Savannah Staten

As a program coordinator in the NICU, I check in with families to get their feedback on how they are being included in their child's NICU stay. I take that feedback and use it to focus on what programs can be implemented to build up families' resiliency, knowing they're going through challenging times and making sure that with each challenge, they're able to go through it a little bit better and come out on the other side still feeling strong. I lead the implementation, development, and evaluation of our Family Dinner Program, where we provide dinners to families once a week and give them a chance to connect with one another in our family lounge. I also run a parent-to-parent matching program where I connect former NICU families with current NICU families, because there's nothing like lived experience to really bring people together to feel supported. Additionally, I supervise 50-plus volunteers for our Cuddler program, where volunteers come in and hold infants but also provide whatever developmental support is right for that infant, which can look different for a baby going through withdrawal compared to a baby that was born early. I also do quality improvement initiatives focused on family-centered care, making sure that whatever's going on with our patient satisfaction surveys, I take that feedback to do QI work.