Swedish Teams Work to Support Children with RSV
Pictured left to right ED team members Jona Sorrisso and Kim Leslie join Mark Sabas of Respiratory Therapy and Jennifer Blitz of the Swedish Foundation to display the pediatric pulse oximeters they worked together to acquire for patients in need.
At the height of the RSV crisis, children sick with the virus and their panicked parents streamed into our Emergency Department at the rate of 30 per day, overwhelming our ED. Our staff wanted to send the children home with pulse oximeters to monitor their oxygen levels and bring comfort to their parents, but the adult versions were too large and no one in Chicago had a smaller size. Where could we find a pediatric version, and how would we fund this immediate need? Thanks to the quick thinking of Mark Sabas, Swedish Respiratory Therapy Manager, and our generous donors, Swedish Foundation had funds immediately available to help with this emergent crisis.
Mark learned during a Zoom meeting with the city of Chicago that a mounting concern of the RSV surge was the lack of home oxygen monitoring due to limited availability of pediatric pulse oximeters. This problem forced many families to visit the ED, overwhelming area hospitals- -including Swedish. Mark immediately felt compelled to find a solution. According to Mark, “I took this to heart and contacted a few vendors who identified a local manufacturer. However, many of our patients are uninsured or underinsured and couldn’t afford them, so I called the Swedish Foundation and they immediately provided significant seed money to move forward.”
Within 24 hours of calling the Foundation for funding assistance, the pediatric pulse oximeters were ordered and shipped. Mark spoke to the manufacturer and they cut the list price of the pulse oximeters which enabled the ED staff to distribute 60 oximeters to families in need. For the families and young patients who left Swedish with a pediatric pulse oximeter, their gratitude to our staff and our generous donors could not be contained.
As one grandmother wrote in a thankful email,
My 6-month old grandbaby was in your ED just 2 weeks ago. My daughter-in-law and son both tested positive for COVID and when their son started to exhibit systems, being first time parents, they were really scared when he started having difficulties breathing. They couldn’t get into their pediatrician’s office so they went to Swedish’s Emergency Room. Not having a pulse oximeter at home small enough to check his oxygen levels, they were only going based on how he looked and how he was breathing.
At Swedish, the nurse gave my son and daughter-in-law a pulse oximeter, showed them how to use it, what to look for, and told them if his levels drop below a certain number to get him right back in.
I can’t even tell you how relieved they were to have a device to keep an eye on Leo’s oxygen levels. By receiving the generous donation of a pulse oximeter and my children being able to go home with one certainly set their minds at ease and it worked beautifully.
Thank you so much,
Sincerely,
An appreciative and concerned Nonna
Our donors saved the day and brought comfort to our youngest patients and their families. The Foundation is grateful to have donors whose gifts can be mobilized at a moment’s notice to assist our staff in saving lives. When life throws a curve ball, we are ready to respond. If you would like to learn more about the Foundation, or donate, please visit www.swedishhospitalfoundation.org/donate