Dignity Health Dominican Hospital has received an inaugural round of $55,000 in funding from the Women of Wellness Council, a women’s giving society. A program of the Dominican Hospital Foundation, the council’s purpose is to provide financial resources to support and expand women’s health services at Dominican Hospital.
“The Women of Wellness Council reflects the history and mission of Dominican Hospital, in particular the hospital’s legacy of all-female founders and leaders,” said Nanette Mickiewicz, MD, Dominican Hospital President. “Together, this gathering of influential women is modeling the generosity, compassion, friendship, courage, and perseverance demonstrated by the pioneering women who came before them. And they are helping us to blaze new trails to improve patient care today and for generations to come.”
Each member of the Women of Wellness Council commits a minimum of $1,000 annually to support essential technologies, programs, and services for women at Dominican Hospital. The Council meets three times annually to learn more about Dominican Hospital’s current women’s health services and exciting new developments from key physicians and medical staff. Council members work to identify and understand the need for new or improved programs, equipment, or facilities, and to foster new relationships. They have the opportunity to review project proposals put forth by the hospital and vote with their pool of funds to determine which proposals receive funding.
“Our members are being introduced to the current services offered by the hospital, with some insight for potential areas of growth in each department or program,” said Women of Wellness Chair Allison Niday. “The council is quickly growing, with more than 55 members participating. We hope to reach our target of 100 members this year.”
For its first round of funding, the Council selected the following initiatives:
Medically Integrated Health and Wellness Center: $36,700 was allocated to support planning for a new health and wellness center, which would provide a comprehensive pre- and post-natal care program, a cardiac care program designed specifically to address the silent risks for women, and a bone health program to prevent life-threatening fractures.
Neonatal Incubator and Warmer: $18,300 was allocated to the hospital’s Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) for the purchase of a Giraffe OmniBed Carestation, which features a full-service incubator and radiant warmer. As one of the most advanced, neuro-developmentally supportive environments, the unique design of the bed enables complete access, visibility, and control for caregivers, and allows parents to be nearer their babies as they heal. The donation will be matched through Dominican Hospital’s partnership with Stanford Children’s Health.
“We’re so pleased that the Women of Wellness Council has chosen to fund these projects,” said Beverly Grova, Vice President of the Dominican Hospital Foundation. “Our Council members recognize Dominican’s commitment to excellence in patient care, and are dedicated to ensuring our community can access world class health care now and into the future.”
Dominican Hospital provides a full breadth of women’s health programs and services. Maternity services include a variety of pre-natal birth preparation and fitness classes, advanced peri-natal care with an onsite Level III NICU, and post-natal lactation support and new parenting classes. As a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital, Dominican demonstrates a strong commitment to excellence in breastfeeding education and support, and stresses immediate skin-to-skin contact between parent and child after birth.
Additionally, Dominican Hospital offers the only comprehensive cancer center in the Monterey Bay area. Many programs are provided specifically for women, including wig fittings, nutrition classes, counseling, and other services to provide support for treatment and recovery. Dominican Hospital recognizes the unique cardiac care needs of women, sponsoring free cardiac risk screenings for women and handling the most complex cardiac cases in the region. Also, gynecological surgery is performed at the hospital using state-of-the-art robotic technology for minimally invasive procedures and faster recovery.
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To learn more about the Women of Wellness Council, visit supportdominican.org/women-of-wellness-council.