St Marys Foundation For Children Inc

St. Mary's Foundation for Children, a dedicated organization, is committed to supporting the provision of highly specialized care for children and young adults facing medically complex special needs. Their primary mission is to fundraise for innovative programs offered by St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, which include, but are not limited to, a Feeding Disorders Program, Healing Arts Program, Palliative Care, and a Telehealth Program.

The Feeding Disorders Program at St. Mary's Hospital for Children addresses the clinical, psychological, behavioral, and nutritional aspects of pediatric feeding disorders, serving children with a wide range of eating difficulties. The program's interdisciplinary team focuses on treating the whole child, addressing their specific needs, and helping them develop the ability to tolerate new foods, improve mealtime behaviors, and chew or swallow more easily.

The Healing Arts Program, recognizing the importance of artistic expression in holistic pediatric healthcare, offers daily art therapy activities to St. Mary's patients. These activities, led by certified recreational therapists, range from painting and drawing to constructing collages and making music with assistive musical equipment. The benefits of this program include increased independence, greater socialization, increased confidence, an improved sense of well-being, and significant advancements in the children's therapeutic goals.

Palliative Care, introduced by St. Mary's Hospital for Children over 30 years ago, is offered alongside appropriate therapies to develop a plan of care that provides optimum comfort and addresses individual care goals. This patient-centered approach, delivered by an integrated team of professionals, includes medicine, nursing, social work, psychology, rehabilitation, nutrition, chaplaincy, therapeutic activities, and doula volunteers, promoting a healing and compassionate environment in the midst of loss.

The Telehealth Program, a key component of St. Mary's healthcare strategy, provides preventative care to medically fragile children living in home settings, ensuring that their health is maintained outside of a hospital setting. This program, using advanced technology and regular home visits, reduces hospitalizations and allows medically fragile children to live richer lives with familial support and long-term rehabilitation and care.

In summary, St. Mary's Foundation for Children's mission is to enhance the health, safety, and quality of life for children with special needs by supporting innovative programs and initiatives offered by St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, including the Feeding Disorders Program, Healing Arts Program, Palliative Care, and Telehealth Program.