Bank of America Charitable Foundation Representatives Tour Renovated Laboratory and NICU

From left, Gene Schaefer, Eduardo Bancalari, M.D., Maria Alonso, Erin Sutherland, and Judy Schaechter, M.D., M.B.A., chair, Department of Pediatrics, visit the Division of Neonatology.

In the hopes of making a difference for critically ill, premature babies and their families, the local leadership of the Bank of America recently toured the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Division of Neonatology, where unit renovations created by the generosity of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation were completed.

Accompanied by Miller School and Department of Pediatrics leadership, the representatives visited the areas the bank’s donation supported: the Bank of America Molecular and Cell Biology Neonatal Research Lab, and the Schatzi and Stanley Kassal Project: New Born Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Holtz Children’s Hospital at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center.

“We are so pleased that our investment in two of Miami’s anchor organizations 10 years ago continues to yield benefits for our community,” said Gene Schaefer, Miami market president at Bank of America, who was accompanied by Maria C. Alonso, Miami market manager, and Erin Sutherland, Miami community relations manager. “Not only has our investment helped create positive outcomes in the care of our smallest and sickest infants, but it has also helped attract additional resources for our community.”

The Bank of America Charitable Foundation supports community needs by investing in organizations whose work contributes to thriving economies while strengthening neighborhoods, making them a better place to live and work.
In 2006, the Foundation made a gift of $750,000 to UM, $500,000 of which was designated to support neonatology research and $250,000 for renovations in the NICU.

Eduardo Bancalari, M.D., director of the Division of Neonatology at the Miller School, says the Foundation’s philanthropy has played a huge role in advancing the understanding of the mechanisms leading to respiratory problems in premature infants, developing better methods for neonatal respiratory support, and evaluating new treatment strategies.

“The support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation has been one of the most significant contributions we have received from the community,” said Bancalari, who is also a professor of pediatrics and chief of newborn service at Jackson Memorial Hospital. “The Foundation wanted to make sure that part of the donation would go toward clinical care through renovations that would help our families, staff, and, of course, our patients. At the same time, they also understood research is the best way for us to progress in this area to help these patients.”

Thanks to the Foundation’s support, investigators have been able to leverage more than $3 million in additional funds to research respiratory problems in premature infants, which is always a leading factor in their survival. Recently, Bancalari and Nelson Claure, M.Sc., Ph.D., were awarded a grant from the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health to participate in a five-year, multicenter project to study the long-term impact of respiratory and oxygenation instability in premature infants.

“The Foundation’s donation allows us to continue with our work to develop an automated system to adjust the amount of oxygen the babies are receiving,” said Claure. “That has led to a prototype that is now available in different countries around the world, and is in the late stages of the Food and Drug Administration approval in the United States.”

The Foundation’s gift also supports research by principal investigators Karen Young, M.D., and Shu Wu, M.D., associate professors of clinical pediatrics.
Both renowned neonatologists are advancing the knowledge of the pathogenesis of neonatal lung diseases, generating innovative therapies to protect the lungs, brains, eyes, and kidneys of preterm infants, and providing the impetus to train a new generation of researchers.

Young’s primary research focus is bronchopulmonary dysplasia and pulmonary hypertension. She has completed all of the pre-clinical work and is hoping to launch the first-ever in-human clinical trial in the U.S. exploring the use of bone-marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells to treat bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Wu’s research focus is on the role of specific proteins in lung development, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and pulmonary hypertension. She conducts extensive studies to explore the signaling mechanisms that govern normal neonatal lung development, disrupt alveolar and pulmonary vascular formation, induce lung inflammation and fibrosis, and cause pulmonary hypertension.

Young and Wu have mentored trainees, including neonatology fellows, pediatric pulmonary fellows, pediatric residents, medical students and postdoctoral fellows, who have presented their work in numerous publications and at prestigious national and international meetings.

A portion of the Foundation’s support also went toward the redesign and renovation of the NICU, which now has updated patient areas, an expanded nursing station, breast feeding lounge, and a new Parent Consultation/Family Room.

“This is a more comforting area where our physicians and staff can meet with parents to discuss in private what’s going on with their children,” said Bancalari, who has been at UM since 1971. “It will make a tremendous difference for our families.”

Tags: Bank of America, NICU renovations