June 2, 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. Stephen Mason, Executive Vice President of the St. Peter’s Health Foundation, says this will allow more medically fragile infants and their families to remain close to home. “This endowment focuses on giving our care teams the tools to reduce the stress and financial burdens of families having to seek care elsewhere outside of our service region.”
Guided by a belief that every child deserves the best possible start, the First Breath of Life Endowment advances care for newborns and infants requiring specialized medical support, reflecting a commitment to ensuring every newborn at St. Peter’s Health begins life with strength and stability. These investments enhance both the safety and quality of care while also supporting the dedicated clinicians who serve families during these critical first moments.
Contribution totals $770,000 as the generosity included an additional $100,000 in current use funding, allowing immediate purchases that are already benefiting patients and families. To date, funds have secured a new incubator (Isolette) to support babies born before full term, a bladder scanner, six family recliners, two bili lights to treat newborns with jaundice, and two bassinets, ensuring essential equipment is available right now to support 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. ”This generosity will be felt by countless children, parents and caregivers in perpetuity.
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 Health. “New equipment like this does more than just fill a room; it fundamentally changes the level of care we are able to provide to local families,” says Williams. “By having an incubator and phototherapy units on-site, the nursery can treat specialized cases- like severe jaundice or temperature regulation issues- that might have previously required a transfer to a larger NICU in another city. This modernized technology provides a quiet, womb-like environment for the most fragile patients. We will also enhance bonding with new recliners and bassinets that are critical for “kangaroo care” (skin-to-skin contact), which is proven to improve infant health outcomes and help parents feel more connected during their stressful stay. “
The purpose of the First Breath of Life Endowment extends beyond the Women and Children’s Unit to enhance care in the Emergency Department, where the earliest moments of treatment can be critical. With the addition of new equipment, an infant warmer will now be available in the Emergency Department, allowing care teams to stabilize newborn and pediatric patients more efficiently upon arrival. When an infant or young child presents for urgent care, clinicians can initiate treatment immediately using a clearly identified, child-specific resuscitation cart and dedicated warming technology designed to support precise temperature regulation. 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 enhanced resources made possible by the endowment ensure continuity of care delivered by highly trained nurses with expertise in neonatal and pediatric support.
Each life touched reflects St. Peter’s Health’s commitment to serve every patient, every person, every time with exceptional hospitality, compassionate care and high-quality clinical outcomes.