For most, the birth of a child is one of life’s most joyous events. Preparing for a baby is an exciting time, full of anticipation. The months leading up to a birth are busy ones, as there’s significant preparation involved in receiving a new family member.

Imagine the unforeseen happening, and your baby arriving weeks or even months in advance. The natural stress of dealing with the medical needs of a premature child is further complicated by a family’s lack of time to prepare for the birth – to get their home in order and everything purchased. This situation is more common than you might think.

Out of the 4,900 newborns that the Regional Medical Center at Memphis welcomes annually, 1,300 are premature or critically ill. Babies who are born prematurely are taken to The MED’s Sheldon B. Korones Newborn Center. If these infants arrive into the world far earlier than anticipated, they require extra care and attention from the moment they’re born.  Mothers and fathers suddenly find themselves in the shock of a whirlwind of medical care and life-changing circumstances, with no time to acquire the essentials.

You can get involved and lend a hand to these families – helping them cope with the significant changes they face and making those incredibly challenging first few days, weeks and months more bearable. Recently, the Regional Medical Center at Memphis invested in an online “Amazon Wishlist” as part of their Healthy Newborn Campaign initiative. This Wishlist allows you to support our tiniest patients in the newborn center by purchasing essentials they’ll need in their first few weeks or months after birth. The list is extensive, offering a selection of everything from baby blankets to baby grooming kits to changing pads.

Please visit this link to view The MED’s Amazon Wishlist.

Imagine the stress a premature birth places on a family. You can make a world of difference in the lives of these families with a small gift from our Wishlist. Parents who had no preparation for the birth of their child are given a much needed helping hand.

If you would like to make a direct donation to The MED Foundation in support of all the good work it does for your community, please click here.

Dennis Edwards and the Temptations Review working the crowd, picture by Gary Culley

Those traveling to The MED Foundation’s website will see a huge banner: “SOUL-ED OUT!” After months of preparation, anticipation, and hard work, The MED Foundation produced a night last weekend that failed to disappoint: the star-studded line-up had the at-capacity crowd rocking and rolling, the venue provided elegance and fun, and The MED proved they could achieve their goal: to “pause for the cause” and have a rollickin’ time doing it.

Tammie Ritchey, The MED Foundation’s Executive Director and MED Vice President of Development, exclaims: “We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout at ‘MED Night: A Soul Celebration.’ Everyone had a great time and The MED Foundation’s volunteers and supporters did an excellent job in raising awareness for our cause.”

And what better way than to support the cause? Along with a cocktail reception and an elegant, sit-down dinner in the Peabody Hotel’s Grand Ballroom, “MED Night: A Soul Celebration” boasted an all-star line-up that not only provided classic musical entertainment, but also joined gala guests for dinner right at their tables. The Temptations Review Featuring Dennis Edwards were proud to support The MED at this event. “This is the type of thing, these life or death cases, that you never think about until it happens to someone close to you,” Dennis Edwards remarked.

Along with the Temptations Review, guests were serenaded by The Four Tops, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr., and Thelma Houston. This is no ordinary gala with people sitting and listening to a keynote speaker; the guests danced and partied for over three hours. The dance floor was packed, and laughter could be heard from every corner of the room.

Over 800 old and new friends of The MED Foundation were dressed in their best! Among those in attendance were Mayor A.C. Wharton, country music star Andy Childs, and Pat Kerr Tigrett. The co-chairs of “MED Night: A Soul Celebration,” Susan Arney and Leigh Shockey, were excited by the corporate response to the event, calling it “overwhelming.”

Having now achieved such outstanding success two years in succession, MED Night is well on its way to becoming tradition in Memphis. There’s no doubt that The MED will exceed expectations in providing a high level of entertainment and fun each year. Most of all, The MED Foundation has made great strides in achieving its ongoing goal of raising funds and increasing public awareness for The MED.

