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Read MoreEvery day, Inspira’s donors help strengthen patient care, support frontline teams, and expand access to innovative services across the region. In 2025, philanthropic gifts brought new technology, comfort, and educational resources into Inspira hospitals and communities.
Here’s a look at some of the most powerful donor-funded projects making a difference at Inspira this year:
1. Crisis response canines supporting staff mental health
Donors helped expand Inspira’s Crisis Response Canines program across multiple campuses. Unlike therapy dogs, which provide general comfort, crisis response canines are specially trained in Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM), enabling them to recognize and respond to individuals experiencing high levels of stress during or after traumatic events.
The dogs have become a valued part of Inspira’s expanding Employee Wellness Day programming, enriching the experience for staff across the system.
“There have been countless ‘This made my day!’ or ‘This is just what I needed!’ comments this year,” said Kathryn Friedman, manager of employee health and wellness at Inspira Health. “The calming support these dogs provide improves staff well-being and creates tons of smiles.”
2. Advanced monitoring for patients with congestive heart failure
Thanks to donor funding, Inspira acquired ReDS™ noninvasive fluid measurement technology, a tool that gives doctors fast, actionable insight into a heart failure patient’s fluid status. This information allows care teams to identify worsening symptoms earlier, adjust medications promptly, and prevent avoidable hospital readmissions.
“Bringing the ReDS equipment into our outpatient congestive heart failure center will strengthen our work in every way,” said Frank Bender, director of respiratory therapy at Inspira Medical Center Vineland. “With this tool, we’re not just reacting—we’re proactively protecting our patients’ health and reducing avoidable hospital visits.”
This investment has led to more timely interventions, empowered patients with clearer information, and reduced hospital readmissions by shifting heart failure care toward prevention.
3. Post-birth warning signs magnets to protect parents
Maternal health remains a nationwide concern, so Inspira donors helped launch the Post-Birth Warning Signs (PBWS) Magnet initiative, offering evidence-based guidance to every new birth patient. These magnets provide a simple, visible checklist showing when to seek emergency care during the postpartum period.
“This initiative has transformed the way our team engages with patients, fostering open conversations and empowering families to prioritize maternal health,” said Wendy Rosen, M.S.N., R.N.C., clinical nurse educator at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill. “We now take a seat and have a chat about PBWS and the first year post-delivery.”
This tool has sparked more lifesaving conversations between families and providers, helping birthing parents recognize early warning signs and seek timely care.
4. Essential baby supplies for families in need
The Tiny Treasures program provides diapers, car seats, bassinets, formula, and other essential items to families who may otherwise lack access to them. Donor support ensures newborns begin life safely and families leave the hospital better prepared.
“As social workers, the ongoing support from Inspira Health Foundation empowers us to better serve our communities,” said Sonya Knight, director of case management and social work, care coordination at Inspira Medical Centers Vineland and Elmer and Inspira Health Center Bridgeton. “In 2025, as a network, we supported more than a dozen families and provided numerous additional resources to patients in need.”
This program is a lifeline that reduces stress during a vulnerable time and strengthens community well-being.
5. Refrigerated centrifuges enabling cutting-edge cancer research
New refrigerated centrifuges at Inspira Medical Centers Vineland and Mullica Hill allow Inspira to participate in advanced clinical trials that require precise, temperature-controlled specimen processing. This equipment preserves delicate genetic material and expands access to early-detection and personalized medicine research.
“These early detection and personalized medicine studies are reshaping the landscape of cancer care and will undoubtedly save countless lives in our community,” said Sami Abate, Ph.D., M.S.H.S., M.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N., C.N.M.L., assistant vice president for nursing excellence and clinical research at Inspira Health. “Without these centrifuges, we would not have been able to contribute to this cutting-edge research.”
This investment accelerates scientific progress and expands patient options close to home.
6. Digital scales empowering heart failure patients at home
Heart failure patients now receive digital scales and personalized discharge education, helping them monitor daily weight changes—a sign of fluid retention and worsening heart function. Donor support equips patients with the tools needed for early intervention and better disease management.
“Receiving support from Inspira Health Foundation allows us to empower patients by directly providing the tools they need,” said Kim Bauer, M.S.N., R.N., C.M.S.R.N., C.C.M., manager of heart failure at Inspira Health. “This support, along with delivering high-quality cardiac care, has allowed our team to be successful in reducing heart failure readmissions two years in a row.”
7. Blanket warmer bringing comfort to dialysis patients
Dialysis patients often feel cold due to anemia and long treatment times. A donor-funded mobile blanket warmer now provides warm blankets directly at the point of care, improving comfort, easing stress and enhancing the treatment experience.
Nursing teams shared that having this resource readily available has made an immediate and meaningful difference for patients. “This helps our department contribute to a positive patient experience, ensuring they feel more comfortable and cared for during their treatments,” said Lisa Blystone, M.S.N., R.N., C.C.R.N., N.P.D.-B.C., system nurse manager of acute dialysis at Inspira Health.
8. Launching South Jersey’s first emergency medicine CME event
Donor contributions, in partnership with Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine, helped enable Inspira to establish South Jersey’s first emergency medicine continuing medical education (CME) event. The program brings together physicians, residents, advanced practice providers, and medical students for high-level, interprofessional training.
“Its success and potential have opened the opportunity to make this an annual event and to attract emergency medicine practitioners from across the tri-state area,” said James F. Baird IV, D.O., emergency medicine residency program director at Inspira Medical Center Mullica Hill.
This event has resulted in increased collaboration between health systems, enhanced emergency care capabilities, and measurable improvements in patient safety throughout the region.
9. Life-saving technology for Inspira's tiniest patients
With equipment purchased through a grant from The Superhero Project Inc. to the Deborah F. Sager Memorial Fund, the care team at the Deborah F. Sager Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Inspira Medical Center Vineland is now able to provide comprehensive care for newborns with neurological trauma related to reduced blood-oxygen levels.
The new equipment, which will go live in 2026, includes an EEG device for monitoring brain activity in real time. With this new technology, the care team can now provide comprehensive body cooling therapy and the necessary monitoring and imaging, eliminating the need for transfers in most cases.
“This will be so meaningful to our NICU families whose babies need body-cooling therapy,” said Christl Dooley, B.S.N, R.N.C.-OB, assistant vice president for Maternal Child Health Service at Inspira Health. “Keeping babies close to their families fosters strong bonds, which help our babies heal and thrive.”
10. Transforming spaces into places of comfort and healing through art
James George, M.D., J.D., a philanthropist and cherished member of the Inspira family, has shared his artwork throughout many Inspira facilities, bringing creativity and comfort to these spaces. His generous donations are displayed in behavioral health units in Bridgeton and Woodbury, as well as emergency departments in Mullica Hill and Woodbury. Building on his ongoing support of art therapy in 2025, Inspira is launching a new art therapy pilot program at its Millville primary care office.
Your impact reaches every corner of care
These donor-supported projects reflect Inspira’s commitment to compassionate, innovative and patient-centered care. From advanced technology to simple comforts, every gift helps improve health and strengthen our community.
Your generosity can change lives. Make a gift to the Inspira Foundation today.
