New Ronald McDonald Family Room opens at TMC

When the TMC Foundation had the opportunity to work with long-time partners the Ronald McDonald House to provide a space within the hospital to give families with hospitalized children a place to rest and regroup, it was a simple decision to make.

The new room is near the TMC Newborn Intensive Care Unit (NICU), where parents often stay for weeks or even months while their babies are growing. It opens to the beautiful Women of Honor Courtyard, which brings the outside inside and promotes a sense of well-being. Families who visit the room will be able to relax, have a snack, drink a hot cup of coffee or tea, and chat with a friendly volunteer or other families in a non-clinical setting.

Volunteers from Ronald McDonald House Charities and Tucson Medical Center staff the room with the goal of making life a little easier for families with children in the hospital.

“We are so thankful for the Ronald McDonald House and that they made this room happen,” said Kara Snyder, director of Women’s and Children’s Services. “We recognize that having a child in the hospital is stressful. Parents don’t want to leave, but need to be able to relax and take care of themselves. The Ronald McDonald Family Room provides a relaxing space that doesn’t feel like a hospital so families can take a break and feel comforted knowing they are still close by.”

Ronald McDonald House Charities, TMC Health Foundation and Children’s Miracle Network funded this project. The room was designed by Interiors in Design and constructed by TMC Facilities.