“We are on our way to becoming the premier health care system in the region,” Tammie Ritchey says proudly. The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, which plays a vital part in providing healthcare and treatment in Memphis and the surrounding area, is busting at the seams with patient volume and seeks to revitalize and renovate their  facilities in order to accommodate more patients and provide care in a more efficient manner than the current hospital layout allows. Gala guests were given a preview of the vision for The MED and a glimpse at what tomorrow’s MED might look like.

“MED Night: A Soul Celebration” signifies the dawn of what Dr. Reginald Coopwood, CEO of the  Regional Medical Center at Memphis, refers to as “Tomorrow’s MED,” citing his dream for The MED to become the hospital of choice in the region.

One of the three busiest trauma centers in the nation is located at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis and named after the King of Rock and Roll, the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center treats over 12,000 patients annually from a six state region.  The Level I trauma center boasts of a 98% rate among patients after the first 24 hours of admittance.

While there are many patients who have lived to tell about their catastrophic injury, three recent stories seem to stand out.

Elan today, healthy and smiling

Elan was driving along Poplar Avenue. While making a turn onto Mendenhall Road, he lost control of his vehicle and hit a pole, smashing through the windshield of his car. Rescue crews airlifted him to the Trauma Center at The MED to be treated. The impact of the crash had crushed one side of Elan’s head. Luckily, The MED’s Trauma Center treats more severe and catastrophic brain injuries than any other level-one trauma center in the United States.  Ultimately, they were able to save and restore Elan’s life. He spent his first ten days in the trauma center followed by another year of extensive physical therapy at The MED’s rehabilitation center. Elan can now walk, talk and work again.

Henry, fully recuperated and enjoying life

Henry, another survivor, had recently purchased a novelty knife claiming to be one of the sharpest in the world. When he attempted to cut open a plastic package, he sliced his own abdomen and caused severe internal injuries. Within fifteen minutes of his arrival at the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center, Henry was taken to the operating room. Once there he was amazed at the swift and efficient service. He recalls the Trauma Center staff as open and genuinely caring. “I want to tell the doctors and employees how appreciative I am and dispel the idea that The MED is anything other than excellent,” Henry says today.

Karen, smiling and back to normal

Karen, another patient helped by The MED’s trauma center, doesn’t even remember what happened. There were no witnesses to help her, so after swerving on her scooter to avoid a speeding car, she was left alone with her injuries for a while. A passerby found her and brought her directly to The MED. Although she was critically injured, The MED’s trauma team quickly stabilized her condition. “My doctor stayed by my side for 36 hours, ready to intervene at a moment’s notice,” Karen recalls. “No other hospital could have given me the level of exceptional care I received. I owe my life to The MED.”

While Karen still suffers substantial memory loss from her accident, she is back at work and has picked up her life where she left off.

If you’d like to donate to The MED’s Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center and help people like Elan, Henry, and Karen, please click here.

Michael today, back at the job

A few years ago, Michael responded to a house call with his firefighters’ unit. After rushing into the soggy, unstable building, both the ceiling and the burning roof collapsed on him and his unit. Michael remembers an overpowering wave of heat, burning, and pain. At that moment, Michael was sure that he was going to die.

Bruce and his family decided to take a summer day’s excursion on the lake to try out a new water craft. After a day of fun the battery had run out, and due to a faulty o-ring gas was all around the engine. The engine exploded when Bruce began to tinker with the mechanics. He was hurled ten feet into the air. Bruce didn’t remember the spark that ignited the explosion but knew he needed help immediately when he saw the skin on his hands falling off.

Bruce pictured here with his daughter Julia, fully recovered

What do these two stories have in common?  They both end well at The MED’s  Firefighters Regional Burn Center.

Michael remembers six or eight specialists swarming around him the minute he entered through the emergency room doors.  Over the course of his arduous recovery, he received continual specialized treatment from the medical professionals assigned to his care. “The nurses offered me words of encouragement every day,” Michael relates. “They were so reassuring that I never doubted my ability to recover from my injuries and enjoy a normal life.”    Michael is now back at work with the accident behind him.

