Variety - the Children’s Charity awards more than $144,000 to MercyOne Central Iowa

MercyOne Central Iowa has been awarded over $144,000 from Variety – the Children’s Charity to enhance the care and services to Iowa children at MercyOne Children’s Hospital and MercyOne House of Mercy.

A $129,000 grant was awarded to the MercyOne Children’s Hospital which will be used to remodel the MercyOne Pediatric Emergency Department to enhance care provided to children and families. This project will renovate five exam rooms, two rooms will be updated with behavioral health design and safety standards including recessed cabinet hinges, additional cabinet locks, and the ability to close off the sink and medical-gases from patient access.

“Thousands of children visit the MercyOne Pediatric Emergency Department each year and these young patients and their families depend on our care,” said Sydney Leach, M.D., Emergency Care physician at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center. “These remodeled exam rooms will help us continue to provide the highest quality of care for these ill or injured kids. We are grateful for the support from Variety - the Children’s Charity for allowing us to enhance patient care and be prepared to handle some of the scariest moments in a child’s – and parent’s – life.”

A $15,901 grant was awarded to MercyOne House of Mercy which will create a large family visitation room for the children and families of residential patients.

“This visitation room will provide our families with a safe space where they can feel comfortable interacting with each other, build bonds and reaffirm their family units,” said Director of MercyOne House of Mercy, Rebecca Peterson. “Variety is helping us support the children and families we serve.”

“We are so pleased to partner with Variety and are grateful for its ongoing generosity to our MercyOne family,” said Shannon Cofield, President of MercyOne Des Moines Foundation. “The organization’s enduring legacy of serving the most urgent needs of kids in our community is outstanding, and we are appreciative of the important care these grants will provide.”

Variety - the Children's Charity is dedicated to improving the lives of children who are underprivileged, at-risk, critically ill or living with special needs. Funding is provided to programs and initiatives that directly impact the well-being of children throughout Iowa. For more information on how you can be a part of Variety's work, please visit varietyiowa.com.