Ronald McDonald House funds state-of-the-art baby monitor

Published: March 9, 2015

The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outstate Michigan generously donated nearly $23,000 to buy a monitor that will measure brain activity of babies at Sparrow’s Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU).

The CFM (Cerebral Function Monitoring) Olympic Brainz Monitor has tiny probes that are placed under the skin on the scalp. Brain activity is displayed on a screen.

“This allows us to track an infant’s brain function immediately and to intervene just as fast,” said Sarah Collins, BSN, RNC-NIC, Nurse Manager and Educator for the RNICU at Sparrow. “It identifies neurological problems like seizures on our smallest and most vulnerable Patients. This transforms care for them.”

Sparrow’s RNICU at the Sparrow Children's Center provides intensive around-the-clock care for premature newborn babies and sick full-term babies. Each year Sparrow's RNICU cares for nearly 600 acutely ill infants from throughout mid-Michigan.

“Supporting Sparrow supports the families the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan serves,” said Carolyn Hurst, Managing Director of the Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan. “One of our missions is to give back to the communities we serve. This is a great example.”

The Ronald McDonald House of Mid-Michigan, across the street from Sparrow Hospital, is a home away from home for families of hospitalized children. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Outstate Michigan seeks, finds and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children. It proudly supports Ronald McDonald Houses.

Choose Wisely. Choose Sparrow.