Preemie “graduates” after spending entire 515 days of life in hospital

Oliver Rodriguez-Ocampo has spent each of his 515 days of life at HCMC since his birth on July 20 of last year. To celebrate his “graduation” from the Newborn Intensive Care Unit and now the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) to home, staff at Hennepin Healthcare are having a graduation open house for Oliver from 11am to 1pm today. His “graduation” will include a cap and gown, cake and refreshments.

“We’ve grown awfully close to this little guy,” explains Katie O’Hearn, Child Life Specialist who was one of the organizers of the event. “As far as we know, he’s had one of the longest stays as an inpatient baby we’ve had here in at least 18 years. He’s got each and every one of us wrapped around his adorable little fingers.”

Hennepin Healthcare is an integrated system of care that includes HCMC, a nationally recognized Level I Adult Trauma Center and Level I Pediatric Trauma Center and acute care hospital located in downtown Minneapolis offering a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient pediatric care, including The Birth Center.