Brave Beginnings Helps our Tiniest Patients Survive and Thrive

Since 2006, Brave Beginnings, a program of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, has been working to ensure hospitals and their neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) are equipped with state-of-the-art technology to help save the lives of premature babies. The program awards grants to NICUs across the United States to ensure ventilators and essential equipment are always available to newborns in critical need. This year, Brave Beginnings awarded a $46,196 grant to the South Shore Health Foundation to purchase two radiant warmers— used when open access and external heat are simultaneously required—helping to provide an unsurpassed healing environment for critically-ill preemies.

“We truly appreciate the generosity of the Brave Beginnings NICU grant program,” said Mary Tenney, Nurse Manager, NICU/Special Care Nursery/Pediatrics at South Shore Hospital. “Our entire team has been thrilled to use the specialized equipment, providing our families the proper environment to help treat their critically-ill newborns while maintaining their body temperature.”

Each year in the United States, an estimated 15 million babies (one in nine) are born prematurely. The correct medical equipment can literally mean the difference between life and death. The Brave Beginnings NICU grant program makes it possible for hospitals to acquire new neonatal equipment, such as radiant warmers, incubators, and critical airway carts.

As the first and only community hospital in the state of Massachusetts to receive designation as a level III NICU, South Shore Hospital’s expert care team, including Neonatologists dually affiliated with both South Shore Hospital and Boston Children’s, is dedicated to treating the complex care needs of premature newborns around-the-clock. While our care is unsurpassed in the region, we serve a densely populated area, including some medically underserved communities that rely heavily on our medical care and expertise.

 “We realize that replacing aging equipment and continuing to invest in the next generation of neonatal technologies is paramount to our mission of healing and caring for our youngest, sickest patients,” Mary said. “The changing healthcare environment has required that we work closely with our generous donors and invite them to invest in our organization."

Visit southshorehealth.org/donate to learn more about how you can join the mission of supporting your community healthcare system.