Submitted by: Dr. Mark Nelham, Chief of Staff
When
you are working in a small rural Emergency Department you always have
possible emergency scenarios that you worry about and hope you never
see. Unlike big city trauma centers where many of the physicians often
work on adrenalin highs, rural physicians and nurses are acutely aware
of their isolation and the fact there is not much help for us when we
have a really difficult case. We are all motivated to provide the best
care for our patients, and at times we discuss what types of cases are
most uncomfortable for us to manage and how we can improve resources to
facilitate the best patient care possible in those situations. At the
end of 2020 we were thinking about this and reflecting back on some
difficult cases, and the situation identified as the most stressful was
delivering and/or caring for new-born babies in our Emergency
Department.
June 2021 saw us with the opportunity to address this in more detail.
Handling these babies and keeping them warm was really a challenge, so
we started looking into equipment that would facilitate providing
appropriate care for newborns. Within six weeks we were looking at a
“baby warmer” unit that would meet many of our needs, including some we
hadn’t even really thought of or identified. We approached the
foundation with our plan and received enthusiastic support. They
included funding to cover training on use of the unit and further
training for nursing and physicians in the management of neonatal and
pediatric emergencies.
The “baby warmer” unit was delivered in December 2021. It is
amazing. The baby comes up to a height that allows easy assessment and
examination, and intervention if needed. Helping babies breathe is
different than helping adults. This unit has a portable setup that
delivers air mixed with oxygen as needed. Using 100% oxygen with babies
is bad for them, unlike adults, and this unit allows control of that
mixture and the pressure. Everything is tiny, and there is a little
T-piece that allows you to give the baby a little breath by just putting
your finger on an opening. The unit also has a built-in weighing system
and, yes, it has focused heating to keep the baby warm. It is “cool”
and has other bells and whistles that really makes taking care of these
tiny beings much easier, and less stressful.
Our unit received its first new-born and mother patients on February,
8th. Beautiful baby Sophie Ray just couldn’t wait to come into this
world, so we were grateful to have the proper equipment to assist in her
birth. Getting this “baby warmer” was a quantum leap forward in our
ability to meet the needs that come through our emergency doors. Kudos
to the Foundation and community for making this possible.