There’s nothing more fascinating than a newborn baby and all the hopes, dreams and wishes that come along with that birth. Dominican Hospital has had the privilege of being there from the start as thousands of babies have taken their first breath, peek at the world and looked face to face with a parent.
Since its founding, Dominican Hospital has been one of the primary destinations for delivering and caring for babies in Santa Cruz County. On average, 90 babies are born at the hospital each month. As the community has grown, so has the hospital’s capabilities and commitment to the area it serves.
Today, Dominican is the only hospital in the county offering a Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for premature newborns and the only place in the county that can provide life support for babies. To ensure our tiniest residents can get to the NICU, a special transport unit that fits inside an ambulance and a highly trained transport team are dispatched to pick up babies at other area hospitals.
The hospital’s NICU, which operates in partnership with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital (LPCH) Stanford, has treated more than 5000 babies since it opened in 2002.
Whether a baby’s stay has been long or short, the Dominican Hospital Foundation has developed a beautiful way to commemorate babies born at Dominican, Community, or Sisters hospitals. A special wall, “Celebrating Our Babies,” will feature baby names inscribed on porcelain tiles. It will be located in the recently named Dr. Joseph T. Anzalone Family & Newborn Care Courtyard, an open air garden that will provide a peaceful setting for new parents and their babies. The courtyard is part of the hospital’s Healing Courtyards project that is transforming several garden spaces throughout the hospital.
Tiles purchased for $1,000 will support the Dr. Joseph T. Anzalone Family & Newborn Care Courtyard and the hospital’s Healing Courtyards project. Multiple tiles may be obtained to recognize several children or multiple generations.
The Krassow Family Challenge
In a very generous show of support, Randy and Janet Krassow, longtime supporters of the NICU at Dominican, have created a significant challenge gift to match the first 100 gifts made to support this special wall.
“Our hope and prayer is that through our gift and your generous matching donations, our community will be encouraged to honor the babies in their lives and help make this healing garden a reality,” the Krassows said.
Inspired by the redwoods of the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Anzalone Family & Newborn Care Garden will allow new parents and their babies to enjoy fresh air and nature, while reducing stress. According to scientific research, gazing at gardens reduces stress levels, the need for pain mediation and the length of hospital stays.
Healing Courtyards
Dominican Hospital’s Healing Courtyards project will transform several garden spaces throughout the hospital. Groundbreaking in late spring will begin with the Monterey Peninsula Foundation Rehabilitation Garden, the Norman & Maureen Benito Courtyard, and the Isabel Wallace Bartfield Terrace.
This will be followed soon after with the Anzalone Courtyard and the Nello Santacroce Meditation Garden. The project which also renovates and enlarges the Central Surgery Waiting Area, requires a total of $4.4 million of which $3.8 million has been raised. A Healing Courtyards Committee, chaired by Plantronics CEO and Dominican Hospital Foundation board member, Joe Burton, is working hard to achieve the goal.