Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) Opens New Ronald McDonald Family Room at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital

Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Intermountain Area (RMHC) in partnership with Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital announces the grand opening of the Ronald McDonald Family Room located on the 4th level of the hospital. 

This Ronald McDonald Family Room will serve families with seriously-ill newborns being cared for in Primary’s  52-bed neonatal intensive care unit, as well as families with children being treated in the hospital’s 30-bed hematology/oncology/cancer units. 

This 1,300 square-foot Ronald McDonald Family Room program is the latest Utah-based program that will allow RMHC to increase in-hospital, family-centered care to support parents to remain near their hospitalized children. 

“Today marks a major milestone in terms of our partnership with Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital and our ability to provide compassionate, family-centered care inside one of the premier children’s hospitals in the nation.” said Carrie Romano, CEO of RMHC. 

“In fact, this Ronald McDonald Family Room is the third Ronald McDonald Family Room program located directly inside Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital,” Romano added. “We are excited to help meet the unique needs of NICU and pediatric oncology patient families, and anticipate serving an additional 2,000 families each year, while offering free and compassionate overnight stays within the private sleep rooms so caregivers can rest and recharge while remaining within steps of their child’s bedside.”

The 4th floor Ronald McDonald Family Room at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital features:

• An actively hosted respite program with a fully-stocked kitchenette and healthy grab-and-go food
• Laundry, guest lockers, showers and tablets for guest use
• Two private sleep rooms for naps and overnight stays
• Compassionate care offered by the staff and volunteers of RMHC

“The challenges many of our patient families face are arduous and can be lengthy. Many of our patient families are so focused on their child’s healthy that eating or doing laundry may not be at the forefront of their minds,” said Dustin Lipson, administrator of Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital administrator. “We’re grateful for our partnership with Ronald McDonald House Charities and hope that these amenities will make a positive difference for our patient families.” 

The grand opening of the Ronald McDonald Family Room 4th Floor at Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital was celebrated today, January 19, 2023. 

Romano summed up the meaning of this moment: “To be standing here today, ready to serve the families who have children receiving the best lifesaving care possible from Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital is an honor. This is a special day.”

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ABOUT RONALD McDONALD HOUSE CHARITIES (RMHC) – INTERMOUNTAIN AREA
The mission of Ronald McDonald House Charities is to surround families with the support they need to be near and care for their seriously ill or injured children. RMHC provides a home-away-from-home to ease daily burdens and empower families of hospitalized children with meaningful experiences and quality time together. The Ronald McDonald Family Room located on the 4th Floor of Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital is open to families who have babies in treatment at the NICU or Hematology/Oncology/Cancer Unit. Families will be able to access the space 24/7. To learn more about RMHC and our new Ronald McDonald Family Room, please visit our website at www.ronaldmcdonaldhouseutah.org 

ABOUT INTERMOUNTAIN PRIMARY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL 
Intermountain Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City is a full-service children's hospital serving Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Montana and Alaska. Primary Children’s is the only Level I Pediatric Trauma Center in the Intermountain West and provides care for children with the most complex injury and illness, including those who require heart, liver, kidney and bone marrow transplants. The guiding philosophy at Primary Children’s is The Child First and Always®. Primary Children’s is part of Intermountain Healthcare, a nationally recognized not-for-profit healthcare system based in Utah, and serves as the pediatric specialty teaching hospital for the University of Utah School of Medicine, combining research, training and excellent care to provide the best health care for children. In 2020, Intermountain Healthcare made a bold promise to build the nation's model health system for children — a vision for the future of pediatric care that expands Primary Children's impact, ensuring every child has access to the right care, at the right place, at the right time.