Bruce underwent several painful surgeries in the three months following his water craft accident, and the doctors reassured Bruce and his family that life would return to normal.  Bruce is now fully recuperated and you would never know he was a burn patient.  Thanks to the great doctors at The MED he looks like he did before the accident.

Without the Firefighters Regional Burn Center at The MED, these stories would likely have ended differently. Serious burns hospitalize an average of 100,000 Americans each year, and The MED’s Firefighters Regional Burn Center treats approximately 300 of these annually.  The MED’s Burn Center is the only one available in a 150-mile radius – the closest adult burn centers can be found in Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas.

Currently, the Firefighters Regional Burn Center houses 14 beds, an outpatient clinic, facilities for surgery, a rehabilitation center, research division, and cutting-edge burn care equipment. Your donation will help The Burn Center continue to administer top-quality care by providing equipment and comfort items that will make the patients’ recovery more pleasant.  Click here to donate.

FACT: Of the 4,900 babies born at The MED this year, 1,300 babies will be born prematurely or critically ill and will need to be treated in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The MED.

At The MED’s Neonatal Intensive Care unit, doctors and nurses dedicate their work to saving the lives of children born in Memphis. They’re making a difference in our community each day through medical expertise and genuine caring.

Word of Mouth

“[The NICU staff] are like the green berets of nursing. The doctors held my hand and promised they would do all they could.” ~ Kelly, whose daughter Whitney was born at 25 weeks

“I can tell you every nurse they’ve ever had by name. I’ve gotten to know them, and they’re my friends now.” ~ Katie, whose twin boys Case and Cannon were 17 weeks early

If you want to be 100% sure that your baby is in the best hands, The MED is the only place to be.” ~ Lizzy, whose daughter Annabelle was born at 24 weeks

The Healthy Newborn Campaign, which launched in November, improves the quality of care for the The MED’s tiniest, most vulnerable patients. There are three ways you can donate to give these babies the extra care and equipment they need to survive.

Baby Clothing and Supplies: Whether it be onesies, blankets or socks, bottles, bibs or baths, our babies can use it! Many times our preemies’ parents need basic supplies when taking these special bundles home for the first time. Check out our Amazon wish list so that you can personally choose a much-needed gift for the newborns!

Cutting Edge Technology: We wish to purchase needed specialty isolettes, which are ideally controlled micro-climates for extremely low birth-weight babies and micro-premature babies (weighing less than 1.5 pounds). The unique design of this amazing piece of equipment allows continual temperature monitoring and inhibits movement and stimulation, a factor critical to the care of premature babies.

Clinical Based Education: The MED Foundation stands behind comprehensive hospital-based programs which promote the significance of early and continual prenatal care and enhanced nutrition, as well as the prevention and postponement of repeat pregnancies. The education we provide serves to raise awareness for pre-natal care in the Memphis area, ultimately lowering costs in healthcare.

How to Give

Interested in getting involved? Coast to this link to make a donation to The Healthy Newborn Campaign and give our littlest patients healthier and happier tomorrows.

Last year, The MED’s Evening of Classic Soul was a roaring success, with 800 guests in attendance. The 2011 Gala featured all-star entertainment such as Peabo Bryson, the New Temptations Revue featuring Dennis Edwards, The Emotions, and Percy Sledge making up a few of the fourteen soul music legends performing for a packed room of over 800 excited attendees.

This year the artists for the MED Night: A Soul Celebration are even better. The MED Foundation promises this year will be a spectacular evening full of soul favorites to include:

NICU staff, from left to right: Jean Rowland, Kelley Smith, Rachelle Givens, Alaunda Mitchell, Brittany Petrauskas

By Kelley Smith, Nurse Manager, NICU

I absolutely love my job, because I’m reminded daily that what I do makes a huge difference in the lives of the parents and babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at The MED. I’ve worked in the NICU at The MED for nineteen years now, and I currently serve as the Nurse Manager. My team feels the most rewarded when we are able to watch the babies we have cared for go home.

