Project Grant CE146924

COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING/CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING - CONSTRUCTION - ADDRESS: 2801 ATLANTIC AVE., LONG BEACH, CA 90806-1701 PROJECT DIRECTOR NAME: GRAHAM TSE, MD, FRCPC, FAAP, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER, MEMORIALCARE MILLER CHILDREN'S & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL LONG BEACH CONTACT PHONE NUMBERS: 562-933-8652 EMAIL ADDRESS: GTSE@MEMORIALCARE.ORG WEBSITE ADDRESS: MILLERCHILDRENSHOSPITALLB.ORG LIST ALL GRANT PROGRAM FUNDS REQUESTED IN THE APPLICATION: $575,000 BACKGROUND: MEMORIALCARE MILLER CHILDREN'S & WOMEN'S HOSPITAL LONG BEACH (MCWHLB) HAS SERVED THE GREATER LONG BEACH AREA SINCE 1970. MCWHLB IS ONE OF ONLY EIGHT FREESTANDING CHILDREN'S HOSPITALS IN CALIFORNIA. WE ARE A 357-BED NON-PROFIT PEDIATRIC TEACHING HOSPITAL THAT HAS BECOME A REGIONAL PEDIATRIC AND WOMEN'S HEALTH DESTINATION. MILLER CHILDREN'S PROVIDES MORE THAN 154,000 PEDIATRIC CARE VISITS ANNUALLY WITH OVER 70 PERCENT OF OUR PATIENTS RELIANT ON MEDI-CAL (MEDICAID) AND/OR CALIFORNIA CHILDREN SERVICES (CCS). THE HOSPITAL DELIVERS AROUND 6,000 BABIES EACH YEAR AND IS A REGIONAL REFERRAL CENTER FOR HIGH-RISK PREGNANCIES. OUR HIGH-VOLUME LEVEL IV NEONATAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT (NICU) TREATS MORE THAN 1,200 CRITICALLY ILL AND PRETERM INFANTS ANNUALLY, INCLUDING REFERRAL PATIENTS FROM MORE THAN 20 LOCAL HOSPITALS THAT DO NOT PROVIDE LEVEL IV CARE. OUR NICU IS ONE OF THE LARGEST IN CALIFORNIA. OUR DEDICATED PHYSICIANS, NURSES, RESPIRATORY THERAPISTS, DEVELOPMENTAL THERAPISTS, DIETITIANS, LACTATION CONSULTANTS, AND OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR CARE TEAM WORK TOGETHER TO SAVE THE FRAGILE LIVES OF NEWBORNS AND INFANTS BORN ILL, WITH CONGENITAL ABNORMALITIES, OR TOO EARLY. THIS INCLUDES CARING FOR BOTH VERY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT AND EXTREMELY LOW BIRTH WEIGHT INFANTS IN THE SERENE AND SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT OF OUR REGION'S LARGEST SMALL BABY PROGRAM. PROJECT: THE PROJECT REQUIRES NEW EQUIPMENT IN THE NICU FOR OUR SMALLEST PATIENTS AND A SIMULATOR FOR TRAINING OUR NICU HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THIS EQUIPMENT WILL IMPROVE BOTH ACCESS AND QUALITY OF CARE FOR OUR MOST FRAGILE NICU PATIENTS. QUICK, PRECISE ACTION WITH TARGETED TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT IS CRITICAL FOR MANY NICU PATIENTS. TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY TO MEET DEMAND FOR THIS CRUCIAL CARE, WE WILL PURCHASE A NEW TEMPERATURE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM WILL PROVIDE NORMOTHERMIA THERAPY TO MAINTAIN APPROPRIATE CORE BODY TEMPERATURE TO SUPPORT NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL FUNCTION IN FRAGILE NEWBORNS. IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE HYPOTHERMIA THERAPY TO SLOW DISEASE PROGRESSION AND REDUCE THE CHANCE OF SEVERE BRAIN DAMAGE IN NEWBORNS THAT HAVE EXPERIENCED OXYGEN DEPRIVATION. TEN NEW INCUBATORS WILL PROVIDE NEURODEVELOPMENTALLY SUPPORTIVE CRITICAL CARE ENVIRONMENTS FOR PRETERM NEWBORNS THAT PROMOTE PHYSIOLOGIC STABILITY AND COMFORT. THESE CARE STATIONS WILL CONTROL ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE AND PROVIDE A DIM AND QUIET ENVIRONMENT THAT SUPPORTS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT WHILE REDUCING THE NEED FOR STRESSFUL HANDLING OF THE INFANTS DURING CLINICAL PROCEDURES. ELEVEN PHOTOTHERAPY SYSTEMS WILL BE PURCHASED TO TREAT HYPERBILIRUBINEMIA, A COMMON CONDITION AFFECTING 60-65% OF FULL-TERM NEWBORNS AND MORE THAN 80% OF PREMATURE INFANTS. PHOTOTHERAPY TREATS ELEVATED LEVELS OF BILIRUBIN AND PREVENTS PROGRESSION INTO SEVERE NEUROLOGICAL INJURY RESULTING IN PERMANENT AND DEVASTATING DISABILITY OR DEATH-A CONDITION KNOWN AS KERNICTERUS. PROVIDING HIGH-QUALITY CARE FOR A PRETERM INFANT IS A COMPLEX AND TIME-SENSITIVE PROCESS WHICH REQUIRES EACH MEMBER OF THE NEONATAL HEALTHCARE TEAM TO BE WELL-TRAINED AND FULLY PREPARED FOR A WHOLE ARRAY OF DELICATE CRITICAL CARE EMERGENCIES. TO ENSURE OUR TEAM MEMBERS ARE PREPARED TO HANDLE THESE COMPLEX CARE SITUATIONS, WE WILL PURCHASE A NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART PRETERM INFANT SIMULATOR. THIS HIGHLY REALISTIC SIMULATOR PRESENTS PREPROGRAMMED AND INSTRUCTOR-DEFINED DISEASE STATES AND RECORDS THE LEARNER'S RESPONSE FOR EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION. SIMULATION IS A BEST PRACTICE IN EDUCATING AND TRAINING HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS THAT ALLOWS S