Arizona’s smallest patients just gained a new layer of support. Valleywise Health has become the first hospital in the state to implement the LifeBubble™ Umbilical Line Securement System, a neonatal technology designed to stabilize umbilical catheters for premature and critically ill infants in the hospital’s NICU.
Those catheters play an outsized role during a newborn’s earliest and most fragile days, giving care teams immediate access to medications, nutrition, fluids and other lifesaving therapies. LifeBubble is designed to keep the lines more secure while allowing clinicians to continue monitoring the insertion site.
The upgrade came from the people closest to the work. Valleywise NICU clinicians identified the technology as an opportunity to enhance neonatal care, while a grant of more than $12,000 from 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun helped turn that idea into reality.
The funding was awarded to Valleywise Health Foundation, which partnered with the hospital’s NICU nursing staff to bring the system to patients.
“The addition of LifeBubble technology highlights our ongoing commitment to providing the most advanced, evidence-based care to the infants who need it most. Umbilical catheters are a vital lifeline for our most vulnerable patients, granting immediate access to medications, nutrition, fluids, and other lifesaving therapies during their critical first days,” Dr. Jodi Carter, chair of pediatrics at Valleywise Health, says.
The system is designed to reduce catheter migration and malposition, two issues that can complicate care, while preserving access for the clinicians watching over each baby. Clinical studies conducted at Oregon Health and Science University and Stanford Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital, along with research published in the 2024 Journal of Perinatology, have shown promising results, including reduced catheter migration and high nursing satisfaction.
“Every improvement we can make for our smallest and most medically fragile patients matters,” Alyssa Munson, MSN, RN, NICU developmental care coordinator at Valleywise Health, says. “LifeBubble represents an opportunity to bring an evidence-based innovation to Arizona that may help improve the healthcare experience for both infants and clinicians.”
The donation also shows what can happen when local philanthropy gets specific. Rather than supporting a broad initiative, members of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun funded a tangible piece of equipment with a direct role in patient care.
“When our members learned about this technology and how it can improve care for vulnerable newborns, they immediately recognized the difference it could make,” Pam Stelzer, an emeritus member of the Valleywise Health Foundation Board and member of 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun, says.
It is a small device with a serious assignment, bringing together bedside insight, medical innovation and community generosity for babies who need every advantage from day one.
Insider Takeaways
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Valleywise Health is the first hospital in Arizona to implement the LifeBubble™ Umbilical Line Securement System. The technology helps stabilize umbilical catheters used to deliver medications, nutrition, fluids and other critical therapies.
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Valleywise NICU clinicians identified the system as an opportunity to enhance care for premature and critically ill infants.
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A grant of more than $12,000 from 100+ Women Who Care Valley of the Sun funded the implementation.
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The system is designed to reduce catheter migration and malposition while maintaining access to the insertion site.
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The project connects frontline clinical leadership with local, high-impact philanthropy.
To learn more, visit valleywisehealth.org.
