Children are our future, but the future of many children isn’t as bright as it should be. Some children begin their lives in an incubator in a neonatal unit, others don’t have access to proper health care, and childhood safety awareness is an always-present issue in every community.

With the aid of the many resources within our community, the Foundation of FirstHealth strives to help the children who need it most. By providing programs that assist children without access to health care, we hope to prevent chronic problems that may arise due to lack of care. By providing the technology needed to assist in the care of premature infants, we hope to diminish the chance of related health problems as these children grow up. By bringing childhood safety to the forefront of community awareness, we hope to decrease the number of unintentional injuries that occur daily to children.

The Children’s CARE Fund was established to provide early intervention for our children who need, but cannot afford quality health care and other life-sustaining basics. Generous charitable gifts from individuals, families, businesses and organizations will help provide these health care programs and services. Your contribution will help assure that children receive the quality care that they deserve and will help ensure that our children have the brightest future possible.

How Your Gift Helps
Contributions are used where the need is greatest – to enhance existing services and programs for children. Your gift to the Children’s CARE Fund is managed and disbursed under the direction of a governing committee made up of community leaders, hospital staff and physicians with an active interest in our children. Our current funding priorities include the following items.

The children in our community need and deserve access to the highest quality of care available. Unfortunately there are many children in crisis situations who do not always have access to the care they need due to their parents’ ability to pay, being uninsured or lack of knowledge of what the health care system offers in this community. Our goal is to provide funds for through existing outlets within our community so that our children can obtain the care they need in a timely fashion, avoid further acute situations and ensure they can access the resources available to them.

Kids In Crisis
Many children in our schools need immediate assistance, within 24 hours that will allow these children to remain in school. Funds administered through the School Health Nurses in Moore County will be provided to use for transportation, needed medications and medical interventions that will help keep the children in school, avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency department and allow a way for the children to be entered into the health care system to control whatever issue this child is having. Current statistics show that more than 800 children in Moore County schools have to deal with a chronic illness such as asthma, ADHD, diabetes and epilepsy. To help with these children and with others who have immediate needs, the nurses will have access to funds to assist in the care of these children.

Neonatal Care
FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital’s Level II-Plus Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) facility provides care for low-birth weight, premature infants and full-term infants in need of specialized medical care. Outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment and staff, the NICU provides cardio-respiratory monitors and ventilators, diagnostic imaging services, cardiac echo, ultrasound and radiographic imaging including X-ray, CT, MRI, nuclear scans and contrast studies. Services include pediatric ophthalmology including laser surgery. The family-centered, specialized care provided by NICU staff emphasizes the importance of health and the importance of the bonding process among newborns and their parents. The Foundation continues its support of this needed service to the newborns of the 15-county service area of Moore Regional Hospital.

Children’s Safety
Each year, one in four North Carolina children is injured seriously enough to require medical attention. Unintentional and preventable injuries are the leading cause of death and disability among North Carolina children age 14 and under. To help keep children safe from injury, the Children’s CARE Fund will assist existing agencies with safety issues within our communities and provide support for efforts to educate and provide safety equipment to our most vulnerable segment of the population – our children.

Dental Care
The issue of dental care for children has been a long-standing commitment for FirstHealth of the Carolinas. Unfortunately, there are many children who need dental care beyond the scope of services available at our dental centers. These ancillary services include pediatric dental care for infants and toddlers, oral surgery and other specialties not covered by Medicaid or Health Choice. In many cases, these children are denied the care they need because their parents are uninsured and can’t afford the cost of the dental work. The Children’s CARE Fund will help parents by assisting with surgical fees and co-payments to help these children obtain the dental work needed to get them back on their feet.