Bakersfield
Purpose
The Ronald McDonald Family Room at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital is being established to meet the needs of families of pediatric patients at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital (BMH) help reduce the stress associated with having a hospitalized sick child. This is done in four ways –
· Provide three sleeping rooms for families who have traveled more than 25 miles for care at
Bakersfield
Memorial
Hospital
· Provide a small living room for targeted families who need a break from the “hospital environment”
· Provide a place for a quick shower or nap during the day for targeted families who are not sleeping overnight
· Provide a resource center for targeted families
Description
The Ronald McDonald House Family Room™ is an area set aside at
Bakersfield
Memorial
Hospital to serve as a quiet rest area for family member of children admitted to the hospital for treatment. It provides a home-like atmosphere when a family member needs a break from the “hospital environment.” It will be equipped with sleeping rooms, bathrooms and showers, a small kitchenette and dining area, and a living room which will include a computer.
When children are ill, parents are reluctant to leave the hospital. However, they desperately need a break from the ongoing stress of beeping monitors and busy intensive care units. The Family Room offers a special place of respite, relaxation and privacy. It provides a small oasis of calm and normalcy amidst the tense, chaotic medical setting.
The Family Room is a collaborative effort between Ronald McDonald House Charities of Southern California (RMHCSC) and BMH and will be located on the southern campus of BMH in a building adjacent to the hospital where the Heart House facility currently resides. After a renovation of the designated facility, it is anticipated the facility could open in mid 2008. RMHCSC is responsible for the overall management and operation of the Family Room and will require 24-hour on-site management, which will be provided by and under the supervision of RMHCSC. BMH will be responsible for providing the space the Family Room and for certain maintenance including utilities, liability and casualty insurance, security, janitorial and housekeeping, mechanical systems and free parking.
Initial Funding
Community support for the Family Room is impressive. On the capital side there is $25,000 from the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation that has been donated to support the Heart House. Gibbons and Wheelan has offered to underwrite the cost of labor and materials for building out the Family Room, Shirley Vance/Ladybug Cottage has offered to provide the furnishings, Urner’s Appliances is providing a built-in microwave and entertainment center, with additional support coming from Damon Culbertson/Mercedes Benz of Bakersfield, Dean Ross/All That Lettering, Mike Allen/Spanish Radio Group, KGET TV, Mike Hart/KERO TV and Ralph Bailey/KNZR Radio.
The McDonald’s Co-op in
Bakersfield is very excited about the possibility of having a Family Room in their community and has voted to approve taking responsibility for meeting the capital and operating needs. The Co-op intends to organize community leaders and fundraising activities to meet these needs.
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