New technology at Orem hospital connects NICU baby to father deployed overseas
Mar 23, 2018, 9:38 PM | Updated: 11:04 pm
OREM – New webcam technology at Timpanogos Regional Hospital in Orem is making it easy for family and friends to meet your newest bundle of joy.
For Mary Girtman, a new mother to baby John, the new cameras have been a lifesaver.
“It’s been really nice for my husband to be able to look at the camera whenever he wants,” Girtman said.
Her husband is in the Air Force and deployed overseas. Their son, John was born on January 29, and is in the NICU for complications from pneumonia. She said having the ability to show her husband his son at any hour is helpful.
“With such a big time difference, it’s in the middle of the night for one of us and so it’s been nice,” she said. “It takes the stress off of me of feeling like I need to be here at a certain time to FaceTime.”
The hospital has 16 NICU cameras, each pointing over a patient’s crib. Hospital officials said you need a special login code to be able to view a specific camera. And for privacy purposes, the staff occasionally puts it offline.
“It’s been so great I can’t even tell you, it’s just takes the burden off of like having him here in the NICU,” Girtman said.
Even though her husband hasn’t held his son yet, Girtman knows they already have a bond even if it’s only through a lense.
“Yeah this is his one way to meet his son, ha,” she said.
