The University of Arizona got a nearly $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to help protect babies from a deadly condition known as necrotizing enterocolitis.
The gastrointestinal disease, known as NEC, primarily affects premature babies. Researchers from the University of Arizona College of Nursing will use the grant to lead a national neonatal initiative called NEC-Zero.
The program includes telehealth mentoring for neonatal intensive care staff to help them prevent and more quickly diagnose the condition.
College of Nursing professor Sheila Gephart said this about the grant opportunity.
“I was excited. I felt like the idea had finally landed in the right place and that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality was the right group to fund it. Their mission involved safety and quality and prevention and technology," she said.
More than 3,500 babies are diagnosed with NEC every year.
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