Highlights
- Valleywise Health is the first Arizona hospital to implement the LifeBubble Umbilical Line Securement System in its NICU.
- A grant of more than $12,000 from 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun, routed through the Valleywise Health Foundation, paid for the rollout.
- Clinical studies at Oregon Health and Science University and Stanford Lucile Packard Children's Hospital showed reductions in catheter migration.
- KTAR and AZ Big Media have independently confirmed the deployment, which was announced June 30.
A $12,000 grant from a collective of Valley philanthropists has put Valleywise Health ahead of every other Arizona hospital in deploying the LifeBubble Umbilical Line Securement System, a device designed to stabilize umbilical catheters in premature and critically ill newborns.
The grant was awarded by members of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun to the Valleywise Health Foundation, which partnered with the hospital's NICU nursing staff to bring the technology to patients, according to a June 30 announcement distributed through the Greater Phoenix Chamber. The implementation was driven by Valleywise NICU clinicians who identified the opportunity to improve care.
LifeBubble is designed to reduce catheter migration and malposition while keeping the insertion site accessible to clinicians. Clinical studies at Oregon Health and Science University and Stanford Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, cited in the 2024 Journal of Perinatology, showed reductions in catheter migration and high nursing satisfaction.
Dr. Jodi Carter, Chair of Pediatrics at Valleywise Health, said umbilical catheters provide "immediate access to medications, nutrition, fluids, and other lifesaving therapies during their critical first days" for the hospital's most vulnerable patients.
Pam Stelzer, an emeritus member of the Valleywise Health Foundation Board and a member of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun, said the initiative shows "how local philanthropy can create meaningful change in our community."
The deployment was independently confirmed by KTAR and AZ Big Media. Valleywise Health serves Maricopa County and operates one of the nation's public teaching hospitals, a burn center, and 11 community health centers, according to the hospital's own release.
No timeline for expanded adoption at other Arizona hospitals has been disclosed.
Sources
Every factual claim in this article traces to one of the sources below. See how we work for the editorial process.
- phoenixchamber.com retrieved 08/07/2026 17:35
Authored by The Scottsdale Signal. Drafted by AI from primary-source material under our beat-specific editorial guides; reviewed by humans before publish under our five-gate process. Sources retrieved at 08/07/2026 17:35. Every claim traces to a source.
