Piedmont Fayette Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) will get some upgraded equipment thanks to a $25,000 grant from Brave Beginnings, a program of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, to the Piedmont Healthcare Foundation. The funds will go towards a vein viewer and a radiant warmer. Both pieces of equipment will have an impact on patient care and safety.
Vein viewers allow doctors and nurses to see the smallest veins by projecting the location of a patient’s vein directly on the surface of the skin. This helps reduce the number of needle sticks on babies and therefore provides fewer opportunities for infection. Radiant warmers provide warmth for infants, keeping track of the baby’s body temperature and adjusting it as needed. The design also allows for easy access for those providing medical attention.
“We truly appreciate this grant from Brave Beginnings and know that it will make a significant impact on the care that we provide to the little ones in our NICU,” said Tracie Delally, director of women’s services.
Brave Beginnings is working to ensure ventilators and life-saving 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 life-saving equipment for Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) caring for fragile lives born too soon. Due to the overwhelming need for this type of equipment, the program is expected to triple in size within the next few years.
Piedmont Fayette’s Level III NICU is just one part of the care provided by the Women’s Services Department at the hospital. They have also recently added a 24-hour Obstetrics Emergency Department to ensure that all women who are 20 weeks pregnant or greater and have obstetric concerns will now be evaluated by either the patient’s OB/GYN or the OB/GYN Hospitalist and a highly skilled nurse.
For more information on women’s services at Piedmont Fayette, visit piedmont.org.
