DOLLARS AT WORK

Many programs and services would not be possible without the community’s generosity and support of Shands Children's Hospital at the University of Florida. Contributions from individuals, events and corporate sponsors have provided state-of-the-art medical equipment, patient education, diversionary items and a wide range of services just to name a few.

Please read below to see specific examples of how your generosity makes a difference.

  • Dollars at Work graphicThanks to a $4.2 million grant from Children’s Miracle Network, Shands Children’s Hospital at UF renovated the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Level 3 in January 2005. The update increased the NICU nursery space from 1,890 square feet to 4,060 square feet. This increased space allows for greater privacy and intimacy for the parents and visiting family.
  • The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) program provides intense care for infants with cardiac disease or reversible respiratory failure. Funding to start this program was funded through the Children's Miracle Network.
  • Children's Miracle Network dollars have also paid for renovations of rooms on the fourth floor to make the environment more responsive to the needs of children who are away from their homes and families with rooms that are more like home.
  • Tours of operating and recovery rooms for children prior to their surgery are designed to help ease their anxiety by acquainting them with this unique environment.
  • Both research and patient care equipment have been funded for Hematology / Oncology Pathology / Obsetrics and Gynecology, Gastroenterology, Immunology, Transplantation, Pulmonary Diseases, Endocrinology and Neonatology.
  • Our Child Life Program has been enhanced with educated books, games, video systems, a playscape activity center and computers.
  • Rocking chairs, blood pressure monitors, infant warmers, medical play dolls, dialysis machines, external pacemakers, telemetry units and other patient care equipment has been made available for units including Pediatric Intensive Care, Neonatal Intensive Care, General Pediatrics, Cardiac Intensive Care and the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.
  • Safe Kids North Central Florida runs a successful car seat and child safety education program. The program is supported by a grant from Children’s Miracle Network. Learn more at www.shandssafekids.org.