CHARLOTTE, NC – Nov. 25, 2020 – Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center (NHPMC) Foundation was awarded a $43,563.13 grant from Brave Beginnings, a program of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, to purchase a Dräger Babyleo isolette for the Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital (Hemby) neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The isolette provides the newest technology available to increase infant survival rates and ensure prompt delivery of care to NICU infants.
The Hemby NICU provides more than 700 infants each year with 24-hour in-house care for prematurity, congenital defects, respiratory disorders, sepsis, congenital heart defects, metabolic disorders, neurological disorders, and other issues. Infants born at 23-33 weeks gestation require an isolette to maintain body temperature until the infant’s system is mature enough to regulate temperature on its own.
Isolettes are a “staple” for NICU patients. The new isolette provides advanced thermoregulation and therapy modes for weaning, warmth up, and cooling. An integrated audio function allows parents to play music or recordings of mom’s voice or heartbeat for positive stimuli. The unit also features a kangaroo mode that automatically adjusts monitors and alarms to accommodate skin-to-skin care, which supports mother and baby bonding and improves infant outcomes.
“This advanced therapy will make a significant difference in the quality of life-saving care infants will receive in the Hemby NICU,” said Ann Caulkins, president of Novant Health Foundation. “Novant Health is proud to partner with Brave Beginnings in service to newborns. We are deeply grateful for the support that will reassure, comfort, and connect families during a child’s time in the NICU.”
For more information about Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital, visit NovantHealth.org/hemby-childrens-hospital.aspx.
About Novant Health
Novant Health is a not-for-profit integrated system of 15 medical centers and more than 1,600 physicians in over 640 locations, as well as numerous outpatient surgery centers, medical plazas, rehabilitation programs, diagnostic imaging centers, and community health outreach programs. Novant Health’s over 28,000 team members and physician partners care for patients and communities in North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia.
Novant Health’s vision is to deliver the most remarkable patient experience, in every dimension, every time. In 2019, Novant Health provided more than $993 million in community benefit, including more than $152 million of direct charity care for indigent patients and more than $66 million in community health outreach programs to vulnerable and at-risk populations.
The philanthropic efforts of Novant Health’s foundations inspire giving that supports programs and initiatives having a direct patient impact. Through the generous support of individuals, families, companies, and grant-making institutions, Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Foundation supports Novant Health in its mission to improve the health of our communities, one person at a time.
For more information, please visit our website at NovantHealth.org or SupportNovantHealth.org. You can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.
About Brave Beginnings
Brave Beginnings is a program of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation working to ensure ventilators and vital neonatal equipment are always available to newborns in critical need. Since 2006, Brave Beginnings has contributed millions of dollars to facilities across the United States. Each year, the program spends roughly $1 million in grants awarded to hospitals nationwide. The funds are used to purchase vital equipment for Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) caring for fragile lives born too soon.
