Lafayette General Foundation Announces New Program at LGMC

Lafayette General Foundation (LGF) announces “NICU Rocks”, a cuddling program that utilizes volunteers from the Lafayette General Health (LGH) Volunteer Program to rock and cuddle infants born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). It is also geared towards babies whose mother might be in the adult ICU or lives too far away to visit frequently. The program is currently underway in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Lafayette General Medical Center (LGMC).

Infants born with NAS are often fussy and hard to calm during their stay in the NICU. One of the most effective ways to calm NAS infants is gently rocking them. Utilizing nurses to rock babies takes valuable time away from life sustaining care in the NICU, such as ventilator control, medication monitoring and feeding. Therefore, LGF and LGH’s Volunteer Program, with the support of Holden’s Hope and Little Giraffe Foundation, started NICURocks.

NICU Rocks consists of not only volunteer cuddlers from LGH’s Volunteer Program, but infant swings as well. In July 2016, Holden’s Hope presented LGF with a $1,000 donation to purchase four mamaRoo® units. LGF was also awarded another $1,000 grant from Little Giraffe Foundation for rocking chairs and three additional mamaRoo® units.

“The NICU physicians and staff at LGMC work to continually implement initiatives which improve patient care,” says Cian Robinson, Lafayette General Foundation Executive Director. “The Foundation’s role is to connect the health system with the proper resources to achieve Lafayette General Health’s mission, To Restore, Maintain and Improve Health.”

Newborns who need special or intensive care are often admitted to LGMC’s level III NICU. The unit is one of the most technologically advanced NICU’s in Acadiana, with a capacity of 31 beds.

Lafayette General currently has a waiting list for volunteer cuddlers. If you are interested in NICU Rocks, then you must first be an established volunteer in the health system. Cuddlers must pass a safety-training course and will only rock newborns with parent consent. LGH’s Volunteer Program offers many volunteer opportunities including gift shop supporters, Cancer Center of Acadiana patient attendants, information desk workers, front entrance greeters/navigators, patient transporters, pastoral care and more. To learn more about LGH’s Volunteer Program, call (337)289-7130 or visit Volunteer.