Rosenbaum Family House provides place for families to stay while loved one receives treatment
West Virginia University Hospital's Rosenbaum Family House was opened with Kanawha Valley families in mind.
The home away from home for families of adult patients at the hospital also has served families in Putnam, Lincoln, Roane - in fact, anyone who lives more than 50 miles from the Morgantown hospital can request a low-cost room while a loved one is being treated at the adjacent hospital.
Rosenbaum House has served 314 Kanawha County families since it opened in 1999, said Angela S. Jones, a public relations specialist for WVU Hospitals. And more than 6,000 West Virginia families have used its 26 rooms.
In fact, Rosenbaum House has become a bit of a victim of its own success. It often has a waiting list and has to turn families away, said Jena Prokopchuk, its director.
"It normally takes a few days to get in," she said.
Fortunately, the four-story building that comprises Rosenbaum House has room for growth and the facility last week kicked off a fundraising effort called the Expansion of Hope Campaign to pay for it.
The first and second floors are being used for other purposes. Stage One of the fundraising plan - its goal is to raise $500,000 - is to renovate the second floor to add rooms and to renovate what is a lounge area on the third floor to create a day room and a children's room. The day room can accommodate families who may not need to stay overnight, but wish to take a break from the hospital to shower or relax.
Prokopchuk said the house is appealing because it is conveniently located next to the hospital and because of its low cost.
"What we do is ask for $15 a night. Many families can do that, though some can't, and they tell us that going in," she said. "No one is ever turned away because they cannot pay."
West Virginia University Hospital's Rosenbaum Family House was opened with Kanawha Valley families in mind.
The home away from home for families of adult patients at the hospital also has served families in Putnam, Lincoln, Roane - in fact, anyone who lives more than 50 miles from the Morgantown hospital can request a low-cost room while a loved one is being treated at the adjacent hospital.
Rosenbaum House has served 314 Kanawha County families since it opened in 1999, said Angela S. Jones, a public relations specialist for WVU Hospitals. And more than 6,000 West Virginia families have used its 26 rooms.
In fact, Rosenbaum House has become a bit of a victim of its own success. It often has a waiting list and has to turn families away, said Jena Prokopchuk, its director.
"It normally takes a few days to get in," she said.
Fortunately, the four-story building that comprises Rosenbaum House has room for growth and the facility last week kicked off a fundraising effort called the Expansion of Hope Campaign to pay for it.
The first and second floors are being used for other purposes. Stage One of the fundraising plan - its goal is to raise $500,000 - is to renovate the second floor to add rooms and to renovate what is a lounge area on the third floor to create a day room and a children's room. The day room can accommodate families who may not need to stay overnight, but wish to take a break from the hospital to shower or relax.
Prokopchuk said the house is appealing because it is conveniently located next to the hospital and because of its low cost.
"What we do is ask for $15 a night. Many families can do that, though some can't, and they tell us that going in," she said. "No one is ever turned away because they cannot pay."
The average stay in 2009 was 17.5 days, though Prokopchuk said most stay less than that. The house also has apartment units that families use for longer periods of time, which affects the average.
"If you have a family here because someone is having a bone marrow transplant, they might be here three months at a time," she explained.
Morgantown also has a Ronald McDonald House, but it is designed for families that have a child in the hospital.
Rosenbaum's fundraising efforts kicked off with a brunch at the home of WVU President James Clements and his wife, Beth.
Prokopchuk said fundraising efforts will target donors large and small.
"We're trying to give people a variety of ways to give," she said. For example, donors may be able to donate supplies such as alarm clocks or small appliances. They also may choose to furnish one room and have it named for a loved one.
For information on Rosenbaum House, visit www.wvuh.com and click on the link to Rosenbaum Family House.
Contact writer Monica Orosz at mon...@dailymail.com or 304-348-4830.
