05/19/2026
St. Peter’s Health Foundation is excited to announce the establishment of the First Breath of Life Endowment, a gift of $670,000 created to support newborns and families in our community for generations to come. “This endowment focuses on giving our care teams the tools they need to reduce the stress and financial burdens of families having to seek care elsewhere,” says Stephen Mason, Executive Vice President of the St. Peter’s Health Foundation.
Driven by the belief that every child deserves the best start, the First Breath of Life Endowment directly advances care for newborns and infants with specialized needs. It enhances safety and quality and supports clinicians serving families during the critical first moments.
Endowment contributions now total $770,000, including $100,000 for immediate needs. These funds purchased equipment such as an Isolette for preterm infants, a bladder scanner, family recliners, bili lights for jaundice and bassinets, ensuring essential support for mothers, babies and care teams.
“We are deeply grateful for the First Breath of Life Endowment, that allows us to provide an even higher level of care for our smallest and most vulnerable patients right here in our community,” said St. Peter’s Health Chief Medical Officer Melissa Edwards, MD, MHA. “This is such an important investment in the health and well-being of local families.”
According to Betsy Williams, MSN, RNC, Director of the Women’s and Children’s unit, this endowment marks an incredible milestone for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at St. Peter’s. “New equipment like this fundamentally changes the level of care for local families,” says Williams. “With an Isolette and phototherapy units on-site, the nursery can treat specialized cases requiring previous transfers. This technology provides a quiet, womb-like environment for fragile patients. New recliners and bassinets enhance 'kangaroo care' (skin-to-skin contact), proven to improve infant health outcomes and help parents feel more connected during their stressful stay.”
Beyond the Women’s and Children’s Unit, the endowment also allowed for the purchase of equipment for the Emergency Department, where the earliest moments of treatment can be critical. An infant warmer supports newborn and pediatric patients by quickly stabilizing their temperature, improving their chances of recovery. The child-specific resuscitation cart ensures clinicians have immediate access to tailored supplies, enabling rapid initiation of treatment. Dedicated warming technology enables care teams to maintain precise temperature control, reducing stress and risk for infants. This streamlined approach reduces delays, supports clinical decision-making and creates a more controlled, lower-stress environment for both patients and families. If additional monitoring or specialized care is required, infants can be seamlessly transferred to the Women and Children’s Unit, where resources made possible by the endowment ensure continuity of care delivered by highly trained nurses with expertise in neonatal and pediatric support.
The First Breath of Life Endowment demonstrates St. Peter’s commitment to exceptional care for every patient, every person, every time.
