Vida Health Communications Wins a “Platinum Remi” at the WorldFest Media Competition in Houston

(originally posted May 8, 2007)
Vida Health Communication’s "Promoting Preterm Infant Development" was chosen for a Platinum Remi award at the WorldFest media competition on April 28th. The groundbreaking new DVD documentary series about developmentally supportive care for preterm infants was selected for honors out of more than 4,500 international category entries.

Vida produced "Promoting Preterm Infant Development" as part of a project funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Comprised of Focus on the Brain and No Matter How Small, the DVD’s contents are based on the research of Dr. Heidelise Als of Children’s Hospital, Boston which has proven that preterm infants fare better over the long term when neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) employ developmentally sensitive care practices. The programs for staff and parents, filmed on location in four Massachusetts NICUs, feature parents and infants coping with prematurity and commentary from some of the world’s leading experts in neonatal care.

Hospitals participating in Vida’s research were: Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston; Caritas St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center, Boston; UMass Memorial Medical Center, Worcester and Baystate Medical Center, Springfield.

“Compared to full term infants, children born prematurely suffer a higher incidence of cognitive and behavioral problems throughout their lives.” said Vida’s Executive Producer and the project’s Principal Investigator, Lisa McElaney. “By sharing what we now know about the infant brain and the benefits of care practices that support development, we believe it is possible to improve the short and long-term outcomes for early-born children and their families.”

Worldfest-Houston is one of the oldest international film festivals in North America. Every year awards are given in all categories of film production, with a mission “to recognize and honor outstanding creative excellence in film & video.” For more information about the competition, visit: http://www.worldfest.org/

Vida Health Communications works to improve the well-being of women, children and families by producing evidence-based, educational media for caregivers and patients. Our award-winning documentary programs integrate the latest scientific knowledge and advances in healthcare with consistently innovative approaches to visual and interactive media. Please visit http://www.vidahealth.com/ to learn more about our work.