NICU family care committee update

The NICU family care committee is moving ahead and I was really happy to join parents Janis and Lisa for the third meeting, chaired by Kim Dionne and with Diane, Sandy and Sonia attending. We have established objectives and are now organizing the 30 brainstorm items from February into themes. Meetings have been set for the last Thursday afternoon of each month.


Co-chair Kim Dionne, recent recipient of Sickkids's highest family centred care award, the Family Advisory Committee Humanitarian Award, listens to Janis, one of four parents currently serving and engaging this committee.

A core objective is to map family communication into a communication checklist based on work by social worker Sandy Steinwender.



The NICU has moved quickly to put in place a dynamic and committed family centred staff team and we are all excited by this evolution of a new family advisory.

NICU parent - staff brainstorm

Fifteen SickKids NICU staff met with three parents to share ideas on family centred care. Two other parents who could not make the meeting participated via written submissions. The two hour scheduled exchange went to almost three and a half hours as we recognized communication that works and delved into specific and general challenges relating to space, continuity, developmental support, role clarity, helpful technology, scripted communications, a reengaged family advisory and more. Our next steps are to draw up a list of recommendations and together discuss how to best take this forward, considering the considerable prior work by an earlier NICU family advisory council. Participants at this NICU family centred care brainstorm were, going around the table: Dr Jonathan Hellmann (NICU Clinical Director), Judy Hawes (NICU Nurse), Jonathan Blumberg (parent, Sasha Bella Fund), Lisa Bonney-Leung (parent), Kim O'Leary (Child Life), Jennifer Butterly (Marnie's Lounge), Lori Ives-Bain (NICU Palliative Care), Chris Churchhill (NICU Operations Director), Melody Hicks (NICU Clinical Manager), Pam Hubley (Chief, Nursing), Janis Purdy (parent), Dianne Flacks (parent), Jonathan Purdy-Flacks (Janis and Diane's baby), Kim Dionne (NICU Nurse Practitioner), Sharyn Gibbons (NICU Nurse Practitioner), Chris Elliot (NICU Quality Leader), Suzanne Breton (Occupational Therapy), Laura DeOliveira (Social Work, NICU), Dianne (Social Work, NICU) Sandy Steinwender (Occupational Therapy). Frank Gavin (SickKids Family Advisory Committee) joined us for the introductions and offered to share resources on NICU family advisories but was unable to stay due to another presentation committment. Gord and Stacey Archer provided written submissions that were presented by Janis.