Ronald McDonald house to grow

In a typical year, the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill turns away 500 to 700 families that want a place to stay while relatives are treated at UNC Hospitals.

After a planned expansion of the local charity, more could be accommodated.

The Ronald McDonald House is in the early stages of planning the construction of a second building directly behind the existing one, a plan that coincides with expansion plans for UNC’s Newborn Critical Care Center.

Shelley Day, executive director of the Ronald McDonald House of Chapel Hill, said that the additional building would house families who need to stay for longer periods.

Bruce Runberg, associate vice chancellor of facilities planning and construction for the University who is in charge of the expansion, said that once the building design is complete, it will have to be approved by the UNC Board of Trustees as well as other University committees, Runberg said. He said the entire process could take up to six months.

Day said that UNC’s Newborn Critical Care Center provides the largest number of patient referrals to the Ronald McDonald House, along with pediatrics and oncology.

Babies born prematurely can often stay in the hospital for up to 16 weeks, said Wayne Price, chief of the division of neonatal-perinatal medicine at UNC Hospitals. Since most families don’t live in the area, places like the Ronald McDonald House are crucial, he said.

UNC Hospitals is also planning on expanding its Newborn Critical Care Center, he said.

“Our state population has expanded,” Price said. “There are more sick babies who need more specified care.”

The care center will increase in size by 20 percent with an additional 10 beds. The neonatal ward is already the largest intensive care unit in the hospital, he said.

An increased patient number could lead more families to knock at the Ronald McDonald House door.

The house began to address the need for space in 2001 by adding 5,000 square feet, which increased the space by 50 percent.



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