This season of giving, Yarmouth Hospital Foundation has announced that the focus of our annual Christmas Appeal is four radiant infant warmers for the Women & Children’s Health Unit. The total cost of the equipment is $176,386.
Yarmouth Regional Hospital is the regional maternity site for Yarmouth, Digby and Shelburne counties. Immediately upon arrival, during their first critical hours of life, all newborns spend some time in a radiant infant warmer as they adjust to living and breathing on their own. Newborn babies, particularly those born under-weight or preterm, are extremely susceptible to hypothermia since newborns are not yet able to maintain their own body heat after leaving their mother’s womb.
Nurse Manager Kristy Surette says, “Obviously, the very best place for a baby to be is with mom, but when they can’t be, the next best place is in the hands of a dedicated caregiver with state-of-the-art equipment.”
The Women and Children’s Health Unit currently has five radiant warmers, but four of the units are nearing end-of-life and urgently need replacing. The radiant infant warmer is a specialized piece of equipment that resembles a small bassinet equipped with a radiant heater overhead. It also has equipment that monitors vital signs, and has the tools needed for emergencies right at hand, just in case. It’s a state-of-the art way of keeping infants, whether precious newborns or vulnerable infants who have returned to the hospital for care, safe and comfortable while their doctors and nurses work to give them the best start possible.
“In today’s rapidly advancing medical landscape, the importance of utilizing cutting-edge technology in health care cannot be overstated,” says YHF Board Chair Angela Greene. “Each year, we ask for donations for very specific pieces of equipment hoping that our community members can feel the direct participation in the care of patients who are also our neighbors. This season, I ask for your generosity in ‘warmly’ welcoming the newest members of the Tri-County community by helping us purchase these radiant infant warmers.”
