinical research trials, a certified primary stroke center, and recently became the first hospital in California to offer the world’s smallest leadless pacemaker for patients with bradycardia – slow heart rate. In addition, St. John’s was the first and only hospital in Ventura County to perform cryoablation, an innovative procedure to treat atrial fibrillation – a common heart rhythm disorder. St. John’s Cancer Program is accredited by the American College of Surgeons Commission on Cancer and offers a lung cancer program recognized as the only Center of Excellence in Ventura County. The 16-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St. John’s provides family centered care for newborns requiring highly specialized attention. Learn more about other classes, events and support groups at DignityHealth.org/StJohnsRegional/Classesand-Events.