Women of Wellness Council Donates $116,000 in Funding for Dominican Hospital

Donation will support and expand women’s health services at the hospital

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. (June 27, 2024) – Dignity Health Dominican Hospital announced today it has received a total of $116,000 in funding from the Women of Wellness (WoW) Council, a local women’s giving society. The WoW Council proudly allocated $87,000 in funding with an additional $29,000 in anonymous support.

A program of the Dominican Hospital Foundation founded in 2018, the WoW Council’s purpose is to provide financial resources to support and expand women’s health services at Dominican Hospital. This year marks the sixth round of funding crucial programs and technology with more than $440,000 raised in support.

The WoW Council members pledge to donate at least $1,000 annually to support crucial technologies, programs, and services for women at Dominican Hospital. The council convenes three times annually to stay updated on current women's health services at the hospital and to hear about new developments from key physicians and care providers. WoW Council members also strive to recognize and understand the requirement for new or enhanced programs, equipment, or facilities, and to build new connections. They then have the opportunity to evaluate project proposals presented by the hospital and vote using their pool of funds to decide which proposals will receive funding.

"For more than eight decades, the mission and values of Dominican Hospital have been shaped by visionary female founders and senior leaders," said Dominican HospitalPresident Nanette Mickiewicz, MD. "It is only fitting that today, the highly influential women of the WoW Council help carry on the hospital's legacy of improving patient care now and into the future."

The WoW Council selected the following initiatives as recipients of this year’s $87,000 donation, along with $29,000 of anonymous support:

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Noninvasive Ventilation, Respiratory Therapy - $27,971

Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) is a technique employed using a mask interface to deliver positive pressure and precise amounts of oxygen in the treatment of respiratory distress associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, and pulmonary edema.

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Bioness Integrated Therapy System, Occupational Therapy - $45,390

The Bioness Integrative Therapy System (BITS) is a new piece of technology designed for the advanced rehabilitation of patients with visual impairments as a result of a Neurological Condition.

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Carts for Fetal Monitors, Birth Center - $8,700

New fetal monitor carts for the Birth Center will help improve nursing workflow and allow the nurse ease of charting while providing 1:1 care to labor patients.

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Outpatient NICU Nutrition Program, Nutrition - $4,939 + $4,000 supplemental funds from an anonymous WoW member. 

This program, offered at Dominican's Wellness Center, will provide comprehensive follow-up care for former preemies or babies experiencing nutrition-related issues possibly due to failure to thrive or drug exposure.

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DHMG Oncology Women's Resources, DHMG Oncology - $5,000 - Fully funded by an anonymous WoW member. 

DHMG Oncology will create a program to assist patients with limited income by providing them with products to help support their cancer treatment goals. The aim is to stock items that are typically recommended to patients to alleviate side effects, but are expensive or not covered by insurance.

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Wig Boutique, Katz Cancer Resource Center - $20,000 - Fully funded by an anonymous WoW member.

The funds will be used to create a functional and beautiful wig room at Dominican's Katz Cancer Resource Center housed at the Mary & Richard Solari Cancer Center.

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"The WoW Council is a unique opportunity to see your impact locally. With your membership, you choose which departments and services to support which also allows broader access to the hospital. I love learning more about the great work we're doing in Santa Cruz and feel like I'm part of something bigger. I love this sisterhood," said Anissa Novak, WoW Chair.

To learn more about the Women of Wellness Council, call the Dominican Hospital Foundation at (831) 462-7712 or visit supportdominican.org/women-of-wellness-council.

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About Dignity Health

Dignity Health is a multi-state nonprofit network of 10,000 physicians, more than 60,000 employees, 41 acute care hospitals, and 400-plus care-centers, including community hospitals, urgent care, surgery and imaging centers, home health, and primary care clinics in Arizona, California, and Nevada. Dignity Health is dedicated to providing compassionate, high-quality, and affordable patient-centered care with special attention to the poor and underserved. Dignity Health is a part of CommonSpirit Health, a nonprofit health system committed to advancing health for all people and dedicated to serving the common good. For more information, please visit our website at www.DignityHealth.org.