Thanks to funding from the Children’s Miracle Network, Medical Center Hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit will receive an additional six ventilators for its smallest patients.
The Medical Center Health System Foundation Board approved the funding for six new Bunnell High Frequency Jet Ventilators. The funds will come from Children’s Miracle Network and the total cost is just over $330,000.
“Receiving the ventilators is an amazing gift. They are a very crucial aspect of us being able to provide care to our neonatal population. This technology is designed for them … It actually helps ventilate while the baby matures,” Director for Cardiopulmonary Services Renato Galindo said.
“If we continue growing like our population is in our region, eventually it could get to the point where we will need more. The better prepared we are, the better we can anticipate for what’s going on in our region,” Galindo added.
He added that their ventilators are “coming to the point that they’re at the end of life.”
“The manufacturer cannot guarantee parts for them anymore” and the ventilators are a critical need for a local population that is growing, Galindo said. The new ones are being built for MCH.
Depending on the baby and how premature they are, Galindo said they stay on a ventilator anywhere from a day or two to a week or more. The ventilators typically last 10 to 12 years.
Galindo said his team covers everything from the emergency room to the main floor, serving adults to neonatal.
“The neonatal team goes through an extended orientation period to be able to address the critical needs of premature babies. That’s another part where Children’s Miracle Network comes in. If there’s specialized training that we have to pay for, they will actually fund it so that we have truly competent staff to address the needs of the smallest population,” he added.
“We’re there from the moment the infant is born to ensure that we’re keeping them breathing. If we have to put them on a ventilator, we’re managing it throughout their entire stay. We want to make sure we’re very well versed and trained to address these critical needs,” Galindo said.
Children’s Miracle Network Program Manager Samantha Serrano said CMN gives them corporate partnerships that allow them to fundraise year-round for the needs for a growing population.
“We need to be prepared for what is to come in the future and it’s through Children’s Miracle Network funds that we’re able to fund these equipment needs and our educational needs for our families who get treated here at Medical Center,” Serrano said.
She noted that although CMN is national, funds raised here stay local.
Serrano added that MCH is seeing a general increase in the number of babies born at MCH.
“We’re reaching record numbers every month, and like Renato said, with our growing community and population that does affect (the) wear and tear of our equipment and so Renato was saying this equipment could last 10 to 12 years; with the increased population, that could be shorter depending on how many families and babies we treat here at Medical Center in the future,” Serrano said.
Galindo said partnering with Children’s Miracle Network allows the community to participate in the growth of the hospital and make a positive impact on children’s lives.
“Anytime somebody rounds up at Walmart, Sam’s Club, Lowe’s, Ace Hardware (or) Dairy Queen, all the money comes back to Medical Center to support our community and impact local kids. That’s the great thing about this program that we have through the foundation is it’s able to meet a lot of our needs. We’re easily able to say yes to this equipment and it’s not a fear of money or expenses. This is why we do what we do,” Serrano said.
Through their corporate partners, Dairy Queen is having Dip it for Kids Tuesday, March 19. It’s a free cone day, but if you dip your cone, every dollar donated goes back to Children’s Miracle Network.
Ace Hardware is about to kick off their spring round up in April, so Serrano said they’ll be doing a roundup at the cash register throughout April. CMN will have a celebration at the hospital in May.
