Norton Children’s Hospital is asking families and community members to help shape plans for a new pediatric care campus coming to Jeffersontown, with leaders saying early feedback is already influencing what the project will become.“We are learning so much,” said Renee Murphy with Norton Healthcare. “Families and kids have been providing great information, great ideas about what they want to see at this campus, from the services that are offered to the design and the feel of the campus overall.”One of the clearest priorities emerging from the public, Murphy said, is expanded behavioral and mental health care.“We’ve heard from the community about the need for behavioral and mental health supports,” Murphy said. “That will be one of the things we’re also hearing about, other complex and specialty care they want to see at this campus.”In addition to medical services, plans for the campus include lodging, food and other accommodations for parents while their children receive treatment, features advocates say could ease the burden on families traveling for care.“When you think about mental health, when you think about extensive surgeries or complicated surgeries, we need that care and that center of excellence in this region to be able to help serve all families,” said Lauren Newcomb.Newcomb said her daughter, Lily, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at 18 months old and needed open-heart surgery two months later. She believes the new facility could make it easier for families facing similar medical crises.“When you think about the center of excellence that Norton Children’s is trying to build in Jeffersontown, and creating that for a wider audience,” Newcomb said. “Talking about this during Heart Month is really important for our family, because one in 100 kids are born with a congenital heart defect.”Norton Healthcare says interest in the project is extending well beyond Kentucky.“There’s interest nationally about this,” Murphy said. “So we have families and people from 22 states who have completed surveys and provided feedback about this campus. So this is important, not just for us here locally, but really it’s important for care across the country.”People who still want to weigh in will have another opportunity during a virtual listening session Tuesday. An online survey is also available.
JEFFERSONTOWN, Ky. —
Norton Children’s Hospital is asking families and community members to help shape plans for a new pediatric care campus coming to Jeffersontown, with leaders saying early feedback is already influencing what the project will become.
“We are learning so much,” said Renee Murphy with Norton Healthcare. “Families and kids have been providing great information, great ideas about what they want to see at this campus, from the services that are offered to the design and the feel of the campus overall.”
One of the clearest priorities emerging from the public, Murphy said, is expanded behavioral and mental health care.
“We’ve heard from the community about the need for behavioral and mental health supports,” Murphy said. “That will be one of the things we’re also hearing about, other complex and specialty care they want to see at this campus.”
In addition to medical services, plans for the campus include lodging, food and other accommodations for parents while their children receive treatment, features advocates say could ease the burden on families traveling for care.
“When you think about mental health, when you think about extensive surgeries or complicated surgeries, we need that care and that center of excellence in this region to be able to help serve all families,” said Lauren Newcomb.
Newcomb said her daughter, Lily, was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect at 18 months old and needed open-heart surgery two months later. She believes the new facility could make it easier for families facing similar medical crises.
“When you think about the center of excellence that Norton Children’s is trying to build in Jeffersontown, and creating that for a wider audience,” Newcomb said. “Talking about this during Heart Month is really important for our family, because one in 100 kids are born with a congenital heart defect.”
Norton Healthcare says interest in the project is extending well beyond Kentucky.
“There’s interest nationally about this,” Murphy said. “So we have families and people from 22 states who have completed surveys and provided feedback about this campus. So this is important, not just for us here locally, but really it’s important for care across the country.”
People who still want to weigh in will have another opportunity during a virtual listening session Tuesday. An online survey is also available.