010: Dr. Katie Ziegler – COVID-19 and the NICU, What Families Need to Know

Martha Sharkey

Navigating the NICU journey before COVID-19 was already incredibly stressful and overwhelming. Adding the COVID-19 pandemic to the equation takes a family’s anxiety and stress to a completely new level. On this episode, we will learn how the NICU team at Abington Hospital has supported families during the pandemic using virtual practices, and what we have learned from these experiences. Dr. Katie Ziegler, the Medical Director for Abington’s NICU, joins us to share best practices for Mom and Baby as it relates to COVID-19 and to dealing with public health concerns.
On this episode you will hear:
- Why Dr. Ziegler chose a career in Neonatal Intensive Care
- Why Abington Hospital was recently featured in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst, highlighting how their practice has changed in the NICU since the COVID-19 pandemic began
- Why Dr. Ziegler feels innovation is so important as it relates to a family’s NICU experience and interactions with the medical teams, especially during the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Dr. Ziegler shares the virtual practices the team at Abington Hospital has utilized to care for the babies and their families
- We'll hear about "virtual rounds" and how they work
- We will discuss the other measures that have been implemented to keep the babies and their families safe in the NICU
- We talk about families delivering now during the COVID-19 pandemic
- You will also hear about whether newborns more/less susceptible to COVID-19 than adults
- We discuss what symptoms parents should watch out for
- You will also hear Dr. Ziegler's advice for parents, if the mother is sick with COVID-19, as well as the best way to prevent the baby from getting sick
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This episode was produced and directed by Tony Lopes, of SoftStix Productions LLC (www.softstixproductions.com), in collaboration with co-producer and director of photography Michael Leary, of One Fifteen Films LLC (www.onefifteenfilms.com).
Copyright 2020, SoftStix Productions LLC.

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