Saint Barnabas Committee a NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes Finalist

The Saint Barnabas Medical Center Miracle Walk Committee has been named a finalist in the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ category in the 2012 NJBIZ Healthcare Heroes awards program. The award program is produced by NJBIZ, New Jersey’s premiere business news publication, and honors individuals and organizations making a significant impact on the quality of healthcare in New Jersey.

The SBMC Miracle Walk Committee was selected for its instrumental role in creating and orchestrating the annual SBMC Miracle Walk which supports the SBMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a highly specialized unit which provides the most advanced care for premature and ill newborns. The NICU, which treats more than 1,200 infants annually for prematurity, low birth weight, acute illness, and congenital disorders, has one of the best infant survival rates among neonatal intensive care units in New Jersey and the nation. 

In gratitude for the care their children received during stays in the SBMC NICU, a group of families was inspired to begin the Miracle Walk. A true grass roots effort, the Miracle Walk committee, led by Hayley and Jonathan Hirschmann of Livingston, has enlisted family members, friends, neighbors, local businesses and schools to support this special cause.  The walk has grown from 500 participants in its first year to an astounding 2,100 in 2011. 

As the walk has grown, this group of volunteers has worked tirelessly to make sure that their ultimate goal of raising vital funds for the NICU is not only achieved, but exceeded. The committee’s original goal of raising $1 million in 10 years was accomplished in half that time. To date, Miracle Walk has raised over $3 million to purchase the most technologically advanced items and equipment available to support this highly specialized field – ensuring NICU babies at Saint Barnabas receive outstanding care and experience as little discomfort as possible.  

“The Miracle Walk Committee is comprised of an amazing group of dedicated individuals whose efforts have enabled the NICU to purchase the latest and best state-of-the-art equipment and technology to help our infant patients breathe, monitor their vital signs, have a developmentally appropriate environment to rest and grow in, and administer medications,” said Jennifer Spiegel RNC, BSN, MAS, NICU Nurse Manager at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. 

In addition, through the efforts of the Miracle Walk Committee, the Saint Barnabas NICU is one of the first in the country to have a fully integrated electronic medical record designed especially for the NICU population to ensure the safest care possible.  

The 12th Annual Miracle Walk will take place Sunday, October 7, 2012, at in Verona Park, Verona, NJ. For more information about Miracle Walk, visit www.miraclewalk.com.