The University Hospital of Northern B.C. will be able to purchase a specialized bed for the neonatal unit thanks to a donation from the Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodward's Foundation to the Spirit of the North Healthcare Foundation.
The $63,000 gift will help the hospital acquire a Giraffe Omni bed, which includes resuscitation equipment , a 360 degree rotating mattress, an integrated scale and removable doors. The bed is also capable of transforming into an incubator, to ensure infants are kept at the optimal temperature.
"The addition of this Omni Bed in the [neonatal intensive care unit] will reduce stress to the infant by allowing the newborn to be cared for in the best developmentally supportive environment," Northern Health health service administrator Anne Chisholm said in a news release.
The Mr. and Mrs. P.A. Woodward's Foundation has donated more than $375,000 to Spirit of the North over the years and has been helping fund healthcare projects in B.C. for six decades since it was established by Puggy Woodward, the son of Woodward's department store founder Charles Woodward.
"We are proud the foundation continues to make a difference," foundation president Kip Woodward said in a news release. "Our hope is that it will continue to go on making a difference to the care of British Columbians for many generations to come."