We have such a fantastic team here at the NICU unit, due in large part because of the rigorous screening process in place. Not only is it essential that we find the most highly skilled nursing talent, but it’s equally important that they demonstrate extraordinary communication and care-giving skills.

Our nurses display passion not only for the babies, but the families as well. The babies are very fragile and have their special set of needs, but the parents are also going through an emotional time and need to understand what is happening with their baby. The NICU at The MED has a reputation for providing a comforting and supportive environment for parents, and many leave the hospital having developed dear friendships with the nurses.  Our nurses truly care about our patients and extended families and often parents bring the now healthy babies back to the NICU to see the nurses who diligently cared for them.

Our nursing staff is constantly learning.  We are a teaching facility, providing education to both parents and nurses.  Our nurses have a high educational level and are strong and knowledgeable in the work they do, supporting not only the patients and their parents, but each other as well.

Our nurses are excited to be working at The MED. This hospital does amazing work for the Memphis community and beyond, and we want our employees to realize that their combined efforts truly make a difference in peoples’ lives.  The MED’s NICU is different in the fact that we are a referral center; we not only treat babies born in Tennessee, but also those from Mississippi and Arkansas.

Above all, the NICU is a place of passion, learning and excitement. The MED’s Newborn Center has treated over 45,000 babies since its opening in 1968, and I’m so pleased to be a part of that.

The MED Foundation helps provide education for our NICU nurses and new parents. Click here to contribute to the Healthy Newborns Campaign.

Since opening its doors in 1968, The MED's NICU has treated more than 45,000 premature or critically ill babies!

By Dr. Ramasubbareddy Dhanireddy

I am excited to come to work at The MED every day, because I know our staff saves lives and makes such a difference in the community. The staff in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is like a family, they care about each patient, mother and family member like they were their own. It’s not just the quality care that each tiny patient receives; it’s in many cases the loving way in which they receive it.

Over the last thirty years, we’ve seen little turnover, and our staff is committed to working as a team in order to provide the best quality of care for our patients. Some of our staff, in fact, has worked here for the last two decades and longer. We provide a familial environment, and we go above and beyond in providing advanced training and professional development to ensure we deliver only the most exceptional care.

When I am asked by prospective donors why they should contribute to The Med’s NICU center, the answer is very simple for me: “Invest in our children and you invest in the future.” When I see a sick baby get exceptional care and go home healthy, I know that their life has improved, and I know that I’ve contributed to that. This is how we make a difference every day.

The work that we do here at The MED is necessary and vital to the region in which we live in. Memphis and Shelby County have the highest infant mortality rates in the country. There is a great need for neonatal care, and The MED’s NICU staff is the best at saving these tiny lives with great care. Our staff cares not only for premature babies but also high-risk pregnancies with medical complications.

The multi-disciplinary approach of the NICU staff to neonatal care has shown a measurably high level of success in improving the lives of both mother and child on various levels. We have dedicated social workers, pharmacists, nurses, heart specialists, surgeons and more who work around the clock to ensure the health of babies and mothers in need of the excellent quality of care that The MED provides. No one else in the region can provide this depth of care for both the mother and the infant.

Because of our knowledge, dedication, and belief in the positive impact of our work, The MED is the best place to have a baby.

You can help Dr. Dhanireddy and his team continue to provide the cutting-edge medical miracles that save these babies and their mothers by donating to the Healthy Newborn Campaign which provides training, new neonatal equipment, education and training. Click here to donate now.

The MED's new Director of Development, Joe Brandenburg, smiles for the camera

We are excited and pleased to announce the appointment of Joe Brandenburg to the position of Director of Development here at The MED Foundation!

