PIH Health Whittier Hospital Receives $41,000 Grant to Enhance NICU Care

PIH Health Whittier Hospital has received a $41,000 grant to purchase advanced neonatal equipment that will enhance care for critically ill and premature newborns in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

The grant was awarded through Brave Beginnings, a national program of the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation, and will fund the purchase of a Giraffe Omnibed Carestation for the hospital’s Level III NICU. The specialized unit provides critical care for more than 350 infants each year.

Founded by the motion picture industry, the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation created Brave Beginnings to help hospitals acquire costly neonatal equipment needed to care for premature and critically ill infants. The program has awarded nearly $10 million in grants to approximately 200 hospitals nationwide for life-saving technology, including incubators, neonatal ventilators, infant resuscitation systems, airway carts, and omnibeds. The organization notes that about one in 10 babies in the United States is born prematurely, making access to advanced NICU equipment critical.

The Giraffe Omnibed Carestation combines a full-featured incubator and radiant warmer into a single integrated system designed to create a controlled, low-stress environment for premature and medically fragile newborns.

“This new technology will allow the NICU to provide a controlled, stress-reduced environment for premature and newborns requiring specialized care,” said PIH Health Chief Nursing Officer Lydia Arroyo. “This generous donation is an investment in the health and future of our community’s newest patients.”

PIH Health Foundation Vice President Amy Fitzgerald said the grant demonstrates how philanthropy directly benefits patient care.

“We are incredibly grateful to the Brave Beginnings program and the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneers Foundation for investing in the health of our smallest patients,” Fitzgerald said. “Partnerships like this demonstrate the extraordinary impact philanthropy can have on patient care. By providing advanced technology, these generous investments help our caregivers deliver the highest level of care to vulnerable newborns and their families. Together, we are strengthening the future of neonatal care in our community.”

“Every newborn deserves access to the highest quality care from the moment they enter the world,” said Branden Miller, chair of the Brave Beginnings Grants Committee. “Brave Beginnings is delighted to support PIH Health Whittier Hospital with a neonatal equipment grant so that they may care for babies in critical need and keep more babies in their NICU, close to loved ones and together with their care team.”

PIH Health is a nonprofit regional healthcare network serving approximately 3 million residents throughout Los Angeles and Orange counties.