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"Speediatrics" center unveiled
Betty Jane France Pediatric Center "Speediatrics" unveiled. Homestead-Miami Speedway and Homestead Hospital partner to help Children. HOMESTEAD, FL (April 23, 2002) - Four-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon helped unveil the Betty Jane ...
Published: Apr 25, 2002, 11:44 AM
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Betty Jane France Pediatric Center "Speediatrics" unveiled.
Homestead-Miami Speedway and Homestead Hospital partner to help Children.
HOMESTEAD, FL (April 23, 2002) - Four-time NASCAR Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon helped unveil the Betty Jane France Pediatric Center, "Speediatrics", at a Grand Opening ceremony at Homestead Hospital on Tuesday. The Grand Opening also featured Betty Jane France, founder of Speediatrics and Assistant Secretary and International Community Relations Director for NASCAR.
The completely renovated unit 14-bed pediatrics unit designed with a motorsports theme. Homestead-Miami Speedway committed to raise $300,000 toward the estimated $600,000 project.
"Thanks to the support of Homestead-Miami Speedway, we have made our pediatric unit truly unique: a warm and inviting place for parents and their children who need to be hospitalized," said Bo Boulenger, chief executive officer of Homestead Hospital. Homestead Hospital is a part of Baptist Health, the largest not-for-profit health care organization in South Florida.
"We are very proud to unveil the Betty Jane France Pediatric Center at Homestead Hospital," said Curtis Gray, President of Homestead-Miami Speedway. "Speediatrics will not only fill the need for more pediatric care in the south Miami-Dade area, but will also help make the stay of every child at the hospital more enjoyable through its racing-themed design. Helping the community is a huge priority for the Speedway, and Speediatrics represents one of the most worthwhile projects Homestead-Miami Speedway has ever undertaken."
The Betty Jane France Pediatric Center is the only dedicated pediatric unit in deep South Miami-Dade. Renovation began last September and was completed earlier this month.
The new unit includes a special four-bed pediatric intensive care and observation unit, which reduces the need to transfer seriously ill or injured children to Baptist Children's Hospital or other Miami facilities. Homestead Hospital also has a 24-hour Children's Emergency Room where more than 10,000 children are treated each year.
"With more and more children coming to the hospital and to our pediatricians for care, we needed to expand our pediatric services," said Mr. Boulenger. "Homestead-Miami Speedway's pledge, as well as growing support from the Homestead and Florida City communities, helped make this new unit possible."
Speediatrics is designed to make children feel as comfortable as possible during a hospital stay. The unit's new waiting room, hallway walls, nurse's station, patient rooms and playroom are decorated with a motorsports theme that includes race cars, checkered flags, and cartoon characters named "Curves," "Traxx," "Six-Speed," and 'Clutch."
Speediatrics' cheerful atmosphere can make a difference in the spirit and recovery of sick children as documented at the Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where Speediatrics opened in 1999 with the backing of Daytona International Speedway and NASCAR.
"We salute Homestead-Miami Speedway for initiating Speediatrics at Homestead Hospital," said Mrs. France. "As proven in Daytona, Speediatrics can make a difference in the care of children. With the completion of this project, children won't just see a hospital when they arrive at Homestead's Speediatrics unit; they'll see pit road or victory lane at Homestead-Miami Speedway."
Several community leaders were present at Tuesday's grand opening including Jorge Mejia, M.D., chief of the medical staff at Homestead Hospital.
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