It may have an unusual name, giraffe, but when it comes to treating newborns, it’s a neck above other hospital obstetric equipment.
Groves Hospital Foundation is raising $55,000 to purchase a new giraffe baby warmer to augment a unit purchased three years ago.
“We need more because our baby births are going up,” said Sherri Sutherland, foundation executive director.
It’s part of a $572,600 fundraising effort to replace aging equipment at Groves Memorial Community Hospital which sees some 400 births or more than one a day each year.
The giraffe is a piece of equipment designed for babies who need additional care after they are born, which is about 10 per cent of the babies born at Groves. It serves as an incubator, temperature-controlled bed and can monitor life signs and be used to do X-rays. What’s essential is that medical staff can take care of the baby without having to move it to other departments for treatment. It also means mother and baby stay together.
Patient care manager Lisette Columbus said equipment renewal is an important part of the hospital’s commitment to providing topnotch health care.
“My job is making sure the patients are cared for safely with best practices,” she said.
In the case of babies requiring more medical attention right after birth, the giraffe is an essential piece of equipment used from birth to when the patient is transferred to a larger hospital which can provide a higher level of care.
The foundation and hospital has received feedback from families whose babies were in need of acute care and where the giraffe became an integral part of their treatment.
“We hear from the patients and the work the staff and nurses is doing is sensational,” Sutherland said of accolades the hospital has received.
Rob Maggs wrote a letter of appreciation for the care his family received, noting:
“This past spring, my dad had a heart attack and received great care from Groves … My daughter was also born at the same time ten-and-a-half weeks premature. Groves did a fantastic job delivering Lilly into the world and stabilizing her until McMaster (University Hospital) came to transfer her to Hamilton. Lilly is very healthy and doing very well and we couldn’t be happier. My wife, Kathy, also received great care while she was in Fergus. Groves received a lot of praise from McMaster. One doctor at McMaster said, ‘Wow, Fergus did an amazing job delivering and stabilizing Lilly, they really saved her life.’ Lilly was eventually moved to Guelph General Hospital before she came home. A nurse at Guelph said ‘Well, I don’t know how many 10-week premature babies that Fergus delivers, but we don’t do any here. They did a great job over there in Fergus.”
Family doctor Mark Sugamori said the giraffe provides a protected environment similar to the baby being in the womb.
“The transition from being in the womb to the outside is essential,” Dr. Sugamori said.
The giraffe controls temperature, allowing doctors easy access to do varied procedures, investigate the medical problems the baby might have, and have IVs and a breathing apparatus at hand if needed.
“The giraffe makes a big difference,” Sugamori said.
“You can still access the baby through portholes,” if full incubation is required, he said. With two giraffe units in place, the hospital will have to ability to meet any emergencies that might arise in the delivery room.
Donations to the equipment fund can be made by contacting the foundation office at 519-843-2012 ext. 3268 or online at donategroves. ca.
