New technology helps MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center’s most vulnerable newborns

Mason City, Iowa; September 19, 2024 –The MercyOne North Iowa Foundation has received a generous grant from the Barkema Trust and the Bertha Stebens Foundation to improve care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Thanks to the support from the local foundations in 2023, MercyOne has purchased an advanced enclosed bed to help care for our community’s critically ill and premature infants.

Linda Latham, Director of MercyOne North Iowa Women’s and Children’s Services, is excited about the new technology. “This state-of-the-art equipment allows us to stabilize the newborn on the warmer bed, facilitating immediate life-saving care. Subsequently, with the touch of a button, the warmer bed transforms into an advanced incubator, designed to provide premature infants with the comfort and stability they need to heal and grow.”

Nearly 200 babies from the region served by MercyOne North Iowa Medical Center annually require specialized care provided by the NICU. Investments in this critical service area significantly impact the lives of North Iowa’s tiniest patients.

“MercyOne North Iowa's Birth Center care team is dedicated to creating a nurturing and compassionate environment for the region’s newest arrivals and their families,” said Latham.

The MercyOne North Iowa Foundation is grateful to the Barkema Trust and the Bertha Stebens Foundation for their invaluable support, which allows the NICU to continue providing exceptional care to our community's most vulnerable members.

For more information about this live-saving NICU technology upgrade, please contact Hailee Merryman at 515-341-6885 or Hailee.Merryman@mercyone.org.