NEWEST INDIANA RONALD MCDONALD HOUSE® NOW IN OPERATION AT PARKVIEW HOSPITAL

The Ronald McDonald House® at Parkview Hospital is one of only two Ronald McDonald houses in operation in Indiana, with the other located at Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis. First opened in January 2002 as a Ronald McDonald Family Room®, the facility, which is located on the third floor of Parkview Hospital (Randalia Campus) has been used by more than 6,000 families. It has overnight accommodations consisting of six bedrooms, bathrooms, a large family room, spacious kitchen, den and laundry facilities.

In response to the needs of the families of critically ill, premature or injured children, the Ronald McDonald House ® at Parkview was deliberately designed inside the hospital, as opposed to a freestanding building. Without exception, families of children in intensive care want to be as close to their child as possible for as much time as possible. While a free-standing facility provides greater community visibility for the charity, it did not best meet the needs of the children and families in these critical and heart-wrenching circumstances. Families stay free of charge, whether they stay one day or many months.

Daily operations of the Ronald McDonald House® at Parkview are managed by the House Director, Lisa Pacula, with help from 80 dedicated volunteers and staff. It enjoys a solid partnership with the hospital as well as the Parkview pediatric medical community. Several members of the Board of Trustees of Ronald McDonald House® at Parkview Hospital also are specialists in the areas of women and children’s health and provide valuable expertise to the program.

In addition to other forms of financial support, regional McDonald’s owner-operators regularly collect drive-through canister money from the public, 100% of which is sent directly to the Ronald McDonald House® at Parkview Hospital to support the program. Local businesses also help support the house by collecting pop tabs. Numerous individual and corporate donors provide funding, as well.

For more information, contact Lisa Pacula at 373-3591 Lisa.pacula@parkview.com