Newark, NJ (August 30, 2019)—Through generous grant funding from Brave Beginnings, the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center was able to purchase a state-of-the-art incubator, the Giraffe Omnibed Carestation to be used for very low birthweight newborns.
The Giraffe Carestation, a specialized bed unit, is an advanced, user friendly and developmentally supportive incubator that supports a positive growth environment for premature infants born who are less than 3 pounds. The funds for the purchase were from Brave Beginnings, 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.
“These incubators assist staff in providing family-centered and developmentally supportive care,” states Morris Cohen, MD, Director, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Children’s Hospital of New Jersey at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center. “Our NICU patients have vital organ systems that are still developing and they are highly sensitive to the environment and to stressors such as lights, noise, smells, and touch. The Giraffe Carestation allows us to precisely control the baby’s environment and we are grateful to Brave Beginnings for enabling us to offer this specialized experience for them.”
A total of 709 babies were cared for in the NICU at NBIMC in 2018. Over 125 of them were born with a birthweight of less than 3 lbs. These very low birthweight babies will remain in the Giraffe Carestation for approximately 2 to 3 weeks of their hospital stay until they become stable.
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. Due to the overwhelming need for this type of equipment, the program is expected to triple in size within the next few years. Brave Beginnings was previously named, “The Will Rogers Institute Neonatal Equipment Grant Program.” https://www.bravebeginnings.org/
Newark Beth Israel Medical Center,an RWJBarnabas Health facility,is a 665-bed regional care teaching hospital that provides comprehensive health care. Newark Beth Israel is home to one of the nation’s top ten heart transplant centers, which has performed more than 1,000 heart transplants; RWJBarnabas Health’s Heart Failure Treatment and Transplant Program; New Jersey’s only Advanced Lung Disease and Transplant Program and a Valve Center that performs complex cardiac valve procedures, including minimally invasive transcatheter aortic valve replacements (TAVRs). Newark Beth Israel Medical Center is also home to Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), which cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. The Newark Beth Israel robotic surgery program is the most experienced in northern New Jersey. RWJBarnabas Health and The Frederick B. Cohen, MD, Comprehensive Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center and the Healthcare Foundation of New Jersey Breast Health Center, in partnership with Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey - the state's only NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center - brings a world class team of researchers and specialists to fight alongside you, providing close-to-home access to the latest treatment and clinical trials. Newark Beth Israel also offers many preventive health programs that promote wellness in the community, including The Beth Greenhouse, which provides access to fresh produce and health and wellness education to local residents.
Children’s Hospital of New Jersey (CHoNJ), located at Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, cares for children from birth through adolescence, with more than 30 specialized pediatric services including New Jersey’s largest Valerie Fund Children’s Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders; and the Children’s Heart Center that offers a complete range of medical and surgical treatments for the most complex cardiac abnormalities. Children’s Hospital of New Jersey also includes a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and a Level IV Regional Perinatal Center that offers New Jersey’s only Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) therapy; and the highest level of intensive care for both mothers and newborns.