Watch Videovideo iconUC Davis neonatologist Kristin Hoffman secures a webcam onto a NICU bed.
UC Davis neonatologist Kristin Hoffman secures a webcam onto a NICU bed.

Every Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) bed at UC Davis Children’s Hospital is set up with a webcam which allows parents and families to see their baby through a secure connection from a home computer, tablet or cellphone 24/7, even when they are not at the bedside.

This innovative program is part of FamilyLink, a UC Davis Health application that allows family and friends the opportunity to virtually visit with their hospitalized loved one.

A streamlined enrollment process gives families access to FamilyLink upon admission to the NICU. For families that that have to work or live further away, this technology provides a way for them to still be connected to their baby everyday when they are not able to be at the hospital and at their baby’s bedside.

Funding for this innovative program

UC Davis neonatologist Kristin Hoffman, who started the FamilyLink program in 2015 along with UC Davis Health technical supervisor George Wu, was selected in 2019 by Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals to receive a grant to expand the program to the NICU. Hoffman received the CMN Achievement Award, a national honor that goes to one caregiver, team, or unit that has significantly elevated the care of children and has specifically been impacted by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’ funds. 

Our families come from all over Northern California, some from very far distances, and many are here for a long time. Many have to go back and forth for their job or to care for their other kids, and it’s stressful to have a baby in the NICU. This is a way that families can still be connected to their baby when they are not able to be at the hospital.UC Davis neonatologist Kristin Hoffman