At North Memorial Health, we believe that the best ideas for improving patient care come from those who work on the front lines every day. That’s why our Foundation’s Board of Directors looks to our team members to identify pressing needs and propose innovative solutions. Each year, we award small grants to support selected projects, ensuring that our care teams have the resources they need to provide the best experience for our patients, team members, and community.
This year, we once again received an incredible number of thoughtful and impactful proposals. After careful consideration, more than $113,000 has been awarded to fund six outstanding projects in 2025.
We are excited to announce the following grant projects for 2025:
- Trauma Stepdown Care – Equipment Needs
Caring for our most acute patients requires constant, intensive monitoring, but the unpredictability of their arrival makes it challenging to maintain open, ready-to-use rooms. To fill the gap, stepdown monitors provide an intermediate level of care for patients between that of the general hospital and the intensive care unit. By increasing the number of rooms equipped with step-down monitors, our teams can be even more efficient by providing the right level of care at the right time for each patient. - Physical Therapy – Functional Electrical Stimulation
Patients recovering from nervous system deficiencies can achieve faster and more significant progress with functional electrical stimulation. With this funding, patients will have access to the Bioness L300 Go System, a wireless device that enhances ankle movement and foot clearance. This advanced technology will help patients regain mobility at a faster pace, including the ability to jog. - Physical Therapy – Sara Plus Device
Many patients recovering from strokes, spinal cord injuries, or traumatic brain injuries face challenges with mobility. Our inpatient rehab unit would like to upgrade their safety and falls prevention procedures to make sure patients have the safest experience possible during gait training. With this grant, patients will have access to a Sara Plus device, enabling safer transfers and rehabilitation. - Outpatient Occupational Therapy – Enhanced Assessment Tools
As our outpatient occupational therapy department continues to grow, so does our need for advanced assessment tools. This funding will allow us to complete more sensitive and appropriate evaluations, improving our ability to identify and treat high-level functional deficits to help personalize care plans to meet each patient’s needs, allowing them to meet their future goals. - Family Birth Center – Halo BassiNests
Our Postpartum team is dedicated to providing a safe and comfortable environment for newborns and their families. This grant will fund the purchase of four additional HALO BassiNests, ensuring all bassinets in our Family Birth Center are up to date. These bassinets offer features that support breastfeeding, safety and bonding while also improving ease and comfort for new parents, especially those who are recovering from a C-section. - Clinics – Security Enhancements
Safety is a top priority at North Memorial Health. Every year, our Emergency Management team assesses security risks across our clinics and recommends critical improvements. This funding will be used to install improved security devices such as badge readers, distress buttons, and cameras, ensuring a safer environment for our patients, visitors, and team members.
Congratulations to our 2025 Small Grant recipients!
We are incredibly proud of these projects and the team members who identified the opportunities for improvement. Through these grants, we continue to invest in our people and our mission—to empower our patients, team members, and community to achieve their best health.