First Lady of the Republic of Ghana Visits Children’s National
March 12, 2012
Washington, DC—Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Ernestina Naadu Mills, First Lady of the Republic of Ghana, visited Children’s National Medical Center this morning. She is in Washington, DC, with her husband, President John Atta Mills, on an official visit to the United States. Her Excellency Dr. Mrs. Mills is known for her advocacy on behalf of child and maternal health. During her visit, she was briefed on the Women, Infants, and Children program at Children’s National. She toured the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“We are delighted to welcome the First Lady of the Republic of Ghana,” said Kurt D. Newman, MD, President and CEO of Children’s National. “At Children’s National, we are focused on making creative connections with international thought leaders who are committed to children’s health issues. Today’s visit and the First Lady’s interest in our work here will serve as a foundation for future partnerships and outreach on behalf of children and families worldwide.”
Children’s National recently expanded its Cardiac ICU, which now houses 26 private rooms spanning 34,000 square feet. This is the region’s only Cardiac Intensive Care Unit dedicated to neonates, infants, children, and adults with acquired and congenital heart disease. The state-of-the-art unit combines the most advanced care and research technologies, with a design that is centered around families and healing.
The 54-bed NICU at Children’s National is the only Level IIIC NICU in the region, the highest distinction available by the American Academy of Pediatrics. That ranking is conferred on NICUs that, among other cutting edge services, offer ECMO (extra corporeal membrane oxygenation or heart/lung bypass).
Contact: Emily Dammeyer or Susan Muma, Public Relations — 202-476-4500.
About Children's National Health System
Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has served the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is one of the nation’s Top 5 pediatric hospitals and, for a second straight year, is ranked No. 1 in newborn care, as well as ranked in all specialties evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area, including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children’s Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is the seventh-highest NIH-funded pediatric institution in the nation. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.
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