Ronald McDonald at the Governor’s Charity Steer Show at the Iowa State Fair which benefits Ronald McDonald Houses. Chronicle file

(SPECIAL)DES MOINES A new Ronald McDonald House at MercyOne Children’s Hospital is now open to families. It will be the second House serving central Iowa and the tenth in the nation location within a hospital.

The unit, located on the fourth floor of the hospital, includes 14 bedroom suites that sleep up to five people, a full-size kitchen and dining room, laundry room, play room, lactation room and respite room. Families with children age 21 and younger who are receiving treatment at MercyOne Children’s Hospital are welcome to stay at the Ronald McDonald House after being referred by a medical provider or social worker.

“Ronald McDonald House’s mission is to enrich the quality of life for children and their families,” said Ronald McDonald House Central Iowa Executive Director Brenda Miller. “We keep families close by providing a home away from home for families traveling to Des Moines to seek critical med-ical care for their child that is not available in their home communities. Expanding our services wouldn’t have been possible without the support of our lead donors AbbVie, the Lauridsen Family, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows Iowa, Prairie Meadows, MercyOne Des Moines Auxiliary and Polk County Board of Supervisors.”We are thrilled to become the tenth medical center in the United States to offer patients and families an in-hospital Ronald McDonald House,” said Karl Keeler, president, MercyOne Central Iowa. “MercyOne Children’s Hospital has a lasting legacy of providing high-quality care for thousands of young patients across Iowa, and now we will help these patients even more as their families are able to remain close to them while they heal under the care of our skilled providers.”

About Ronald McDonald Charities:

Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), is a non-profit corporation that creates, finds, and supports programs that directly improve the health and well-being of children and their families. Through its global network of over 275 Chapters in more than 64 countries and regions, and its three core programs: the Ronald McDonald House, the Ronald McDonald Family Room and the Ronald McDonald Care Mobile, RMHC helps families with sick children stay together, and close to the medical care their child needs at leading hospitals worldwide. RMHC programs not only provide access to quality health care, they enable family-centered care ensuring families are fully supported and actively involved in their children’s care.