RCH Auxiliary Volunteer and spouse, along with Redlands Police Officers
Foundation’s Donation Purchased Reclining Chairs for Redlands Community
Hospital’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Left to right: Vice President of Patient Care Services, Lauren Spilsbury RN, MSN; Foundation
Board Member Nancy Norton; Auxiliary President and Redlands Citizens Patrol
Volunteer Tom Niblack; Officer Martin Gonzalez; Officer Leslie Martinez;
Officer Ryan Steihaus; Officer Patrick Leivas; Officer Cory Hunt; Community
Member and Foundation Donor Charlie Brown, Redlands Community Hospital
Volunteer and Foundation Donor Dianne Brown; Director of Maternal Child
Services Edith Gonzales RN; and Nurse Manager of NICU Rachel Garcia RN.
Seated is new mom Mireya Alvarez and baby Arya Alvarez.
REDLANDS, Calif. – A longtime Auxiliary board member and volunteer
Diane Brown and husband Charlie, along with The Redlands Police Officers
Foundation (RPOF) made a donation to the Redlands Community Hospital Foundation
to help the hospital purchase eight reclining chairs for its Neonatal
Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The new recliners will aid infants who are
born prematurely or have medical problems requiring special needs.
“After working over 20 years in pediatrics, I realized the importance
of providing care to newborns in the NICU,” said Diane Brown. “It’s
my hope that our donation with make a difference in the lives of the babies
and their families.”
The Carolina recliners were not only selected for their beautiful pattern
and fabric, but primarily for ease in reclining to a relaxing position.
Reclining while mother and child are skin-to-skin provides many benefits
such as improved temperature, respiratory and blood glucose stability.
The average length of stay for an infant in the NICU is about two weeks.
“Being skin-to-skin with mother protects infant from negative effects
of separation and supports optimal brain development,” said Edith
Gonzales, director of Maternal Child Services at Redlands Community Hospital.
“The recliners allow mothers to sit in a position that is nurturing
and ideal for breastfeeding premature infants.”
In recent years, the RPOF has been able to raise more than $30,000 in donations
through their annual golf tournament and other fund raising efforts. They
have donated to local organizations that support services to youth in
the community such as American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), Redlands
Baseball for Youth, March of Dimes, San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services,
Special Olympics, Boys and Girls Club, Redlands Unified School District
athletic programs, Micah House, and the Children’s Cancer Foundation
of Southern California.
“The hospital is very grateful to the Redlands Police Officers Foundation
for its continual support of our NICU,” said Jan Opdyke, Redlands
Community Hospital Foundation president. “An item as simple as a
recliner can bring comfort to what can be a stressful experience for parents
and their infants.”
The Redlands Community Hospital’s NICU is a special nursery for babies
who are born prematurely or have other medical problems, such as breathing
difficulties, infections or conditions requiring special needs. Special
equipment is used to observe and monitor babies closely as well as provide
the correct balance of warmth, nourishment and oxygen if needed. The staff
includes neonatologists, pediatricians, registered nurses, respiratory
therapists, social workers, and occupational therapists.
"The Redlands Police Officers Foundation is proud to go above and
beyond to serve the community," said RPOF president Patrick Leivas.
"It's our hope that the gift made to Redlands Community Hospital's
tinniest patients and their parents will make a difference in their lives."
Patrick Leivas also added that RPOF is always looking for ways to give
back to the community. The Redlands Police Officers Foundation invites
the community to reach out to them if there is a need. Requests can be
sent to: P.O. Box 282, Redlands, CA 92373.
To learn more about Redlands Community Hospital, visit:
www.redlandshospital.org or call (909) 335-5500.
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Redlands Community Hospital is an independent, not for profit, stand-alone hospital.