As Director of Development, it’ll be up to Joe to orchestrate an inclusive fund-raising program in order to assist us in realizing our goal of bettering the quality of healthcare in the Greater Memphis area. Brandenburg is eager to begin his new work in partnering with The MED and continuing in its efforts to help the Memphis community, and views his new job as more than “a new job,” but as an opportunity to make a positive impact on others. Brandenburg quotes Winston Churchill in saying: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” Brandenburg continues on by describing his journey to his present path: “I am too squeamish to have become a nurse or a physician so I discovered a way for me to utilize my God-given talents to better the human condition through charitable giving.”

And who would be better equipped than Brandenburg to be entrusted with this valuable task? The Indiana native steps to The MED armed with over twenty years of experience at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville; Inova Health System Foundation in Arlington, VA, and Erlanger Health System, among others. As Brandenburg’s extensive experience in the health industry would suggest, he has long fostered a special passion for healthcare. “Helping donors connect their philanthropy to meaningful projects that make a positive impact in the lives of others is a very rewarding experience,” he explains.

Ultimately, we at The MED Foundation and Joe are excited about the growing potential of the future as we work together to build awareness of funding needed to further improve the top care  at The MED. Brandenburg has expressed his enthusiasm as well: “It is my honor to be connected to an organization that is dedicated to ensuring people in the region receive quality healthcare, regardless of their condition or socio-economic standing.”

We would like to welcome Joe to The MED family and encourage you to make donations to The MED Foundation today by clicking here.

Patrick Hendricks, Development Officer for The Med, and Tammie Ritchey, Vice President of Development and Executive Director at the Healthy Newborn Campaign Launch

By Patrick Hendricks

I have worked as a Development Officer for The MED Foundation since November of 2008, and while I continue to see amazing manifestations of human generosity and perseverance on the job, some of the most extraordinary experiences I have had to date have been linked to my involvement in The MED Foundation’s Young Leadership Council.

The MED serves Memphians and beyond by providing quality healthcare to those in need of it. There are multiple ways to engage in the important work that The MED does, and the Young Leadership Council is a great option for those interested in philanthropic work in support of this hospital. In 2009, I saw firsthand the drive of Shelby County’s young professionals to directly participate in The MED’s philanthropic programs. In recognition of this desire to get involved and raise public awareness for the MED and the needs of its patients, I established the Young Leadership Council, which has been active from that point up until now.

The Young Leadership Council has provided the opportunity for its members to contribute their time, energy and funds to important needs of The MED. This group is a diverse one, ranging from 25 to 40 years of age, and its members boast various vocations. Our group is comprised of doctors, teachers, lawyers, graduate students, and more. In 2009, our group came together and voted on which health issue we would devote ourselves to fighting, and the die was unanimously cast for newborns. Believe it or not, Shelby County has the highest infant mortality rate in the country, and we want to do something about it!

Since aligning ourselves with this important issue, our group has raised over $10,000 in funding for the MED’s work with premature newborns. The donations we have accumulated have gone toward equipment (such as the specialty isolette, a kind of ”incubator” that can hold a 1.5 lb baby!), pre-natal care tools, and providing education for young mothers.

We have enjoyed success at the four events we have hosted, the most recent of which has been the Healthy Newborn Campaign Launch, which we sponsored at Bleu Restaurant and Lounge in downtown Memphis just a few weeks ago. The Young Leadership Council is a group of compassionate people interested in public health while having a good time for a good cause, and on this particular night, we enjoyed a turnout of over 70 people, raising over $1,000! The Young Leadership Council makes a difference!

If you are interested in joining The Young Leadership Council, please email me at phendricks@the-med.org. The majority of The Young Leadership Council’s correspondence is done through email, and we aim to host two fundraisers a year. The Young Leadership Council provides the opportunity to help The MED make a difference in the Memphis community without making a significant time commitment, which makes it ideal for the busy lifestyles of young professionals in Memphis. We’re eager for more members who share our passion!

If you would like to make a contribution to this important cause and support The MED Foundation through a monetary donation, please click here.