Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Reunion Celebrates Triumph and Courage at Marian Regional Medical Center

Infants and toddlers enjoyed fun and festivities while reuniting with physicians and staff that cared for them 

SANTA MARIA, CA – October 28, 2023 – Dignity Health’s Marian Regional Medical Center (MRMC) hosted more than 300 people that included tiny tots and their loved ones at a one-of-a-kind reunion. Graduates of Marian’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) reunited with those who cared for them during their earliest and most fragile days. MRMC’s celebratory event offers graduates of the NICU the chance to celebrate with those that make Marian’s NICU so remarkable.

The well-attended annual event celebrated the courageous beginnings of hundreds of little ones, many of whom entered the world weighing less than three pounds. Caregivers, neonatologists, nurses, Santa Maria Fire, Marian’s Hospital President & CEO, Sue Andersen, volunteers and many more gathered to eagerly welcome the graduates on Saturday, October 28 on the grounds of the hospital campus. 

Attendees experienced food, games, crafts, photo booths, face painting, and many more activities for the families to enjoy.

“It’s so important for our team to see all the graduates of our NICU. There are more than 4,500 of them since we opened the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. To see them now grown up as healthy, happy kids is a wonderful experience,” said Sue Andersen, President and CEO, Marian Regional Medical Center. 

Marian’s 21-bed, Community (Level III) Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is the most sophisticated and technologically-advanced Unit in the region, providing exceptional care to the tiniest of patients.

For additional  information or questions about Marian Regional Medical Center’s NICU  please visit Dignityhealth.org/Marian.

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About Marian Regional Medical Center

Marian Regional Medical Center is a state-of-the-art, 191-bed medical center located in Santa Maria, California. The modern facility is home to a broad array of services including a level II trauma center, a level III neonatal intensive care unit, a nationally recognized cardiac care center, and boasts the Central Coast’s only Comprehensive Community Cancer Program as recognized by the Commission on Cancer. Marian has been recognized for quality and patient safety and named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades®.

Marian Regional Medical Center together with Arroyo Grande Community Hospital in Arroyo Grande, and French Hospital Medical Center in San Luis Obispo, comprise Dignity Health Central Coast, a network of hospitals, physicians, and outpatient services including physician offices, ambulatory surgery centers, technologically-advanced laboratories and imaging centers, and a full service home health agency. Learn more at dignityhealth.org/marianregional. 

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