Support in Action: Donors step-up to address critical needs at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital

When donors support Children’s Miracle Network at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, they step up to address critical needs in the children’s hospital. Most recently, that meant purchasing replacement ventilators for the essential care of pediatric patients.

The Babypac ventilator, along with two aging LTV 1200 ventilators which had each been in use for more than 12 years, were recently retired due to high repair costs and their inability to meet modern patient care standards.

In response, CMN at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospitals worked swiftly alongside staff at the children’s hospital to provide more than $121,000 in funding to secure three cutting-edge MR1 Transport Ventilators from Hamilton Medical.

“Obtaining the MR1 Transport ventilators has improved our workflow and ability to provide safe and efficient transports to our neonatal and pediatric patients,” said Pediatric Respiratory Therapist, Natalie Markham.

The addition of the MR1 ventilators marks a significant advancement in respiratory care at the hospital, providing respiratory therapists with enhanced tools for in-house patient transports. Offering ventilation settings for adults, pediatric and neonatal patients, the MR1 holds a four-hour built-in battery life, sophisticated ventilation settings and an alarm system dedicated to patient safety. Its compact design also ensures safe and efficient in-house patient transfers.

“This new technology allows us to provide ventilatory support that is equivalent to what they are receiving at the bedside. The size of this ventilator allows the team to comfortably transport the sickest patients from the operating room, intensive care unit, magnetic resonance imaging or any other location in house that they need to go,” Markham said.

With CMN at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital celebrating Children’s Hospitals Week this April, purchases such as the MR1 Transport Ventilator serve as a tangible reminder of the difference your support can help make for the future of our kids.

Whether through donations made at corporate partner locations throughout North Central Florida, or by supporting special events and programs of CMN Hospitals, every dollar is making a difference and helping UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital move medicine forward. Together, these dollars help meet the greatest needs in any given year.

By channeling resources towards the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, funds provided by donors, partners and programs of CMN Hospitals directly contribute to elevating the standard of care of pediatric and neonatal patients at UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital.