HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital to host picnic honoring NICU graduates and the medical heroes that provided them life-saving care

Green Bay, Wis. – On Friday, Sept. 30, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital will host a picnic for former patients and their families of the hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). In addition, the picnic will honor the unit’s medical heroes – past and present – who have provided life-saving care to our communities’ tiniest and youngest patients for more than 50 years.

HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital invites all former patients of its NICU, and their families, to attend this special event which will feature a barbeque dinner, ice cream truck and live music from folk musician, Kristen Graves. The picnic will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 30 at Green Isle Park, 900 Greene Ave., Allouez. There is no cost to attend, however those interested are encouraged to register in advance at: www.stvincentchildrenshospital.org/NICUreunion

“Few understand the experience of having a child in the NICU,” said Betsy Carney-Hoffman, NICU Nursing Manager, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, and where she has provided care to patients for 40 years. “It can be a difficult experience for parents and caregivers, and one that has ripple effects far outside the days, weeks or months a baby spends in our care. This special event will provide the opportunity for our former patients and their families, and those who cared for them, a chance to reunite and connect on their shared experiences.”

HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital NICU is also celebrating 50 years of service as the first and longest-serving NICU in the Greater Green Bay community. As a Level III NICU, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital NICU is committed and equipped to care for infants facing some of the most complex and difficult health issues including prematurity, low birth weight, congenital birth defects and unanticipated difficulties that may happen during delivery. It serves patients and families from across Northeast Wisconsin, the Lakeshore and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The neonatologists, nurses and other providers and staff provide a combined 840 years of neonatal intensive care experience to HSHS St.  Vincent Children’s Hospital.

“As we honor our ‘NICU graduates,’ this also allows us to pause and show deep appreciation for our physicians, providers and caregivers,” said Betsy. “Reuniting with former patients – young and old – reaffirms how incredibly special our work is. The picnic is a chance to connect us to our past, celebrate our present and envision our future as Green Bay’s longest-standing and serving NICU.”

The HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital NICU Reunion and 50^th Anniversary Picnic is being held in partnership with the HSHS St. Vincent/St. Mary’s Foundation.

To our media friends: HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital also invites you to cover the sights and sounds of the NICU Reunion and 50^th Anniversary Picnic at Green Isle Park on Sept. 30, from 3 to 6 p.m.! Our public relations team will be on hand to assist you in coordinating interviews with our NICU medical heroes, including Betsy Carney-Hoffman, and former patients and their families. We are also pleased to be able to provide you b-roll of inside the HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital NICU which was captured in recent weeks, to supplement your stories. Click here to access b-roll of the HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital NICU, courtesy of HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital. We also thank you in advance for sharing the news about this event ahead of time as to make all our former patients in our communities across Northeast Wisconsin, the Lakeshore and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan aware it is happening and that they are invited to join us.

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About HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital

Located inside the walls of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital in Green Bay, Wis., HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is Green Bay’s first and only children’s hospital. With every detail tailored to kids, HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital delivers exceptional health care to children while making them feel comfortable and supported. As a partner of Prevea Health, it has direct access to dedicated pediatricians and a wide variety of specialty care physicians. HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital is also a member of the Children’s Hospital Association, the voice for more than 220 children’s hospitals nationwide. For more information about HSHS St. Vincent Children’s Hospital, visit: www.stvincentchildrenshospital.org

About Hospital Sisters Health System

Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 15 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, O’Fallon, Shelbyville and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org.  For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.