How Your Contribution Helps:

The money raised through the Board of Visitors’ Care for Kids program—along with our very successful annual wine and culinary event, Vintage Affair—has provided the funding for medical research, medical equipment and supplies, cutting edge technology, patient life improvements, family support, educational materials, as well as professional development for the hospital staff.

Contributions to the Care for Kids program have helped fund:

• A bright and cheery Playroom for the patients in the Respiratory Care Unit. This new room will serve as a real oasis of joy and entertainment for the patients and a truly fun “gathering place” during long and tedious hospital stays.
• A Clinical Simulation Training Laboratory, one of several on the East Coast. This high-tech lab will provide nurses and clinicians with the necessary training to continue to bridge theoretical and clinical knowledge with everyday application in a controlled environment. This way, the nurses can practice and improve their skills without using live patients.
• A new way for the hospital to communicate with patients and improve the quality of the patient’s hospital stay though GetWellNetworks’ software and media solution. This innovative hospital-wide system allows patients to learn about their condition, collaborate with their caregivers, secure helpful services, and enjoy entertainment resources – all from their hospital bed.
• Positioning devices for the babies in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. These devices decrease infection rates, provide physiological stability for neonates, and assist in proper positioning.
• Maxiscan transilluminators. These tools enable the nurse or clinician to visualize the child’s vein during an IV insertion, alleviating the need for painful multiple needle “sticks.” The transilluminators are lightweight and portable and can be used bedside, in the emergency room and in land or air transport situations.
• Psychology and educational programs for patients with Type 1 Diabetes. This educational program increases patient compliance, allowing for better control of the disease.
• Dr. Bear’s Toy Closet: If a family has a seriously-ill child in the hospital during the holidays, the last thing on their mind is purchasing and wrapping presents. Imagine the relief of the parents and the delight of the patient and his or her siblings when they receive an age appropriate brand new gift from Dr. Bear’s Toy Closet. These gifts often bring a smile to a face that hasn’t smiled in quite some time.