Beverly Hospital Special Care Babies Reunited With Nursery Staff

BEVERLY, MA — More than 75 families and 100 children who spent time in Beverly Hospital's Special Care Nursery in the past year-and-a-half returned to the hospital for a reunion with hospital staff and caregivers.

The reunion was the first of its kind at the hospital in four years after the events full of music, face painting, photos, ice cream and a visit from a therapy dog were suspended because of the COVID-19 health crisis.

Attendees included Special Care Nursery babies born between Jan. 1, 2022 through Sept. 1, 2023, and anyone who spent more than 10 days in the nursery during 2021, along with the nursery's professional team.

The Special Care Nursery is a 12-bed unit that provides advanced medical care for babies born at 32 weeks or greater.

The unit — under the direction of nurse manager Anna McNichols, is staffed with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center neonatologists and registered nurses experienced in newborn intensive care and respiratory care as well as social workers, physical therapists, a nutritionist and other staff that can provide support for the newborns and their families.

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. X/Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)