The CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation is excited to announce that we have provided five Panda Bed Warmers for the Center for New Life at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth, thanks to the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation. These Panda Bed Warmers will help fulfill the ultimate goal of equipping each of the 19 labor and delivery rooms with an infant warmer, as they are required to be in each room for delivery. Until now, the Center for New Life only had four outdated warmers.
St. Elizabeth’s Center for New Life is beginning to see an increase in patients due to the new CHRISTUS Women’s Center, which sends patients to St. Elizabeth to deliver. This patient overflow is intensifying the already urgent need for additional warmers.
Newborns in respiratory distress must be immediately and expertly handled. The warmers are all-in-one stabilization equipment, complete with warming devices and resuscitation devices. Benefits of the warmers include innovative recessed heating, which keeps babies warm while keeping nurses cool; integrated in-bed scale, which makes weighing babies quick and easy; and equipment for resuscitation therapy. The warmers are compact, streamlined, easy to maneuver, and user friendly, which makes them ideal for a high risk and high stress delivery room resuscitation.
The warmers allow for immediate care for sick newborns with integrated resuscitation available and minimal setup for high-risk deliveries. The warmers also offer easy patient monitoring with integrated, full-color displays that help track the infant’s temperature, weight, oxygen levels, and pulse rate. The compact size allows more room for the nurse, the patient, and the family to interact with the infant.
The warmers are primarily used for two reasons: resuscitation and stimulation. Last year alone, 300 newborns at the Center for New Life needed resuscitation. The resuscitation devices are available to all of the 2,000+ deliveries each year at St. Elizabeth and provide lifesaving resuscitation therapy in times of emergency. Resuscitation devices include a blender to provide blended oxygen to the infant; a pulse oximeter, which measures the oxygen saturation of the infants; and a NeoPuff, which helps to control lung volume, a widely recognized standard in resuscitation devices for newborn resuscitation.
In order to adhere to the highest standards of care, we must provide a warmer in each labor and delivery room. These warmers are the safest place for nurses to provide resuscitation and warmth.
If a newborn’s temperature drops, it may cause issues with respiration and blood sugar. If the infant is not able to receive immediate warming procedures, it increases the chances of the infant being admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, increasing costs for the family, decreasing health outcomes for the infant, and interfering with family bonding. The warmers will increase the chance of the infant staying in the room if there is a minor emergency that can be remedied with the warmer.
CHRISTUS has newly implemented skin to skin contact post birth to make the transition from fetal to newborn life easier. For normal births, this skin to skin time is possible. But for many high-risk births and emergency births, skin to skin is not possible; and for these emergency births, the best option is the warmers, which provide all body temperature, blood glucose, heart rate, and resuscitation support. Our greatest thanks go to the Stephen and Mary Birch Foundation for helping us remain highly prepared with state-of-the-art equipment in times of emergency.
On January 4, Andrea Sterling, a member of Harvest for Lost Souls Church, brought joy to sick and injured kids in Southeast Texas by delivering over 400 plush toys for the kids at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth Hospital. The boxes were filled with characters like Olaf from Frozen and Destiny from Finding Dory. During Hurricane Harvey, Somebody Cares America donated an abundance of resources to Harvest for Lost Souls Church, and Andrea made it her mission to make sure these resources continue to help the community. These plush animals are being given to pediatric patients at St. Elizabeth to help them cope with the stress of being in the hospital. “It makes our hearts glad to know so many children will be comforted,” said Sterling.
About a week before Christmas, Patti Bobbitt and her son, Cory, delivered over 500 TY Beanie Babies to CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth Hospital. Patti’s mother, Willie, joyfully collected Beanie Babies for several years. When Willie moved to an assisted living community, she wanted to make sure they continued to bring joy to others. The Bobbitts decided to use the Beanie Babies to help sick and injured kids in their hometown by donating them to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. “We are overjoyed to receive this donation,” said Melissa Conley, Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Program Manager. “These Beanie Babies will bring joy and a sense of comfort to every kid who gets one. I can’t thank the Bobbitts enough for thinking of their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals when making this generous donation.”
The CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Foundation is proud to announce that, after raising funds through local foundations and local individual philanthropists, we have purchased a 3D mammography system for the CHRISTUS Southeast Texas Outpatient Center Mid County. Thank you to Mike Roebuck and family, the Mildred Yount Manion Charitable Foundation, the Mamie McFaddin-Ward Heritage Foundation, and each of our private donors for allowing us to bring cutting-edge technology to our Mid County – specifically Port Arthur – residents in a spa-like, outpatient setting.
It’s never fun being stuck in the hospital during the holidays with nothing to do – especially if you’re a kid. On December 20, kids at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth hospital were blessed with Christmas gifts donated by Promptu Immediate Care. Jodi Clark, Regional Practice Manager at Promptu Immediate Care, hosted a Toy Drive where employees and guests donated toys for kids in the hospital. At the end of the Toy Drive, Clark took the toys her local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital to be delivered to pediatric patients admitted during the holidays. “I’m so glad these toys will help,” said Clark with an armful of toys. “Promptu is always happy to help kids in our community!” Thank you, Promptu Immediate Care, for your generous donation and continuous support.
The 20th Annual Christmas Tree Contest at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth was a huge hit this year! With 14 trees in the contest, St. Elizabeth associates, patients, and visiting families had an array of trees to choose from when casting their vote for Crowd Favorite. Local guest judges, Elizabeth Blackstock, Cumulus Radio Market Manager, and Lance Edwards, Channel 12 News Sports Director, had their work cut out for them as they determined the winners for Most Creative, Most Beautiful, Grand Prize, and Most Embracing of the CHRISTUS Spirit. We are so thankful for all of the hospital departments that came together in the spirit of the holidays to help raise funds for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
Brandy Ousley, the mother of one of our pediatric patients, was recently reminded of the importance of donating toys to her local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals. When her toddler, Callyn, stayed at CHRISTUS Southeast Texas St. Elizabeth, they spent some time in the playroom and found that there weren’t many toys for preschool kids. “Because so many children have access to our toys, they get loved, played with, and worn out faster than they would in a home,” said Ashley Bares, Certified Child Life Specialist. “We are constantly seeking donations to replenish our resources as tired toys get removed from the playroom.” Ousley shared her story with friends and family and together they donated toys for preschool-age children. The toys they donated are all plastic and will be used in the playroom by toddlers just like hers. “I know how moms feel when their kids are in the hospital without anything to do,” said Ousley. “Even if Callyn doesn’t get to play with these toys, they will be available for other kids to enjoy.”
