Barbara Drennen

Local & Grand Prize Recipient

Going through drug withdrawal is difficult, especially if you’re a newborn weighing only a few pounds. A foster care provider since the 1980s, Barbara Drennen was on the front lines as the number of crack babies increased. She realized that without immediate intervention and care these newborns were at risk for life-threatening complications due to withdrawal, abuse and neglect. She formed the Pediatric Interim Care Center (PICC), the first and only 24-hour non-profit center providing short-term specialized care for drug-exposed infants. More than 2,220 newborns have been treated since 1990 and last year 210 drug-exposed newborns were treated at a cost of $151 a day versus $3,500 for a hospital. The center moved into a permanent home in 2006, giving it capabilities for community outreach. Even though the center’s program has been studied, it hasn’t been copied elsewhere. Maybe that’s because there’s only one Barbara Drennen. www.picc.net

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