Dr. Kimberly Fenton always wanted to be in a profession where she serves others, so she became a doctor 24 years ago and more specifically, a pediatric critical care doctor 17 years ago. She chose pediatric critical care because her passion is taking care of patients during their most vulnerable times. You can support Dr. Fenton and the care she's providing to patients in need by making a gift at AdventHealthForChildren.com/Donate.
Dr. Fenton says the most important philanthropic need at AdventHealth for Children is a Portable CT Scanner.
Why does the hospital need a Portable CT Scanner?
“A CT Scanner is also known more commonly as a CAT scan and allows us to take more detailed radiographic images of the inside of the body. Currently, in order to perform a CT scan, we must move patients who are critically ill out of the intensive care environment and onto an elevator to a different location in the hospital. Sometimes we must make the call that a patient’s condition is just too critical to be moved and we forego a test that a patient should optimally receive. Moving an ICU patient can be very physically cumbersome, stressful, requires great attention to detail and is an extreme coordinated effort. It can sometimes take upwards of ten people to move a patient and it risks our patient’s life. One small bump or movement in the wrong direction can be catastrophic. If we have a portable CT Scanner, we can perform the desired CT scan in the patients own bed in the ICU without ever having to move them.”
What will a Portable CT Scanner help you accomplish?
“When our pediatric patients are too critical to be moved to receive a CT Scan, we forgo the procedure because it is too risky for the patient. If we had a Portable CT Scanner, every patient would have access to this exam which would help us diagnose and treat potentially life-threatening problems. This procedure would allow us to identify critical pathology earlier and practice more precise medicine.
For example, if a patient is having a life-threatening brain hemorrhage, we may be able to rapidly diagnose and provide life- saving treatment through use of a portable CT Scanner.”
What will happen if patients are unable to receive this type of treatment?
“Currently, we are faced with the difficult situation of a high-risk transport to take these patients out of the ICU, even needing to interrupt essential therapies such as dialysis just to undergo a CT scan. Transport of these patients can sometimes take over an hour for a 10-minute test.”
Will having this piece of equipment enhance the safety of our patients and how will it do that?
“Oh YES, by being able to obtain a necessary CT Scan in the patient’s own room, it will allow us to provide safer and higher quality care. A secondary benefit is to our nursing and respiratory teams who are currently tasked with moving these patients which is extremely stressful. Sometimes we even need a physician to transport the patient.”
How does philanthropy help improve your job? Is there a visible impact philanthropy has on the staff and our patients?
“We are so grateful and appreciative of philanthropy. We are amid a historic time with unprecedented economic challenges and we feel so blessed that philanthropy continues. Our patients deserve the best possible care and philanthropy makes it possible for us to provide that care, and to be the best children’s hospital in Central Florida. There is something extra special about receiving funding through philanthropy. It sends the message to the medical team that there are people outside of the immediate medical environment that believe in the work that we are doing and support our mission. Philanthropy also makes the impossible become possible which is such a great feeling.”
What do you want AdventHealth Champions for Children donors to know about the work you do every day and the patients that you meet?
“Everything we do is for our patients and their families. Our entire pediatric critical care team is so grateful for the generosity of our community. Something that may feel inconsequential to a donor may be so important and may truly save a patient’s life. Our patients and their families are under such distress. In addition to worrying about their critically ill child in the hospital our families often face economic hardships with caregivers having work absences and job losses. It is so stressful for a parent to have to choose between staying with their sick child in the hospital versus keeping their job to support their family. Philanthropy can help ease those burdens. These gifts are vital, and we see their impact firsthand, which is so meaningful, and no words can truly express our gratitude.”
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